EncroachPerm App RFI.pdf

SAP

State of South Carolina

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

Solicitation:

Date Issued:

Procurement Officer:

Phone:

E-Mail Address:

Mailing Address:

5400026323 12/07/2023

JEFFERY SCHWALK

1-803-737-1018 SchwalkJC@scdot.org SCDOT Procurement Office PO Box 191 Columbia SC 29202-0191

DESCRIPTION: ENCROACHMENT PERMITTING APPLICATION RFI

USING GOVERNMENTAL UNIT: DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

SUBMIT YOUR RESPONSE VIA EMAIL TO SchwalkJC@scdot.org

SUBMIT OFFER BY (Opening Date/Time): 01/19/2024 14:30:00 (See "Deadline For Submission Of Offer" provision) mailto:SchwalkJC@scdot.org

Table of Contents

SAP

SECTION I: SCOPE OF REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

SECTION II: REQUEST FOR INFORMATION – RESPONSE CONTENT

SECTION III: DISCLAIMER & CONFIDENTIALITY

SECTION IV: RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS

I. SCOPE OF REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

Description: Development and deployment of an encroachment permitting application for the South Carolina Department of Transportation

The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) is interested in a vendor-hosted, web-based solution that can leverage APIs and services published by SCDOT to talk to other SCDOT systems as well as load and refresh data from SCDOT existing data sources such as the State-maintained roadway system and planned project locations.

SCDOT is issuing this Request for Information to obtain market research from vendors that offer encroachment permitting applications.

Information should be received no later than 01/19/2024.

Overview:

As the needs and technology landscape evolve, there emerges an opportunity to further enhance the efficiency of SCDOT’s encroachment permitting process. We aim to introduce advanced features to ensure the system is adaptive to both present and future infrastructure demands.

SCDOT seeks information from potential vendors regarding the configuration and deployment of a modern web-based application to process encroachment permits, as well as an overview of the processes of other Southeast Region DOTs to further enhance SCDOT’s process. The new application shall streamline the process for the submittal, review, approval, and tracking of encroachment permits. It shall also incorporate GIS capabilities and provide a user-friendly interface, all while maintaining strict security standards.

Background:

Since 2013, SCDOT’s Encroachment Permitting Process System (EPPS) has been operating reliably, currently utilizing an on-premises solution hosted within SCDOT’s infrastructure and based on Microsoft SharePoint. For more information on this solution, please visit:

https://www.scdot.org/business/permits.aspx

Annually, SCDOT handles approximately 14,000 encroachment permits, covering a range from residential and commercial driveways to utility installations, landscaping, beautification, and road enhancements. For a visual representation of SCDOT’s commercial encroachment permit review process, see Attachment A. The processes for residential driveway and utility encroachment permits are not included in the attachment due to their significantly streamlined nature.

The scope of encroachment permits includes not only planned work at single locations but also extends to statewide, multi-county initiatives, and large infrastructure projects. The current review process necessitates ongoing communication between SCDOT and the permit applicant and coordination among various SCDOT engineering offices. The anticipated new system is expected to enhance efficiency, managing all correspondence and providing a robust platform for submitting additional documentation, which may include large-format plans and other files.

Currently, SCDOT does not require an application to include the functionality for fee collection from applicants.

Scope:

Encroachment permits are crucial to the economic vitality and commercial activity in South Carolina. Our goal is to integrate advanced functionalities and tools to create a seamless, efficient, and user-friendly permitting process that caters to all stakeholders. We envision a new application that not only meets contemporary technological https://www.scdot.org/business/permits.aspx standards but also proactively accommodates the evolving needs of the infrastructure sector and the various aspects of encroachment permitting.

The following list details the specific features we are looking to incorporate:

1. User Interface: A modern, web-based interface that is intuitive and user-friendly, catering to a diverse range of users from SCDOT staff to the general public, with features for creating and managing accounts for frequent encroachment permit users. Since the application is available to the public, the application should support a range of modern web browsers including Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Safari, and Firefox.

2. Configurable Solution: The desired permitting solution should be readily configurable, avoiding custom-built complexities, and must come with a well-documented application programming interface (API).

3. Interactive GIS Mapping: The new application should integrate with GIS tools to visually represent encroachment locations, enhancing planning and decision-making processes. SCDOT utilizes an Esri-based ArcGIS enterprise solution and publishes services compatible with modern applications. Integration potential with SCDOT’s existing visual tools should be a consideration.

