Digital_Development_Services.pdf

COUNTY OF ORANGE

COUNTY EXECUTIVE OFFICE - CPO

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

FOR

DIGITAL DEVELOPMENT SERVICES

RFP NO. 017-3069106

RESPONSES MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO:

https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/ocgov https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/%7bproject.government.code%7d

County of Orange RFP

County Executive Office - CPO - Digital Development Services, 017-3069106

County of Orange

County Executive Office - CPO

Procurement and Contract Services

400 West Civic Center Dr. 5th Floor

Santa Ana, CA

92701

SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES

Release of RFP Solicitation July 17, 2026

Question Submission Deadline July 23, 2026, 2:00pm

RFP Submittal Closing July 28, 2026, 2:00pm

PROPOSALS MUST BE RECEIVED ON

OR BEFORE

Tuesday, July 28, 2026

2:00 pm

SECTIONS

SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION AND INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS

SECTION 2. PROTEST PROCEDURES

SECTION 3. SCOPE OF WORK

SECTION 4. SCORING CRITERIA

SECTION 5. COST PROPOSAL

SECTION 6. VENDOR RESPONSES

SECTION 7. OCLSB AND DVBE PREFERENCE POLICIES CERTIFICATION

REQUIREMENTS

Attachments:

A - Model Contract - Digital Development Services

SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION AND INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS

1.1 INTRODUCTION

The County intends that the successful Respondent shall provide Digital Development Services proposed in accordance with contract requirements set forth in the solicitation and Model Contract, including Attachments.

1.2 COUNTY HOLIDAYS DURING SOLICITATION PERIOD

During this solicitation period, the County Executive Office - CPO will be closed on the following County holidays - https://hrs.oc.gov/employee-relations/employee-resources

1.3 INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS AND PROCEDURES FOR SUBMITTAL

A. Responses are to be uploaded via the County's eProcurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ocgov. For assistance on uploading Response via County’s eProcurement Portal, please contact procurement-support@opengov.com or https://help.procurement.opengov.com/en/

B. Examine the Contract Documents and the site of the proposed work carefully before submitting a Response for the work contemplated. Investigate the conditions to be encountered, as to the character, quality, and quantities of work to be performed and materials to be furnished and as to the requirements of all Contract Documents.

The County has attempted to provide all information available. It is the responsibility of each Respondent to review, evaluate, and, where necessary, request any clarification prior to submission of a Response. If any person contemplating submitting a response to this

Request for Proposal (RFP) is in doubt as to the true meaning of any part of the solicitation documents attached hereto or finds discrepancies in or omissions from the specifications, they may submit a written request for clarification/interpretation to the County Deputy

Procurement Agent (DPA) via the County’s eProcurement Portal under the bid page for this solicitation.

If clarification or interpretation of this solicitation is considered necessary by County, an addendum shall be issued, and the information will be posted via the County’s eProcurement Portal. Any interpretation of, or correction to, this solicitation shall be issued by the DPA. It is the responsibility of each Respondent to periodically check the County’s eProcurement Portal to ensure that they have received and reviewed any and all addenda to this solicitation.

The County will not be responsible for any other explanations, corrections to, or interpretations of the documents, including any oral information. If an addendum is issued, Respondents must acknowledge the addendum via the County’s eProcurement Portal.

All questions or requests for interpretations must be received within this solicitation by Thursday, July 23, 2026, before 2:00 pm. The DPA will provide all official communication concerning this solicitation. Any County response relevant to this https://hrs.oc.gov/employee-relations/employee-resources https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ocgov https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ocgov mailto:procurement-support@opengov.com https://help.procurement.opengov.com/en/ solicitation other than through or approved by the DPA is unauthorized and will be considered invalid.

C. Responses must be valid for a period of at least three hundred sixty-five (365) calendar days from the closing date and time of receipt. No Response may be withdrawn after the submission date.

D. Each Respondent must submit their response electronically via the County’s eProcurement

Portal.

E. All pages must be submitted on standard 8.5 x 11-inch paper, numbered and identified sequentially by section. Responses must be organized and indexed as outlined in the

Response Requirements Section. It is imperative that all Respondents comply, exactly and completely, with the instructions set forth herein. All responses to this solicitation shall be type written or word-processed (except where otherwise provided or noted), concise, straightforward, and must fully address each requirement and question. Although not as a substitute for a complete written response, additional material, such as technical documents, may be referenced in any response if the material is included in the same section as additional information.

F. Responses are not to be marked as confidential or proprietary. The County may refuse to consider any Responses so marked. All Responses and supporting documents will be subject to the provisions of the California Public Records Act (California Code

Government Code 7920.000 et seq.) (PRA) and will be disclosed or withheld in accordance therewith. The County shall not be liable in any way for disclosure of any such records.

Additionally, all Responses shall become the property of the County.

