DPH GRITS IVV- SON 5896

State of Georgia Georgia Technology Authority Statement of Need (SON) Event Name: Georgia Registry of Immunization Transactions and Services (GRITS) IVV SON (Event) Number: 98000-0000005896 Refer ALL Inquiries to: GTA Issuing Officer, Rachael Allen at: Procurement@gta.ga.gov

Bidder’s Information Instruction: All spaces below are to be filled in and this sheet must be incorporated within as the first page of the response to this Statement of Need (SON).

Company/Firm Name:

Address:

Contact Name & Title:

Email:

Telephone:

mailto:Procurement@gta.ga.gov

Schedule of Events

The schedule of events set out herein represents the Georgia Technology Authority’s best estimate of the schedule that will be followed. However, delays to the procurement process may occur which may necessitate adjustments to the proposed schedule. If a component of this schedule is adjusted, the rest of the schedule may be shifted as appropriate. Any changes to the dates up to the closing date of the Statement of Need (herein after called “SON”) will be publicly posted prior to the closing date of this SON. After the close of this SON, GTA reserves the right to adjust the remainder of the proposed dates on an as needed basis with or without notice.

SON Schedule of Events

Event DATE

Release of SON 05/26/2022 2:00 PM EST

Final Day to submit Questions to GTA 06/02/2022 2:00 PM EST

Answers Distributed to Qualified Contractors 06/06/2022 2:00 PM EST

SON Response Due to GTA 06/16/2022 2:00 PM EST

Anticipated Award Date As posted on the Georgia Procurement Registry (GPR)

1.0 Purpose of Procurement

This Statement of Need (SON) is an Informal bid solicitation availed only to those awarded suppliers through the Request for Qualified Contractors (SON) 98000-0000005896. Contractors were obtained in accordance with procurement processes and polices as published in the GTA Procurement Manual.

GTA publicly posted the solicitation (RFQC 98000-000000-5069) to the Georgia Procurement Registry (GPR). GTA received questions, posted answers, received responses per the deadline indicated, and evaluated the responses per the criteria. A set of Qualified Contractors, that were determined to be within identified scoring range, entered successful contract negotiations, and were awarded GTA Master Agreements. This approach addresses the criteria outlined below.

The purpose of this Statement of Need is to identify and award a qualified contractor to provide IV&V services for the Department of Public Health GRITS Enhancement project.

1.1 Project Background

The State Entity manages and maintains the Georgia Registry of Immunization Transactions and Services (GRITS). The system is designed to capture and securely store immunization and demographic records for all immunizations administered within Georgia and for all Georgia residents. It is used to monitor and report on immunization statistics, provide medical practitioners the ability to record and report patient and immunization information and order publicly funded vaccines. At the point of clinical care, GRITS provides consolidated immunization records and forecasts to support clinical decisions. At the population level, GRITS provides aggregate data and information on vaccinations for surveillance, program operations and public health action.

The system also provides meaningful data that is shared with the broader immunization community to monitor progress toward meeting public health objectives including monitoring immunization coverage and vaccine inventories.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) began an effort to standardize GRITS systems by issuing GRITS Functional Standards in 1997. Since then, these standards have been revised based on input from GRITS stakeholders and the CDC’s Immunization Information Systems Support Branch (GRITSSB). The most current version, GRITS Functional Standards, v4.1 was released in 2017. According to the CDC, “the GRITS Functional Standards reflect the functionality a GRITS should strive to attain to fully support program and stakeholder immunization-related goals.” In addition to the GRITS Functional Standards, the American Immunization Registry Association’s (AIRA’s) Modeling of Immunization Registry Operations Workgroup (MIROW) provides best practice guidelines for GRITS operations. 1 The current DPH system, GRITS was implemented in 2003, incorporating a real time bi-directional interface operationalized to support interoperability between Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems and GRITS. The 2019 COVID Pandemic indicated the need for enhancements to the current system to accommodate additional federal reporting requirements related to the pandemic vaccination response activities. GRITS currently has over 16,500 organizations enrolled and over 49,000 active users. An increase in the number of users is anticipated due to number of non-traditional and mass vaccination immunization providers enrolling to assist with the Pandemic response. Users accessing the system includes, but is not limited to, immunization providers (public health and non-public health) and their staff, State Entity staff, school nurses and other authorized school administrators, insurers, and correctional facilities.

1. https://www.immregistries.org/mirow https://gta.georgia.gov/document/document/gta-procurement-manual-2-june-2021/download https://gta.georgia.gov/document/document/gta-procurement-manual-2-june-2021/download http://ssl.doas.state.ga.us/PRSapp/PR_index.jsp https://www.immregistries.org/mirow

Current Processing Environment

Currently, DPH utilizes two different systems for vaccine management functionality. GRITS is used for all vaccination program except pandemic related vaccine and Vaccine Management System (VMS) is primarily developed for pandemic programs like COVID-19. Please refer to Procurement item GRITS Application Overview Reference R-3.pdf and VMS Application Overview Reference R-4.pdf for more details regarding the information about these systems.

GRITS uses bidirectional exchange of data with many other Georgia health facilities using CDC PHINMS or WSDL Web Service interfaces. Please refer to GRITS Interfaces section in the Procurement item GRITS Application Overview Reference R-3.pdf for more details regarding GRITS current data exchange Interfaces.