Respondents should not request that certain information be treated as exempt, and statements in the Responses should not be marked as confidential or proprietary. In the event that any information is marked as confidential or proprietary, as it may be absolutely necessary, Respondents have the sole responsibility of obtaining any applicable injunctive reliefs to prevent the disclosure of such confidential proprietary information in connection with any request made to County pursuant to PRA or a subpoena for disclosure of such information.

G. Each Respondent shall exercise reasonable care and diligence to avoid submitting a

Response that could result in a conflict of interest if Respondent were to be selected. This obligation shall apply to the Respondent, the Respondent’s employees, agents, and relatives, sub-contractors, and third parties associated with accomplishing work and services in response. In the event Respondent has done work for the County on this Project in the past or has reason to believe that a conflict of interest may exist for Respondent in regard to this Project, Respondent should consult with its legal counsel prior to responding to this solicitation. Any Respondent who is found to have an actual conflict of interest may have its response rejected on that ground.

Respondent, its employees and/or consultants may be subject to the provisions of the

California Political Reform Act of 1974 (the “Act”), which (1) requires such persons to disclose any financial interest that may be materially affected by services provided under this Contract, (2) prohibits such persons from making, or participating in making, decisions that could reasonably affect such interest; and (3) may require the filing a Statement of

Economic Interest (Form 700).

If subject to the Act, Respondent shall conform to all requirements of the Act. Failure to do so shall constitute a material breach and is grounds for immediate termination of the

Contract by County. Respondent shall indemnify and hold harmless County for any and all claims for damages resulting from Respondent’s violation of this Section.

H. By submitting a response, the Respondent represents that it thoroughly examined the

County’s requirements, is familiar with the services required under this solicitation and is qualified and capable of providing the services to achieve the County’s objectives.

I. Each Respondent must submit its response in strict accordance with all requirements of this solicitation and compliance must be stated in the response. Deviations, clarifications and/or exceptions must be clearly identified and listed separately as alternative items on additional information section for the County’s consideration as specified in the

Response Requirements Section, “Statement of Compliance.”

Note: Allow sufficient time to upload all required files. The County’s eProcurement Portal will not allow any uploads after the due date and time specified herein, e.g., if Part 1 and 2 uploaded successfully at 1:58:38 P.M. and Part 3 is in progress of being uploaded at 2:00:01

P.M., Part 3 will not upload successfully.

J. Pre-contractual expenses are not to be included in the Cost Proposal, Attachment B, Pricing and Compensation. Pre-contractual expenses are defined as including, but not limited to, expenses incurred by the Respondent in: a) preparing the response to this solicitation; b) submitting that response to the County; c) negotiating with the County any matter related to the Respondent’s response; and d) any other expenses incurred by the Respondent prior to the date of award and execution, if any, of the Contract.

K. Any response may be construed as non-responsive and ineligible for consideration if it does not comply with the requirements of the solicitation, including but not limited to technical features, acknowledgment of receipt of addenda, and page number limits, etc. These are common causes for deeming a response non-responsive.

L. Where two or more Respondents desire to submit a single response to this solicitation, they must do so on a prime/subcontractor basis rather than as a joint venture. The County intends to contract with a single firm that may subcontract with multiple firms (team) but not with multiple firms doing business as a joint venture.

M. County does not require and neither encourages nor discourages the use of lobbyists or other consultants for the purpose of securing business.

N. The County requires a valid D-U-N-S number prior to Contract Award. If needed, your company may obtain one at no cost at www.dnb.com. If you are unable to provide/obtain a D-U-N-S number, please indicate so in your submission response.

O. The County requires a valid UEI number and full registration prior to Contract

Award. Your company must obtain one at no cost at www.usfcr.com. If you are unable to provide/obtain a UEI number, please indicate so in your submission response.

P. Effective from the issuance date of this solicitation until a Contract is awarded or the solicitation is withdrawn, all individuals or entities responding—including their employees, agents, representatives, proposed partners, subcontractors, members, lobbyists, or attorneys (collectively "Respondents")—are prohibited from engaging in any direct or indirect communication with County personnel involved in the selection process, except with the designated Deputy Procurement Agent (DPA). Respondents may continue conducting business with the County on matters unrelated to this solicitation and may communicate with County staff, provided the solicitation is not discussed. Any attempt to engage in discussion regarding this solicitation with anyone other than the designated DPA will be presumed to create an unfair competitive advantage and may result in disqualification.

Q. After the closing date and time for receipt of Responses, evaluation, and if requested by the County, interviews will commence. Respondents who submit Responses most responsive to the County’s requirements may be asked to give a presentation of their response to County staff. The County makes no guarantee as to the number of Respondents selected for interviews. Selected Respondents should be prepared to make its presentation within five (5) business days after notification and be prepared to discuss all aspects of its response in detail, including technical questions regarding the response. Respondents shall not be allowed to alter or amend its response through the use of the presentation process.

1.4 MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS

Respondent’s shall meet the following minimum requirements and qualifications to proceed to the evaluation process. Failure to have the ability to, upon County request, provide any of the items requested below may result in disqualification of your response. These qualifications must be maintained during the term of any resultant Contract.

http://www.dnb.com/ http://www.usfcr.com/

A. Must have the ability to do business in Orange County, California;

B. Complete all required Vendor Response questions of the solicitation;

C. Provide all required information, complete all required Exhibits, and pass all IT security requirements.

D. Have a minimum of five (5) years of cumulative, recent experience delivering services in at least one of the service categories identified in this solicitation.

E. Firm must have experience delivering at least two (2) similar digital services projects within the last five (5) years. Public sector experience preferred.

F. Possess valid licenses and certifications in accordance with the requirements set forth in this solicitation. Copies shall be provided to the County upon request

1.5 EVALUATION PROCESS

Responses deemed to meet all minimum solicitation requirements will be scored based on the established evaluation criteria, and will be assigned points that measure the responsiveness to each identified criterion. The total number of points earned will be tallied for each response, based upon the Respondent(s) submitted written materials.

Responses shall be evaluated by an Evaluation Panel of job knowledge experts on the basis of the responsiveness to the requirements in this RFP. The County may request clarifications, or otherwise verify the contents of the response, including information about the Respondent, Contractors and sub-contractors.

The scoring is based on evaluation of the response as measured against the Scoring Criteria, which includes County of Orange Procurement Preference Policy, in accordance with Sections 1.8-103 and 4.3-112 of the 2026 County Contract Policy Manual (CPM). A copy of the 2026 CPM can be found at https://cpo.oc.gov/cpm. Responses will be evaluated from the most advantageous to the least advantageous to the County.

1.6 SELECTION/AWARD PROCEDURES

Upon the completion of the evaluation process, the Evaluation Committee will make a recommendation for an award to the County’s DPA. Final award determination shall be subject to reference checks and past performance.

The Model Contract contained herein this RFP is the Contract proposed for execution. It may be modified to incorporate negotiated items and other pertinent terms and conditions set forth in this

RFP, including special conditions and requirements and those added by addendum, necessary attachments and/or exhibits, and to reflect Respondent’s response and qualifications. Any additional exceptions to the terms and conditions made by any Respondent after submission of its response may result in its elimination from further consideration.

https://cpo.oc.gov/cpm

Exceptions to the terms and conditions of the Model Contract or the statements regarding

Respondent’s inability to comply with any of the provisions thereof are to be declared in the response to the RFP in VENDOR RESPONSES - Statement of Compliance.

Negotiations may or may not be conducted with the finalist(s); therefore, the response submitted should contain Respondent(s) most favorable terms and conditions, since the selection and award may be made without further discussion or need for clarification. Any additional exceptions to the terms and conditions made by any Respondent(s) after submission of its response may result in elimination from further consideration.

The County will enter into negotiations with the selected Respondent and award a contract upon completion of negotiation of fees and contract terms. The award may be subject to/requires approval(s) by the County Board of Supervisors.

If a satisfactory Contract cannot be negotiated in a timely manner, County, in its sole discretion, may terminate negotiations with the selected Respondent and begin negotiations with the next

Respondent.

1.7 RIGHTS RESERVED TO COUNTY

The County reserves the right to:

A. Make use of any information or ideas in the responses submitted.

B. Request response revisions and hold discussions and negotiations with any Respondent as necessary to serve the best interests of the County.

C. Seek publicly available information about the Respondents.

D. Conduct, or not to conduct, oral interviews and/or presentations with the highest-ranked

Respondent(s) and additional Respondents.

E. Waive, at its discretion, any procedural, non-material defects, irregularity, or informality, which

County deems correctable or otherwise not warranting rejection of the response that do not result in any unfair competitive advantage. Any waiver will not excuse a proponent from full compliance.

F. Verify and validate any information prior to Contract Award and during the entire term of the

Contract.

G. Negotiate the final Contract with any Respondent(s), including pricing/fee schedule, as necessary to serve the best interests of the County;

H. Withdraw or cancel in part or in its entirety this solicitation at any time without prior notice and furthermore makes no representations that any Contract will be awarded to any Respondent responding to this solicitation;

I. Award its total requirements to one Respondent or to apportion those requirements among two or more Respondents as the County may deem to be in its best interests;

J. Reject any response if it is conditional, incomplete or deviates significantly from the services requested in this solicitation; and/or

K. Request Best and Final Offer from any Respondent determined to be within the competitive range.

Unless requested by the County, late Best and Final Offers will not be accepted by the County for any reason. In addition, negotiations may or may not be conducted with Respondents.

L. Make multiple awards to Respondent(s) for services requested in this solicitation, at its sole discretion, to serve the best interests of the County.