The goal for the future GRITS 2.0 is to implement a single system which will have both the functionalities such as GRITS and VMS, as well as incorporating all other items listed in this RFP.

Refer to Attachment E – GRITS Background and Scope of Work for further Background and SOW information (Attachment E)

1.2 Project Duration

The Georgia DPH is providing its full requirements to Suppliers through this procurement with the understanding that the Georgia DPH and the selected Supplier will agree on a scope that can be delivered on or before September 30, 2023. Close-out & Warranty will be included in scope for 6 months. The total duration of IV&V contract will be 21 months.

Please note: If the project ends prior to the start date, the IV&V contract will be terminated at that time. GTA reserves the right to extend the contract if the project date is extended.

1.3 Scope of Services

The IV&V Contractor shall provide IV&V services in accordance with GTA’s ITPAS 3 Contract RFQC 98000-000000- 5069.

Typically, Independent Verification and Validation means an evaluation of a work product. Validation means making sure the right product is built, and verification means making sure the right product is built correctly. It is important to note that the requirements of IV&V on the State's projects differ from the industry standard practices for V&V (Verification & Validation) as defined in the IEEE Standard for Software Verification and Validation (IEEE Standard 1012-1098). GTA’s requirements for IV&V on State technology projects are limited in their scope from the industry standard IEEE definition for IV&V in two key regards:

• IV&V of the project deliverables is not considered to be an ongoing process within the larger Assurance Services. Rather, it is a single review of deliverables to verify and validate their compliance to requirements.

• The ITPAS 3 supplier must maintain organizational independence and autonomy from the project’s organization, and therefore has a reduced role from that normally associated with full IV&V services. Further, in some respects, the ITPAS 3 supplier’s IV&V activities should not view their role as that of providing a “continuous presence” to the project, such as might be the case with Quality Control and Assurance services. The State sees IV&V as a process assurance activity, not one of quality assurance.

1.4 Deliverables

The IV&V Contractor will review project deliverables and provide written feedback and recommendations to the agency. This is not an exhaustive list. The IV&V Contractor is expected to determine what is required for each deliverable to determine success.

Refer to Attachment E GRITS Background and Scope of Work for a complete list of deliverables as a reference only. Each deliverable below should include a unit cost in the cost spreadsheet. (Attachment H)

Deliverable Reviews Description of reviews as applicable to the project.

Integrated Master Schedule-initial and updates (on-going reviews will be reported on the monthly project dashboard)

• Evaluate and make recommendations on the estimating and scheduling process of the project to ensure that the project budget and resources are adequate for the work-breakdown structure and schedule

• Review schedules to verify that adequate time and resources are assigned for planning, development, review, testing, and rework

• Review the project schedules on a weekly basis (or otherwise agreed upon time frame) to ensure the status is updated appropriately

• Verify that the schedule includes all 3rd party dependencies

• For Agile Methodology, review product backlog, burndown/burnup, velocity charts, sprint goals, user stories

Project Management Plan Includes the components of a PMP including but not limited to:

• Communication Plan

• Resource plan including roles and responsibilities

• Risk management plan

• Issue management plan

• Cost management plan

• Quality management plan including deliverable acceptance process

• Scope Management plan

• Schedule Management plan

• Vendor Management plan

Validated Detail Requirements

• Review requirements documentation process

• Evaluate and make recommendations on the project’s process and procedures for managing requirements

• Verify requirements are well-defined, understood and documented

• Verify requirements can be tracked through all phases to production

System Implementation/ (System Configuration Plan)

• Review and verify that a formal implementation/cutover plan has been developed and approved by all stakeholders impacted by the implementation of the system

• Evaluate the implementation of the process activities including backout plans

• Validate go-live criteria is defined

• Validate operational readiness plans including support, help desk, release plans are clearly defined and accessible

• May include other document reviews o Deployment Plans and checklists o Mock Deployments, Simulated Implementation o GRITS Interface Implementation Plans o System Implementation Plan

Data Conversion Plan

• Review and validate the path to migrate data into the new system

• Review and validate data conversion plan

• Review data retention plan

• Review and validate Data Extract, Transform and Load processes

• Review and validation of data validation methods.

Training Plan, Training Materials, End-User Guides and Materials

A structured Organizational Change Management (GA 50- 29-3) effort may be needed to ensure that user adoption and utilization is sufficient to achieve desired business benefits of this investment. At a minimum it should include:

• Stakeholder analysis

• Change Management plan

• Communication Strategy

• Training and Curriculum

• Reinforcement Strategy

• Stakeholder Surveys (ongoing)

• Training knowledge Transfer Plan

• Course Catalog

• End User Guides

• Training Manuals

Test Plan/UAT Testing Results

• Review test and quality plans and related documentation.

• Coverage and integrity of all system testing, including stress testing and testing of interfaces between inter and intra agency systems and with external partner systems

• Evaluate the plans, requirements, environment, tools, test cases and procedures used to test the system and ensure that it works according to specifications, is efficient, and satisfies all system and system interface requirements.

• Evaluate project change requests and defect tracking processes.

• Evaluate user satisfaction with system end-user and public-facing interfaces

• Evaluate the accuracy of data conversion results.

• Evaluate implementation of the process activities including backup, disaster recovery and day-to-day operations to verify that processes are being followed.

• Validate requirements traceability to system testing

• Ensure the test plans include:

o Unit Testing o System Integration Testing o Interface Testing, Pilot Testing (if required) o User Acceptance Testing o Stress/Load Testing o End-to-End testing

GRITS Components Deployment Plan

• Evaluate supplier’s plan for release cutover to Users.

• Ensure the Supplier’s plan considers production deployment, testing, data migration and user validation, trainings, and post deployment support.

Monthly Dashboard Reports – Oversight (16)

• The IV&V Contractor will prepare and deliver a monthly dashboard report using the template provided by GTA. Contractor will review all project deliverables and artifacts required to assess all KPIs.

The IV&V contractor may utilize various available artifacts/documents as input to provide recommendations on any of the dashboard KPIs.

Those various available artifacts may include but limited to Risk and Issue Management (RAID logs), Planning documentation including Charter, Budget and Financial Tracking plans and Governance Models, Data governance framework, Scope Change management, Capacity management, including consideration of existing support and release plans for underlying databases, software, and hardware, Communications Strategy Plans and Organizational Change Management Plan

• (15 dashboards) July 2022 – September 2023. The number of dashboards may change based on start date and schedule changes.

Monthly Dashboard Reports – M&O and Warranty (6)

• Report on health of maintenance and operations activities and compliance with business SLAs and business objectives.

• Key Performance Indicators for Support will be defined by Supplier, DPH and GTA after the award.

• (6 dashboard) October 2023 – March 2024. The number of dashboards may change based on start date and schedule changes.

2.0 Requirements

2.1 Mandatory Requirements

2.2 Mandatory Scored Requirements

Qualified Contractors are required to submit responses to all technical questions detailed in this section.

Formatting and detail are left at the offeror’s discretion. Responses will be evaluated and scored based on following the scoring criteria:

4 Outstanding - Response addresses the topic, exceeds requirements, and provides exceptional potential solutions and/or relevant value-added services

3 Good - Response addresses the topic and exceeds requirements

2 Acceptable - Response addresses the topic and meets requirements

1 Needs Improvement - Minimally or partially meet requirements

DO NOT INCLUDE ANY COST INFORMATION IN YOUR RESPONSE TO THESE QUESTIONS

2.2.1 Mandatory Scored #1 Technical Approach

The approach will consist of a narrative describing how the IV&V Contractor intends to utilize past experiences and knowledge in the disciplines described in this SON as well as knowledge and application of project management best practices with IV&V delivery.

A. Include description of the methodology/framework that will be applied. The methodology should include a description of, tools, techniques, processes the Contractor will use. Must demonstrate how risk and schedules will be assessed.

B. Demonstrate how this approach would be applied to the project in this SON.

C. Demonstrate how this approach incorporates industry best practices and quality standards such as PMBOK, ISO, IEEE, CMMI.

D. Demonstrate the approach to M&O oversight for this project by providing a one-page Operational Dashboard mockup that would be used for the 6 M&O Dashboard reports. The mockup should include the KPIs that the IV&V Contractor would assess for this project. The mockup plus commentary should not exceed 1 page.

Maximum page limit is 4 pages to include A, B, C and D. Contractor may use tables, charts, graphs or, text as appropriate

2.2.2 Mandatory Scored #2 Staff Experience and Skills

The IV&V contractor is required to demonstrate that their consultant(s) or employee(s) will have the specific skills and experience necessary to meet the objectives of this project. Refer to Attachment D -Skills Table for required and preferred skills. Detailed resumes provided in the mandatory requirement section 2.1. will be used to verify their skills and experience.

A. For the proposed project manager (Lead), provide a detailed response that includes project name, the specific role the proposed PM performed on the project, phases of the project that the PM was involved, duration of the project to include start and stop dates, budget, complexity, and team size.

• At least 2 projects are required

• PM Lead requires at least 5+ years IV&V experience

• Lead must be PMP certified or 10+ years IV&V Project Management experience will be considered

Maximum 1 page limit

B. For each Subject Matter Expert (SME): the response should include a concise description of the projects, start and stop dates, roles(s) the SME performed on the project

• At least 2 projects are required Maximum 1 page limit each SME

• Contractors are to submit staff experience for each proposed resource that highlights skillset and experience on similar projects of a similar size and scope

Please complete Attachment D (See Attachment D - Skills Table)

2.2.3 Resource Commitment

The Contractor must demonstrate that the team proposed can provide the needs of the project based on resource allocations and organizational structures. This information will be used as input to evaluate the proposed team’s ability to deliver the IV&V requirements of the project.

The contractor should provide the following information:

A. Indicate the resource name and role of the Lead PM and SMEs proposed on the project.

B. Indicate the number of staff-hours that each proposed staff role will spend on the project

C. Indicate the % FTE Assigned for each resource D. Indicate the total number of proposed hours including Project Lead and other staff

• A, B, C, D must be provided using the template in Attachment F – Resource Commitment Table.

E. Include an organizational chart that shows lines of responsibility and authority. Indicate if the position is filled by a subcontractor. GTA EPMO reserves the right to choose only proposed staff who are best suited for the project.