M. Defer award of this Contract for a period of 180 days after the solicitation opening. During this period, Respondent shall guarantee the prices and terms quoted in their responses. The County and the responsive, responsible Respondent may mutually agree in writing to extend this deferral period.

Therefore, responses submitted shall contain the Respondent’s most favorable terms and conditions, since the selection and award may be made without discussion with any Respondent.

1.8 TITLE VI SOLICITATION NOTICE

The County of Orange, in accordance with the provisions of the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 252, 42 USC §§ 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all

Respondents that it will affirmatively ensure that any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit response to this solicitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.

1.9 DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY, INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE FORM

W-9/W-8 REQUIREMENTS

Effective June 3, 2006, all Contractors, entering into a Contract with County, who are not already established in Countywide ERP System as an Auditor-Controller vendor, will be required to submit to County a federal Form W-9, or form W-8 for foreign vendors. County will inform

Contractor, at the time of award, if the Form W-9 or W-8 will be required.

In order to comply with this County requirement, within ten (10) days of notification of selection of award of Contract but prior to official award of Contract, the selected Contractor agrees to furnish to Contract administrator, or the Deputy Procurement Agent (DPA) the required W-9 or

W-8.

1.10 LEVINE ACT REQUIREMENT

Effective January 1, 2023, all contractors entering into a contract with the County, will be required to submit the Campaign Contribution Disclosure Form for any contributions made on or after

January 1, 2023. In order to comply with this requirement, Respondent agrees to furnish the required Campaign Contribution Disclosure Information form as a required submittal with its response. Failure to include the form as required will render the response nonresponsive.

1.11 WEB CONTENT ACCESSIBILITY GUIDELINES (WCAG) 2.1, LEVEL AA

The County of Orange integrates VPAT review into its IT procurement process to ensure that all acquired products and services are accessible to individuals with disabilities. By adhering to the

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA, the County affirms its commitment to creating a digital environment that is inclusive, user-friendly, and accessible to everyone in the community.

All third-party suppliers engaged by the County of Orange must ensure that any web content, applications, or digital assets they produce or maintain meet or exceed WCAG 2.1 Level AA https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/ standards. These requirements apply to websites, mobile apps, documents (e.g., PDFs, Word, Excel), and multimedia elements (e.g., videos, images, audio). Additional documentation, testing, or remediation commitments may be required as a condition of contract award.

SECTION 2. PROTEST PROCEDURES

Any actual or prospective bidder or respondent who alleges an error or impropriety in the solicitation or award of a contract may submit a grievance or protest to Roy Aragon at roy.aragon@ceo.oc.gov, as set forth herein.

PROTEST PROCEDURES

All protests shall be typed under the protestor’s letterhead and submitted in accordance with the provisions stated herein. All protests shall include at a minimum the following information:

A. The name, address, and telephone number of the protestor;

B. The signature of the protestor or the protestor’s representative;

C. The solicitation or contract number;

D. A detailed statement of the legal and/or factual grounds for the protest; and, E. The form of relief requested.

Protest of Solicitation Specifications:

A. All protests related to solicitation specifications must be submitted to the Deputy

Procurement Agent (DPA), Roy Aragon at roy.aragon@ceo.oc.gov, no later than five

(5) business days prior to the Closing Date of the solicitation. Protests received after the five (5) business-day deadline will not be considered by the County.

B. In the event the protest of specifications is denied, and the protestor wishes to continue in the solicitation process, the protestor must still submit a bid/response prior to the close of the solicitation in accordance with the solicitation submittal procedures provided in this solicitation.

Protest of Award of Contract:

A. Protests related to the award of a contract must be submitted to the Deputy Procurement

Agent, Roy Aragon at roy.aragon@ceo.oc.gov, no later than five (5) business days after the Notice of Solicitation Ranking Results is provided by the DPA.

B. Protests relating to a proposed contract award received after the five (5) business day deadline will not be considered by the County.

C. If the five (5) business day period expires without the receipt of a protest, the department may move forward with the contract award or if necessary, file the item for approval by the Board of Supervisors.

Protest Process

A. In the event of a timely protest, the County shall not proceed with the solicitation or award of the contract until the DPA issues a decision on the protest.

B. Upon receipt of a timely protest, the DPA will, within ten (10) business days of receipt of the protest, issue a decision in writing which shall state the reasons for the actions taken.

C. The County may, after providing written justification, make the determination that an immediate award of the contract is necessary to protect the substantial interests of the

County. The award of a contract shall in no way compromise the protester’s right to the protest procedures outlined herein.

D. If the protestor disagrees with the decision of the DPA, the protestor may submit a written appeal to the County Procurement Officer requesting an appeal to the

Procurement Appeals Board, in accordance with the process stated below.