• Use Attachment F – Organization Chart tab within the Resource Commitment Table

Maximum page limit or the organizational chart is 1 page

2.3 Price Proposal Requirement

Offeror must submit cost bid for all services and products related to this response. Offeror response is required to be completed on Attachment H: Qualified Contractor’s Price Response Worksheet per the instructions provided. Pricing not to exceed $600,000.

The mixing of pricing information with any of the requirement’s responses will result in proposal disqualification.

2.4 Questions Concerning Proposal

The Offeror must direct all written questions concerning the preparation or clarification of intent of this proposal to the GTA Issuing Officer contact as specified in the “Instructions to Offeror” of this Statement of Need and no later than the date and time specified in the Schedule of Events on the cover page.

All questions concerning this SON must be submitted in writing (email to be used) to the Issuing Officer.

No questions other than written will be accepted. No response other than written will be binding upon the State.

All questions about this SON must be submitted via the Q&A Template similar to the format below. GTA reserves the right not to respond to questions that are not submitted using this template.

Company Name

1. Citation of relevant section of the SON Question

2. Citation of relevant section of the SON Question

3.0 Evaluation

Offeror must affirm “yes” for all Mandatory Requirements for this SON, or the offer will be rejected.

Those Offerors that successfully affirm compliance with all Mandatory Requirements will then have their Mandatory - Scored Requirements evaluated using the Offeror’s submission to the SON. All Proposals shall be evaluated in accordance with the criteria set forth in this SON by an Evaluation Committee appointed by the GTA.

Weighing Metrics Area Weighting Technical Approach 300

Staff Experience and Skills 500 Price Proposal 150

Resource Commitment 50 Total 1000

3.1 Methodology

3.1.1 Administrative/Preliminary Review: First, the proposals will be reviewed by the Issuing Officer to determine the proposal’s compliance with the following requirements:

1. Proposal was submitted by deadline in accordance with Section 2

2. Proposal is complete and contains all required documents

3. Technical Proposal does not include any pricing from the Cost Proposal

3.1.2 The Mandatory-Scored Requirements will be evaluated by the GTA Evaluation Committee using the Offeror submitted responses.

3.1.3 Review of Mandatory and Mandatory Scored Questions - The Evaluation Team will review each proposal in detail to determine its compliance with mandatory requirements. Responses to both “Mandatory” and “Mandatory Scored” Questions will be evaluated on a pass/fail basis. If a proposal fails to meet a mandatory and/or mandatory scored requirement, GTA will determine if the deviation is material. A material deviation will be cause for rejection of the proposal. An immaterial deviation will be processed as if no deviation had occurred. All proposals which meet the requirements of the “Mandatory” and “Mandatory Scored” Questions are considered “Responsive Proposals” at this point in time and will be scored in accordance with the point allocation in Section 3.0 – Weighing Matrix

3.1.4 The scoring value will be between 0 and 4 for each Mandatory Scored, which will then be totaled and converted per the weighted percentages in the table provided in Section 3.0. The review criteria by the GTA evaluation committee for Offeror bid submission will be based upon the conditions stated within this SON.

The GTA evaluation team will utilize Consensus Scoring to determine which Qualified Contractor’s response best meets the needs and requirements associated with this SON. Scores will be determined based on the degree to which the Qualified Contractor’s experience and skill coincide with the demands of this effort, as described in the proposal, and demonstrated a high-quality approach throughout the Statement of Need that is likely to produce the best solution with the ability to timely complete the deliverables required with the proposed team.

3.2 Cost Evaluation

Each Qualified Contractors is required to submit a cost proposal as part of its response. Only those Qualified Contractors that have received a total score within the acceptable range as defined in Section

3.1 of this SON on all Mandatory Scored Requirements will then be evaluated on price.

The responsive and responsible Qualified Contractor(s) with the lowest price will receive the maximum number of points allocated for the price component per Agency. All other responsible Qualified Contractors price proposals deemed to be responsive and responsible in the Acceptable range will receive a prorated score calculated using the following formula:

L/R x M x W= Z

Where: L = Price of the Proposal with the lowest cost per Agency R = Price of the Proposal per Agency being ranked M = Maximum number of points W = Weight of pricing component Z = Assigned points

3.3 Unbalanced Bid

a. An unbalanced bid is defined as either mathematically unbalanced or materially unbalanced. A mathematically unbalanced bid is one containing lump sum or unit bid items which do not reflect reasonable actual costs plus a reasonable proportionate share of the bidder's anticipated profit, overhead costs, and other indirect costs, which he/she anticipates for the performance of the items in question. A bid is materially unbalanced if there is a reasonable doubt that award to the bidder that submitted a mathematically unbalanced bid will result in the lowest ultimate cost to the Government.

b. All bids are subject to review for prices that are either in excess of or below the reasonable cost as compared to the Department’s estimate and historical prices kept for related services by the Department. The submittal of an unbalanced bid may result in the rejection of the Contractor’s bid. If the low bid proposal is determined to be materially unbalanced to the potential detriment of the Department, it will be considered irregular and will be rejected as nonresponsive.

3.4 Rejection of Proposals

GTA reserves the right to reject any Proposal if:

A. A Proposal fails to address and satisfy all Mandatory and Mandatory-Project Management

Requirements stated in this SON.