APPEALS PROCESS

A. If the protestor wishes to appeal the protest decision of the Deputy Procurement Agent, the protestor must submit, within three (3) business days from receipt of the Deputy

Procurement Agent’s decision, a written appeal to the Office of the County Procurement

Officer.

Written appeals must be sent by mail to the address below with a courtesy copy by email;

County of Orange/County Executive Office

County Procurement Office

400 W. Civic Center Drive, 5th Floor

Santa Ana, CA 92701

Attn: County Procurement Officer

CPOAppeals@ceo.oc.gov

B. Within fifteen (15) business days, the County Procurement Officer will review all materials in connection with the appeal, assess the merits of the protest and provide a written determination that shall contain his or her decision on whether the appeal shall be forwarded to the Procurement Appeals Board.

mailto:CPOAppeals@ocgov.com

C. The decision of the County Procurement Officer on whether to allow the appeal to go forward will be final and there shall be no right to any administrative appeals of this decision.

SECTION 3. SCOPE OF WORK

3.1 GENERAL INFORMATION:

The County of Orange is comprised of 22 Departments and over 18,000 employees located throughout the County. The County’s core businesses are public safety, public works, construction management, public health, environmental protection, regional planning, public assistance, social services, and aviation.

The County is establishing a Digital Development Services contract to support digital transformation initiatives across County departments. This contract provides County departments with access to qualified vendors capable of delivering specialized digital services across the full project lifecycle — from discovery and design through deployment, analytics, and AI implementation.

3.2 CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

A. The Contractor shall be responsible for the following throughout the term of this Contract and for any scope of work issued thereunder:

1. The Contractor shall be responsible for ensuring that all work authorized under any

Scope of Work is completed in full, whether performed directly by the Contractor or by County-approved subcontractors. Subcontracting is permitted only with prior written authorization from the issuing agency's authorized Project Manager or designee.

2. The Contractor shall assign qualified personnel with relevant experience and credentials to each project. Key personnel shall not be substituted without prior written approval from the County Project Manager.

3. The Contractor shall deliver all work products on time, within scope, and within the agreed fixed price for each authorized scope of work.

4. The Contractor shall participate in a mandatory kick-off meeting upon issuance of each scope of work and attend regular project status meetings as directed by the

County Project Manager.

5. Project Tiers. Each Scope of Work issued under this Contract shall be classified into a tier based on the criteria below. A Scope of Work is Tier 3 if any Tier 3 criterion applies; otherwise it is Tier 2 if any Tier 2 criterion applies; otherwise it is Tier 1.

Tier 3 — Large. Any of the following applies:

• The Scope of Work includes services under Category 11 (Artificial Intelligence Strategy and Implementation)

• The Scope of Work requires deployment to a production environment serving more than one County department or partner agency

• The Scope of Work involves sensitive data, health information, justice system data, or other regulated data types, as described in Section 2.C.2

Tier 2 — Medium. Not Tier 3, and any of the following applies:

• The Scope of Work includes custom application code (front-end, back-end, or full stack) as described in Category 3

• The Scope of Work includes services under Category 7 (Deployment) or Category 8

(DevSecOps)

• The Scope of Work includes services under Category 10 (Data Analytics, Visualization and Engineering)

Tier 1 — Small. Does not meet any Tier 2 or Tier 3 criterion. This includes Scopes of Work limited to Category 1 (Discovery), Category 2 (Design), Category 5 (Accessibility Remediation), Category 6 (Project Management), or Category 9 (Upskilling and Capacity Building).

The tier resulting from this classification shall be stated in the Scope of Work and shall determine the applicability of standards under Section 2.B.

1. Each Scope of Work shall be prepared using the County's standard Scope of Work template and approved by the issuing agency's Procurement office prior to issuance to the Contractor.

2. The Contractor shall acknowledge receipt of a proposed Scope of Work within [X] business days and shall submit a written proposal, including cost and timeline, within

[X] business days of acknowledgment, unless a different timeframe is specified in the

Scope of Work

B. Performance Standards

1. The Contractor shall meet the following performance standards for all applicable deliverables, as determined by the Project Tier assigned to each Scope of Work in accordance with Section 2.A.5

Deliverable Standard Acceptable Quality Level Applies to

Code Version-controlled, substantial test coverage

Minimum 90% test code coverage

Tier 2, Tier 3

Accessibility WCAG 2.2 AA compliance Zero errors in automated and manual testing

Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier

Deployment Successful build and deployment to staging environment

Single-command build and deploy

Tier 2, Tier 3

Documentation All dependencies, methods, and system architecture documented

Manual review by County Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier

Security OWASP Application Security

Verification Standard 4.0, Level

No medium or high static/dynamic vulnerabilities

Tier 2, Tier 3

User Research Usability testing conducted at regular intervals throughout development

Research artifacts available at end of every applicable sprint

Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier

C. Security and Compliance

1. The Contractor shall comply with all applicable County, State, and Federal security requirements, including those established by the Orange County Information

Technology (OCIT) and any applicable security review requirements identified prior to project commencement.