B. A Proposal does not conform to the required proposal response methodology and format discussed in this SON.

C. The Qualified Contractor does not adhere to the Restrictions on Communications with Staff provision (Section 6.1).

GTA reserves the right to waive minor irregularities in the Proposal. Minor irregularities are defined as those that have no adverse effect on GTA’s interest.

4.0 Submission

GTA recognizes the amount of effort necessary to prepare a response to this SON and allows the offeror to determine the exact level of detail necessary to display their prior experience and capabilities to perform up to GTA expectations.

GTA anticipates that each Offeror’s proposal will be prepared simply and economically, providing straightforward, concise delineation of their capabilities to satisfy the requirements of this SON. Emphasis on each proposal must be on completeness and clarity of content. Further, GTA will only accept proposals and other information by email noted on the cover page of this solicitation. All other material received will be discarded without review.

4.1 Preparation of Submission of Requirements

The submission for this SON must be in email format. Offeror’s proposal must be submitted via email with the appropriate Exhibits, appropriately labeled as follows:

Folder Name Requirement

Offeror Name_SON #GTA98000-XXXX_Tech

Technical Package

Offeror Name_SON #GTA98000-XXXX_Cost

Cost Package

4.1.1 Administrative Package Proposal

The Offeror’s is expected to complete all required Exhibits within this SON as follows:

Exhibit A Statement of Responsibility Exhibit B Statement of Work Certification Exhibit C Deliverables Acceptance Form Exhibit D IRS Publication 1075 Acknowledgement Exhibit E Sensitive Information Destruction Confirmation

Exhibit F Business Associate Agreement Exhibit G Contractor Affidavit Exhibit H Tax Compliance Exhibit I Boycott of Israel Exhibit J Certificate of Non-Collusion Exhibit K Data Security Exhibit L Proposal Certification Form Exhibit M Scrutinized Companies Exhibit N Statewide Sexual Harassment Prevention Policy Exhibit O Non-Disclosure Agreement

Modifications by the Offeror are not allowed and will result in immediate disqualification from further review.

4.1.2 Technical Package Proposal

The Offeror’s is expected to submit this “Package,” in the described format that properly addresses the requirements set forth in Section 2.2.

Attachment A Questions & Answers Worksheet Attachment B Mandatory Response Worksheet Attachment C IV&V Performance Expectations Attachment D Skills Template Attachment E GRITS Background and Scope of Work Attachment F Resource Commitment Table Attachment G IVV Dashboard Report Template

4.1.3 Cost Package Proposal

The Offeror is expected to submit their completed Cost Response Worksheet which includes all pricing for all proposed services.

Attachment H Cost Response Template

4.2 Submission of Proposals

Proposals must be submitted by email to: Procurement@gta.ga.gov

4.30 Bid Substitutions, Alternates, Exceptions, and Extensions No substitutions or alternates will be accepted for this bid. Any Contractors submitting substitutions or alternates will be considered non-responsive and will not be considered for award.

5.0 Award

5.1 Apparent Successful Contractor(s)

The resulting total Cost Proposal score will be added to the total Technical Proposal score to identify the apparent successful contractor(s). The assignment to an identified agency will be determined at GTA’s sole discretion.

5.2 Purchase Order Issuance

After all proposals have been evaluated by GTA, GTA will issue a Purchase Order (PO) to the Qualified Contractor(s) to which the engagement is then awarded.

No engagement activities may begin until GTA issuance of a Purchase Order is complete.

5.3 Authorization of Payment

GTA will authorize Contractor payment(s) only after GTA acknowledges acceptance of all deliverables, in the approved deliverable formats (Section 6. Item: L), and then by signing and returning an Exhibit C: Sample Deliverables Completion Form (that does not have “Sample” as a watermark) for each and all deliverable (s).

Contractor then submits their invoice to GTA for payment. Contractor submission of invoice will clearly indicate the amount due, and the services and deliverables being invoiced as indicated in the Cost proposal.

Note: The total amount of submitted invoices shall not exceed the GTA accepted Offeror(s) total proposal amount.

6.0 Additional Terms and Conditions

Offerors should familiarize themselves with the procedures set forth in the GTA Procurement Policies and Procedures Manual. The informal bid process (“SON”) is solicited informally to the selected qualified contractors and is exempt from formal protest pursuant to APPENDIX F - GTA Protest Policy, Section 1.2. In the event of a protest, the resolution of such protest will be resolved by the GTA Procurement Director whose findings will be final.

6.1 Restrictions on Communications with Staff

From the issue date of this SON until the final award is announced (or the SON is officially cancelled), Offerors are not allowed to communicate for any reason with any State staff except through the Issuing Officer named herein, or during the Bidders/Offerors’ conference (if any), or as defined in this SON or as provided by existing work agreement(s). Prohibited communication includes all contact or interaction, including but not limited to telephonic communications, emails, texts, letters, or personal meetings, such as lunch, entertainment, or otherwise. GTA reserves the right to reject the response of any supplier violating this provision.

6.2 Qualified Contractor’s Responsibilities

6.2.1 Qualified Contractor:

• Provides its employee(s) and/or consultant(s) with computing equipment and/or any necessary software licenses, and tools needed to complete the work.