2. If a project involves sensitive data, health information, justice system data, or other regulated data types, the Contractor shall comply with all applicable standards including but not limited to HIPAA, CJIS, FedRAMP, and WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility standards.

3. The Contractor shall cooperate fully with any OCIT security review required for a given project scope and shall not commence work involving County systems or data until security review and approval has been obtained.

D. Reporting and Documentation

1. The Contractor shall provide the County Project Manager with regular status reports at a frequency specified in each scope of work, including progress against deliverables, risks, issues, and budget status.

2. All work products, code, data, documentation, and deliverables produced under this

Contract shall be the property of the County of Orange upon delivery and acceptance.

The Contractor shall maintain version-controlled repositories and transfer all assets to the County upon project completion or contract termination.

3. The Contractor shall maintain accurate records of all work performed, hours by labor category, and costs incurred under each scope of work and shall make such records available to the County upon request for audit purposes.

3.3 SERVICE CATEGORIES

A. Category 1 — Digital Service Discovery

1. Digital Service Discovery encompasses the performance of initial research and analysis activities required to identify and define user needs and system requirements for digital service projects. This phase ensures a solid foundation for subsequent design, development, and deployment phases by establishing a clear understanding of user needs, system constraints, and strategic goals before any design or development work begins.

2. Services include stakeholder interviews, user research, competitive analysis, persona identification, business process mapping, and initial prototyping to outline feasible solutions and strategic goals. This category also covers the development of a project roadmap, including scope definition, resource estimation, and prioritization of features. Services under this category include but are not limited to:

a. Stakeholder interviews and facilitation

b. User research and needs assessment

c. Competitive and comparative analysis

d. Persona identification and development

e. Journey mapping and experience documentation

f. Business process mapping and documentation

g. Initial prototyping and feasibility analysis

h. Project roadmap development including scope definition, resource estimation, and feature prioritization

i. Requirements documentation to support subsequent design, development, and deployment phases

B. Category 2 — Digital Service Design

1. Digital Service Design encompasses comprehensive research, design, and user validation activities required to produce functional, accessible, and user-centered digital experiences. Comprehensive research and discovery activities are conducted to inform the creation of wireframe mockups and interactive prototypes using industry-standard design tools. This service emphasizes human-centered design, user experience, and visual aesthetics while ensuring compliance with current accessibility and usability standards.

2. User acceptance testing is conducted to validate design decisions through feedback and iterative design. Final deliverables typically include detailed design specifications, content creation, documentation, personas, and journey mapping artifacts, paired with design assets to support development and deployment. Services under this category include but are not limited to:

a. Human-centered design research and synthesis

b. Wireframe development and interactive prototype creation

c. User experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design

d. Visual design and brand alignment

e. Accessibility and usability compliance in accordance with WCAG 2.2 AA standards

f. User acceptance testing and iterative design based on user feedback

g. Content creation and content strategy

h. Information architecture development

i. Persona development and journey mapping

j. Detailed design specifications and documentation

k. Design asset production to support development and deployment

C. Category 3 — Digital Service Development

1. Digital Service Development encompasses all activities related to the coding, configuring, and building of digital services based on approved design specifications.

Developers adhere to coding standards and best practices to ensure scalability and maintainability. Code is developed in a collaborative environment to foster innovation and efficiency. Services under this category include but are not limited to:

a. Front-end development including user interface implementation and client-side functionality

b. Back-end development including server-side logic, APIs, and application architecture

c. Database design, setup, and configuration

d. Integration with existing County systems, platforms, and third-party services

e. Full stack development combining front-end and back-end capabilities

f. Development in accordance with County coding standards, version control requirements, and documentation practices

g. Integration with emerging technologies as authorized by the County

h. Scalability and maintainability planning throughout the development lifecycle

i. Code review, refactoring, and technical debt remediation

A. Category 4 — Digital Service Quality Assurance and Testing

1. Digital Service Quality Assurance and Testing encompasses the systematic verification processes required to ensure that digital services meet required quality standards before deployment. This category includes a comprehensive suite of testing methods and continuous feedback loops to ensure thorough coverage and resolution of all identified issues prior to release. Services under this category include but are not limited to:

a. Unit testing, integration testing, and system testing

b. User acceptance testing (UAT) design, facilitation, and documentation

c. Performance testing and load testing

d. Security testing and vulnerability assessment

e. Accessibility testing in accordance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

(WCAG) 2.2 AA standards or the latest applicable version

f. Test case development, documentation, and management

g. Defect tracking, reporting, and resolution coordination

h. Regression testing and continuous testing integration within CI/CD pipelines

i. Test automation development and maintenance

j. Quality assurance reporting and sign-off documentation

B. Category 5 — Digital Service Accessibility Remediation

1. Digital Service Accessibility Remediation encompasses services designed to ensure that digital materials and content — including websites, applications, videos, PDFs, and other print and digital media — comply with accessibility standards both before deployment and following identification of remediation needs. This category includes conducting thorough audits using a blend of automated tools and manual testing, as well as the remediation of identified issues to ensure all digital content meets or exceeds applicable accessibility requirements. Services under this category include but are not limited to:

a. Comprehensive accessibility audits using automated tools combined with manual testing

b. Compliance assessment against Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

2.2 AA standards or the latest applicable version

c. Specialized testing for video content including captions, audio description, and visual accessibility enhancements

d. Remediation of PDFs and other print materials for accessibility including screen reader compatibility and navigational ease

e. Website and application accessibility remediation

f. Plain language content development to ensure comprehensibility and accessibility for individuals with disabilities and limited English proficiency

g. Accessibility remediation documentation and reporting

h. Ongoing accessibility monitoring and compliance verification following remediation

i. Staff training and guidance on accessibility standards and remediation best practices

C. Category 6 — Digital Service Project Management

1. Digital Service Project Management encompasses the oversight and coordination of digital service projects from initiation through completion. Project managers ensure effective communication among all stakeholders, manage risks, and facilitate problem-solving and decision-making processes throughout the project lifecycle. This category involves monitoring project progress and implementing agile methodologies to adapt to changes and deliver high-quality results efficiently, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within scope, and on budget. Services under this category include but are not limited to:

a. Project planning, scheduling, resourcing, and budgeting

b. Agile methodology facilitation including sprint planning, backlog management, and retrospectives

c. Stakeholder communication and coordination

d. Risk identification, assessment, and mitigation

e. Issue tracking and resolution

f. Project progress monitoring and status reporting

g. Change management and scope control

h. Resource allocation and team coordination

i. Communication planning and management including templates and escalation procedures

j. Post-project documentation and lessons learned

D. Category 7 — Digital Service Deployment

1. Digital Service Deployment encompasses all activities related to the rollout of digital services into a production environment. This includes the setup of hosting environments, configuration of servers, and deployment of code using automated deployment tools to ensure consistent and error-free launches. The process involves coordination between development, operations, and support teams to manage release schedules and minimize downtime. This category also covers post-deployment monitoring and performance optimization to ensure the service operates effectively in the live environment, as well as the integration of security practices throughout the deployment lifecycle to ensure high-quality, secure service delivery. Services under this category include but are not limited to:

a. Hosting environment setup and configuration

b. Server and infrastructure configuration

c. Automated deployment pipeline development and implementation

d. DevSecOps integration including continuous integration and continuous delivery

(CI/CD)

e. Security integration throughout all development phases including automated updates and security patches

f. Continuous monitoring and automated testing for security and operational efficiency

g. Coordination between development, operations, and support teams

h. Release scheduling and downtime minimization

i. Post-deployment monitoring and performance optimization

j. Compliance with OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0, Level

2, for Scopes of Work classified as Tier 2 or Tier 3 under Section 2.A.5

k. Vulnerability remediation and security patching

E. Category 8 — Digital Service DevSecOps

1. Digital Service DevSecOps encompasses the integration of development, security, and operations to streamline the lifecycle of digital services from conception through deployment and ongoing operation. This category aims to enhance collaboration among development, security, and operations teams, shorten development cycles, and ensure high-quality, secure service delivery by embedding security practices at every phase of the development lifecycle rather than treating security as a post-deployment activity. Services under this category include but are not limited to:

a. Design, setup, and maintenance of continuous integration and continuous delivery

(CI/CD) pipelines to automate build, test, and deployment processes

b. Security integration at every phase of development to preemptively address vulnerabilities and compliance issues

c. Static and dynamic application security testing (SAST/DAST) within the development pipeline

d. Automated security scanning, patch management, and vulnerability remediation

e. Compliance monitoring and governance throughout the development lifecycle

f. Container security, infrastructure as code (IaC) security, and cloud security configuration

g. Secrets management and access control implementation

h. Incident response planning and security event monitoring

i. Security documentation and audit trail maintenance

j. Compliance with OWASP Application Security Verification Standard 4.0, Level

2, for Scopes of Work classified as Tier 2 or Tier 3 under Section 2.A.5

F. Category 9 — Digital Service Upskilling and Capacity Building

1. Digital Service Upskilling and Capacity Building encompasses activities that enhance the County's internal capabilities to effectively deliver and maintain digital services, including coaching and training, developing sustainable practices through knowledge transfer, process optimization, and cultural transformation. This category includes delivery-based training where County staff learn by doing — applying their new skills directly to on-the-job tasks — as well as organizational readiness assessments, digital transformation workshops, change management strategies, and hands-on training in disciplines like agile coaching, DevOps, and user research. Services under this category include but are not limited to:

a. Agile coaching and delivery-based training

b. DevOps and DevSecOps training

c. User research and human-centered design training

d. Knowledge transfer and sustainable practice development

e. Organizational readiness assessments

f. Digital transformation workshops and facilitation

g. Change management strategy development and implementation

h. Process optimization and cultural transformation support

i. Development of training curricula, workshop materials, and change management playbooks

j. Documentation of outcomes demonstrating before and after improvements in team capabilities

k. Coaching and mentoring of County staff through hands-on application of skills to live projects