• Responsible for all costs associated with Qualified Contractor’s supplied equipment. If the Qualified Contractor brings computer equipment and/or peripherals to the State offices, the Qualified Contractor will be responsible for the equipment and all associated items and supplies.

• All expenses, including for travel and long-distance phone calls, must be included in the price of the Proposal that is submitted. No additional charges will apply. All charges must follow State policy.

6.2.2 Qualified Contractor’s Project Manager:

• Maintain project communication through the GTA Project Manager and

Entity site contact as necessary.

• Create a project plan - obtain approval of the GTA Project Manager for document prior to beginning work on the project.

• Keep the project plan updated throughout the project.

• Work with GTA Project Manager to resolve deviations from the agreed upon work plan.

• Coordinate and manage the activities of project team members.

• Submit project deliverables to the GTA Project Manager for GTA review, approval, and signature as per agreed schedule within Project Plan.

• Secure and protect state-furnished property and/or materials provided about this SON.

• Attend project review and update meetings as requested by the GTA Project

Manager.

• Complete and submit project status reports.

• Complete and submit rate cards for all project team members allocated to this contract.

6.2.3 Qualified Contractor’s Staff:

• Maintain project communication through the Qualified Contractor’s Project Manager.

• Follow all established GTA personnel policies.

• Submit project deliverables to the Qualified Contractor’s Project Manager for

GTA’s review, approval, and signature.

• Secure and protect state-furnished property and/or materials provided about this SON.

• Attend project review and update meetings as requested by the Qualified

Contractor’s Project Manager and/or GTA Project Manager.

6.3 SON Key Assumptions

A. Some of the work may be performed at the Offeror location, the GTA designated facility or the Agency site.

B. GTA will not provide the Offeror with software / hardware required to complete the work of this SON except for conference room facilities and network connectivity.

C. Offeror personnel will follow all established GTA personnel and Enterprise Security policies, including the dress code.

D. Offeror will provide the project staff, identified in its Proposal and confirm that this staff will be available from the issuance of the purchase order to the completion of the work stated in this SON.

E. All personnel selected and assigned by Offeror shall have the required skills, ability, willingness and experience (collectively “requisite qualifications”) to perform the services of this Statement of Need. It is GTA’s expectation that the personnel assigned to perform the engagement will be the resources identified in the Offerors bid proposal. If, at any time, based upon GTA evaluation of the Offeror progress and performance, the GTA determines that any of the Offeror assigned personnel are unacceptable to GTA, the GTA may request, and the Offeror shall, replace such personnel. If Offeror is unwilling or unable to replace such personnel with suitable replacements, the GTA may terminate the purchase order without further obligation as of the date of such termination.

F. All proposed deliverables will be reviewed by GTA. All deliverables to be approved by GTA for them to be considered complete and accepted. In all cases, the payment to the service provider shall be contingent upon GTA approval of all project deliverables. No review will be considered complete until the approved documentation is delivered to and accepted by GTA. GTA will utilize the “Deliverables Completion Form (Exhibit C:

G. SAMPLE Deliverables Completion Form) for this purpose. This document will be agreed upon by GTA and Offeror at Purchase Order issuance and updated throughout the project as required to reflect all contracted deliverables.

H. GTA will review engagement deliverables received from Offeror and will make final rejection or approval decision within 10 business days of receipt.

I. The GTA must approve, in writing, any changes to milestones, deliverables or other material changes to the SOW/PO prior to implementation of changes. The Project Management Plan must be updated by Offeror to reflect any accepted changes and re-distributed by Offeror to GTA.

J. GTA reserves the right to modify proposal requirements should Offeror Proposal identify a change that is in the best interest of GTA. Any changes to the proposed deliverables must be in writing.

K. The proposal should be submitted on the most favorable terms that the Contractor can provide.

L. All responses, documents, and material pertaining to this SON shall become and remain in perpetuity, the property of the GTA and are to be kept confidential to protect the interests of the public. The Offeror is hereby warned that no part of its Proposal or any other material submitted might be marked as confidential, proprietary, or as trade secrets and GTA shall exercise sole authority over the use and distribution of said materials.

M. All documentation for this proposal is to be provided as per the submittal instructions in Exhibit C: SAMPLE Deliverables Completion Form. All documents are to use the following software standards (or higher convertible versions):

N. GTA is not liable for any costs incurred by the Qualified Contractor in the preparation, delivery, or presentation of submissions to this SON.

O. Payment is to occur after engagement is fully completed, Qualified Contractor has submitted a completed Exhibit C: SAMPLE Deliverables Completion Form for all contracted deliverable items and GTA has accepted all contracted deliverable items. At that point GTA OIS will authorize release of funding for full and final payment.

P. GTA reserves the right to seek clarification of Qualified Contractor’s SOW responses.

Q. GTA reserves the right to expand and/or shrink the submitted engagement timeframe to comply with State, Federal or other recognized requirements.