G. Category 10 — Digital Service Data Analytics, Visualization and Engineering

Digital Service Data Analytics, Visualization and Engineering encompasses the design, development, and maintenance of data systems, analytical tools, and visual reporting solutions that support data-informed decision making across County departments. Services under this category include but are not limited to

1. Data Analytics

a. Data Analytics includes, but is not limited to, analyzing administrative and other data using a variety of statistical and cognitive computing techniques with statistical programming languages; capturing and managing web analytics data;

and developing new metrics to apply to analytics dashboards. Services include:

i. Statistical analysis and cognitive computing using statistical programming languages

ii. Web analytics data capture and management

iii. Development of metrics, key performance indicators, and analytical dashboards

iv. Data-driven insights and reporting to support County decision making

2. Data Visualization

a. Data Visualization includes, but is not limited to, visualizing data in business intelligence (BI) tools; developing traditional and web-based data reports for technical and non-technical audiences; custom-developed visual representations of data and data analysis for data storytelling; interactive charts, graphs and maps;

and accessible and inclusive presentation of data visualization with open source libraries. Services include:

i. Business intelligence (BI) tool development and configuration

ii. Traditional and web-based data report development for technical and non-technical audiences

iii. Custom visual representations of data including interactive charts, graphs, and maps

iv. Data storytelling and executive-level visual reporting

v. Accessible and inclusive data visualization using open source libraries

3. Data Engineering

a. Data Engineering includes, but is not limited to, building and maintaining data environments (e.g., data lakes and data warehouses); databases; data pipelines;

processing and manipulating large volumes of data to prepare it for analysis;

ensuring data quality and security standards; and administering extract, transform, load (ETL) servers and related databases. Services include:

i. Design and maintenance of data environments including data lakes and data warehouses

ii. Database design, development, and administration

iii. Data pipeline development and maintenance

iv. Large-volume data processing, transformation, and preparation for analysis

v. Data quality assurance and security standards compliance

vi. Extract, transform, and load (ETL) server and database administration

A. Category 11 — Artificial Intelligence Strategy and Implementation

1. Artificial Intelligence Strategy and Implementation encompasses the responsible design, development, deployment, and ongoing operation of AI-enabled capabilities in support of County mission delivery. This category covers the full AI lifecycle — from strategy and governance through development, deployment, and continuous monitoring — with an emphasis on responsible AI practices that ensure AI systems are secure, ethical, auditable, and effective. Services under this category include but are not limited to:

a. AI and machine learning strategy development, roadmaps, and use-case prioritization

b. Responsible AI governance frameworks, risk management, ethics policies, and compliance documentation

c. Development, integration, and optimization of AI and machine learning solutions

d. Data readiness assessment, data quality management, model training, evaluation, and lifecycle management

e. Natural language processing, computer vision, and predictive analytics development

f. Virtual AI agent development, support, and technology integration

g. FedRAMP Authorization and Authorization to Operate (ATO) support

h. AI testing, validation, red-teaming, and operational readiness assessment

i. MLOps and LLMOps including model deployment, monitoring, drift detection, and lifecycle operations

j. Continuous evaluation for bias, robustness, explainability, and performance validation

k. Human oversight design including review workflows, escalation paths, and decision governance frameworks

l. AI-ready data architecture and pipeline development

m. Logging, auditability, traceability, and performance monitoring for AI systems

n. AI integration with enterprise platforms, APIs, mission workflows, and user-facing services

B. Category 12 — Program Integrity Services

1. Program Integrity Services encompasses capabilities that help County agencies prevent, detect, investigate, and remediate fraud, waste, abuse, improper payments, eligibility risks, compliance violations, and program leakage. This category supports agencies in building and modernizing the analytical, technological, and operational capabilities needed to protect program integrity across the full lifecycle — from prevention and detection through investigation, remediation, and continuous monitoring. Services under this category include but are not limited to:

2. Fraud detection analytics and AI-enabled fraud monitoring

3. Improper payment prevention and detection

4. Claims validation and eligibility verification

5. Identity resolution and identity risk assessment

6. Risk scoring and anomaly detection

7. Data matching across internal and external data sources

8. Case management modernization and investigation workflow automation

9. Audit support and regulatory compliance monitoring

10. Provider oversight and third-party data integration

11. Predictive analytics for program risk and performance

12. Appeals and adjudication support

13. Program controls design and implementation

14. Continuous monitoring and program…