DOCUMENT TYPE FORMAT

Word Processing Microsoft Word 2016 Spreadsheets Microsoft Excel 2016 Graphics Microsoft PowerPoint 2016 Project Management Microsoft Project 2016 Scanned Documents Adobe 5.0 or greater

EXHIBIT A

Georgia Registry of Immunization Transactions and Services (GRITS) IVV

SON # 98000-5896

STATEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITY

THIS FORM MUST BE COMPLETED, SIGNED, NOTARIZED AND SUBMITTED WITH YOUR

RESPONSE/PROPOSAL.

Please complete this form, answering every question. A “Yes” answer to any of the subparts of QUESTION NO. 3 requires a written explanation attached to the completed form, submitted on your company letterhead and signed by an authorized representative of the company. A “Yes” answer to any of the subparts of Question No. 3 will not necessarily result in denial of award but will be considered in determining Respondent responsibility in the event GTA undertakes an investigation into Respondent’s responsibility status. For any explanation, indicate to whom it applies; identify the initiating agency and the dates of action.

Respondents are responsible for updating any information submitted in their Statement of Responsibility Certification Form if a change occurs prior to the award of the contract.

QUESTIONS:

1. Does Respondent certify that it has, or has the ability to obtain, adequate financial resources to perform the

Services and Deliverables identified in the Agreement? This includes, but is not limited to, the ability to obtain required bonds and insurance from sureties and insurance companies authorized to do business in Georgia.

____ YES ____ NO

2. Does Respondent certify that it intends to comply with all contractual requirements and fulfill all of its contractual obligations if awarded the contract, considering Respondent’s other business obligations?

_____ YES _____ NO

3. Within the past three (3) years, has Respondent’s company or any principal (e.g., any owner, partner, officer, or major stockholder with 10% or more shares) been the subject of any of the following:

a) judgment or conviction for any conduct constituting a felony under local, state or federal law, including, but not limited to, fraud, extortion, bribery, racketeering, labor, antitrust, price-fixing, or bid collusion?

_____ YES _____ NO

b) a criminal investigation or indictment for any conduct constituting a felony under local, state or federal law, including, but not limited to, fraud, extortion, bribery, racketeering, price-fixing, or bid collusion (to the best of Respondent’s knowledge*)?

c) an unsatisfied judgment, injunction or lien obtained by a Georgia state government agency including, but not limited to, judgments based on taxes owed and fines and penalties assessed by any Georgia state government agency?

d) an investigation for a civil violation by any local, state or federal agency (to the best of Respondent’s knowledge*)?

e) a suspension, debarment or termination for cause from any local, state or federal government procurement process?

f) a suspension or termination for cause prior to the completion of the term of any local, state or federal government contract?

g) a denial of award for non-responsibility determination made by any local, state or federal government?

_____YES _____ NO

h) an agreement to a voluntary exclusion from bidding/contracting on any local, state or federal procurement?

i) an administrative proceeding or civil action seeking specific performance or restitution in connection with any local, state or federal procurement (to the best of Respondent’s knowledge*)?

j) any bankruptcy proceeding?

CERTIFICATION:

The undersigned: (i) recognizes that this questionnaire is submitted for the express purpose of assisting the Georgia Technology Authority (GTA) to make a determination regarding the eligibility for award of a contract, or to approve a subcontract; (ii) acknowledges that the GTA, the State of Georgia, its agencies and political subdivisions may, in their sole discretion, by means which they may choose, verify the truth and accuracy of all statements made herein; (iii) acknowledges that submission of false or misleading information may constitute fraud, may result in ineligibility for contract award, may be used as grounds for termination for default of any contract awarded in relation to this certification, may be considered by the GTA, the State of

Georgia, its agencies and political subdivisions in making responsibility determinations in other procurements and may subject the Respondent or its representatives to criminal liability; (iv) as the authorized representative of the Respondent, states that the information submitted on this certification form and any attached pages is true, accurate and complete.

The undersigned hereby attests that he/she is duly authorized by the Respondent to make the statements and representations contained herein and/or attached hereto, on behalf of such Respondent.

Legal Name of Respondent’s Company

Signature of Respondent’s Authorized Representative

Printed Name of Respondent’s Authorized Representative/Title

Company Address _______________________________________________________________________

City, State, Zip ____________________________________________________________________________

State of ___________________________________________________________________________________

County of _________________________________________________________________________________

Sworn to and subscribed before me on this______ day of 20___ __ Notary Public:

My Commission Expires: _______________________________

Note: *As used herein, the term “to the best of Respondent’s knowledge” shall refer to the current actual knowledge of Respondent and shall be construed, by imputation or otherwise, to refer to the knowledge of any agent, manager, representative or employee of Respondent but does not impose upon Respondent any duty of inquiry or investigation of the matter to which such actual knowledge, or the absence thereof, pertains. The fact that Respondent (or their principals) are under investigation will not necessarily result in a determination of non- responsibility; rather, GTA will determine if the information and circumstances regarding such investigation are of such a nature or magnitude as to cause the GTA to deem the respondent non-responsible in order to protect the interests of the GTA and/or the State.

Exhibit B

STATEMENT OF WORK CERTIFICATION FORM

(Offeror must sign and return with bid in the Administrative Package)

1. I certify that, if awarded a contract, I, the Offeror will deliver goods and services as provided in its SON response, which will meet or exceed the specifications set forth in this SON and the terms of the fully executed contract 98000- XXXX, SON for SON TITLE.

2. I certify on behalf of the Offeror that this Bid is made without prior understanding, agreement, or connection with any corporation, firm, or person submitting a bid for the same materials, supplies, equipment, or services and is in all respects fair and without collusion or fraud. I understand that collusive bidding is a violation of state and federal law and can result in fines, prison sentences, and civil damage awards. I agree to abide by all conditions of the Bid and certify that I am authorized to sign this Bid for the Offeror.

3. I certify that the Offeror has not violated and will not violate the provisions of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, Section 45-10-20 et seq.

4. OFFEROR MUST CHECK ONE OF THE CERTIFICATIONS BELOW:

4a. I certify on behalf of the Offeror that no lobbyists have been employed or retained by Offeror in regard to this procurement or its underlying contract in a manner that would invoke the Executive Order dated October 1, 2003 (“Providing for the Registration and Disclosure of Lobbyists Employed or Retained by Vendors to State Agencies”).

OR

4b. I certify that the Offeror and all lobbyists that have been employed or retained by Offeror in regard to this procurement or its underlying contract have complied with all of the requirements of the Executive Order dated October 1, 2003 (“Providing For The Registration And Disclosure Of Lobbyists Employed Or Retained By Vendors To State Agencies”) and GTA’s Vendor Lobbyist Policy. I further certify that Offeror and its lobbyists will continue to comply with such Executive Order until this procurement process concludes. I understand and acknowledge that such requirements include, without limitation, the requirement to register with the Georgia State Ethics Commission and to file the disclosures required by Article 4 of Chapter 5 of Title 21 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.

[Offeror shall submit a list of all lobbyists employed or retained for this procurement along with their Bid]

Authorized Signature: __________________________________Date: _____________

Print/Type Name: _________________________________________

Print/Type Company Name: _______________________________

EXHIBIT C

“SAMPLE” Deliverables Acceptance Form

(Return by awardee only for deliverables acceptance at engagement conclusion)

Instructions to Awardee: Submit to the Contact below:

Office of Information Security

47 Trinity Avenue 4th Floor Atlanta, GA 30334 EMAIL@gta.ga.gov

(Awardee must include “SON # GTA 98000-XXXX” in message subject line for correspondence)

Awardee Name: _______________________ Awardee Contact: ____________________ Awardee Phone: _____________________

GEORGIA TECHNOLOGY AUTHORITY

DELIVERABLE ACCEPTANCE FORM (Sample)

The purpose of this document is to ensure that the requirements and expectations of the Information Technology Project Assurance Services (ITPAS) and Organizational Change Management (OCM) deliverables are met, approved and accepted as defined in the Statement of Need (SON),Statement of Work (SOW), pre-qualification RFP and contract.

Deliverables must be submitted for Agency approval within 10 days after deliverable is completed. Agency must respond within 10 days of receipt with acceptance, rejection with comments or notice of extension. Approved DAF must be submitted for payment with the invoice within 30 days after Agency approval unless exceptions are agreed upon.

Project Summary

Agency DAF Date

Project Name

Statement of Need # Purchase Order #

Engagement Type (Check only one box)

☐ Independent Verification & Validation

☐ Organizational Change Management

☐ Portfolio, Program, Planning & Project Management Support

☐ Technical Services

Vendor

Vendor Name

Point of Contact

Email Phone#

Deliverable

Deliverable ID # (x of x, i.e. 2 of 5)

Deliverable Name Amount ($)

GTA Point of Contact Name Dale Barfield

Email dale.barfield@gta.ga.gov

Phone 404-908-4884

Agreement Reference

Statement of Need and Statement of Work (SOW) for engagement

Acceptance Criteria

As defined in the SON, SOW, pre-qualification RFP and contract

Agency Review (Agency Project Manager or Business Owner)

Reviewer Name and Title Signature Date

Agency Approval (Agency Executive Director, Sponsor or their representative)

Approver Name and Title Signature Date

EXHIBIT D

IRS Publication 1075 Acknowledgment

Instructions: Please sign and return with Administrative response package.

Full Publication at: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p1075.pdf

CONTRACT LANGUAGE FOR GENERAL SERVICES

I. PERFORMANCE

In performance of this contract, the Contractor agrees to comply with and assume responsibility for compliance by his or her employees with the following requirements:

(1) All work will be performed under the supervision of the contractor or the contractor's responsible employees.

(2) The contractor and the contractor’s employees with access to or who use FTI must meet the background check requirements defined in IRS Publication 1075.

(3) Any Federal tax returns or return information (hereafter referred to as returns or return information) made available shall be used only for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of this contract. Information contained in such material shall be treated as confidential and shall not be divulged or made known in any manner to any person except as may be necessary in the performance of this contract. Inspection by or disclosure to anyone other than an officer or employee of the contractor is prohibited.

(4) All returns and return information will be accounted for upon receipt and properly stored before, during, and after processing. In addition, all related output and products will be given the same level of protection as required for the source material.

(5) No work involving returns and return information furnished under this contract will be subcontracted without prior written approval of the IRS.

(6) The contractor will maintain a list of employees authorized access. Such list will be provided to the agency and, upon request, to the IRS reviewing office.

(7) The agency will have the right to void the contract if the contractor fails to provide the safeguards described above.

(8) (Include any…