4. Security: Implementation of robust security measures is imperative to safeguard sensitive data within the application. Some users of the encroachment permit process are repeat customers who will need to have a secure means to create and maintain their account information and perform user support functions such as resetting their password and recovering their account login information.

5. Hosted Solution: The permitting solution is required to be on a cloud-hosted platform, delivering a minimum availability of 99.99%, exclusive of scheduled maintenance periods. While a government cloud certification is not mandatory, the hosting environment must comply with FIPS200 Minimum Security Requirements for Federal Information and Information Systems and adhere to NIST SP800-53 (Rev. 4) Security and Privacy Controls for Federal Information Systems and Organizations.

6. Mobile Accessibility: The web-based solution must be responsive and fully functional across various mobile computing platforms, including smartphones and tablets, ensuring accessibility and usability on-the-go.

7. Configurable Reporting Tools: The solution must include versatile reporting tools that users can tailor to their specific requirements. It should support both scheduled and ad hoc reporting functions, with options to export data into standard formats like Excel, PDF, CSV, and others for ease of use and data portability.

8. Training: The vendor must conduct an introductory session to overview and unveil the new application, ensuring all stakeholders are familiar with its features and functionality. The solution should also include comprehensive web-based training modules tailored to the specific roles and permissions of SCDOT users and customers, facilitating effective use of the system.

9. Maintenance and Support: The solution must come with a commitment to ongoing technical support and proactive system upgrades to ensure operational continuity and the incorporation of the latest technological advancements.

10. Advanced Search Features: The application must offer advanced search capabilities, enabling users to rapidly locate permits using a variety of filters, including but not limited to location, permit type, date range, and other relevant criteria.

11. Robust Analytics and Reporting: The system must be equipped with powerful tools capable of analyzing data trends and producing comprehensive reports and dashboards, providing insights and overviews essential for decision-making. SCDOT makes use of Microsoft PowerBI, so it is essential that PowerBI can effectively connect to and utilize the encroachment permits data as a data source.

12. Automated Notifications: The application must incorporate an automated email notification system that reliably delivers email alerts, process reminders, and status updates tailored to the needs of both internal staff and external users at each step of the permitting process.

13. Enhanced Tracking Capabilities: The system must offer enhanced tracking features enabling SCDOT staff and customers to monitor the progress of encroachment permits. A clear, intuitive interface should display visual indicators or cues that represent the permit's progression through its lifecycle, allowing users to easily ascertain the current status of their applications.

14. Workflow Automation: The application should significantly enhance the permit review process by automating routine tasks. It must allow for easy configuration, enabling SCDOT to modify or establish new automated workflows independently, with minimal need for external support.

15. Implementation: The chosen solution must be implemented post an exhaustive workflow analysis and discussion with the vendor. Essential documentation, configurations, and system integrations must be established and rigorously tested. SCDOT stipulates the requirement for both Test and Production environments to be provisioned and maintained by the vendor.

16. Conversion of Existing Data: The vendor is responsible for accurately migrating all data from the current encroachment permit system to the new platform, ensuring integrity and continuity of records.

17. Costs: SCDOT requests an order of magnitude cost estimate for the initial implementation and subsequent annual maintenance of the application.

II. REQUEST FOR INFORMATION – RESPONSE CONTENT

SCDOT is seeking detailed information on available solutions that meet the outlined requirements. Additionally, we request the following supplemental information to fully assess each offering.

The insights gained from this RFI, combined with further evaluations such as demonstrations and references, will inform our subsequent issuance of a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the procurement of a new encroachment permitting solution.

• A cover letter including company name, point of contact name, e-mail address, and telephone number

• Provide a brief overview regarding your company, including its history, expertise, and relevant experience in providing electronic forms and workflow solutions to government agencies and other organizations of similar scope and size.

Market Research Questions:

1. Innovative User Interface: Highlight innovative user interface features of your solution that could significantly enhance user experience, focusing on efficiency, ease of use, and engagement.

2. Advanced GIS Mapping Solutions: Discuss the advanced functionalities in GIS mapping that your applications offer, emphasizing how these capabilities can enhance spatial data visualizations and analysis for encroachment permitting processes.

3. Security Protocols: Outline your security protocols, user account management, and data protection features inherent in your application solution. Emphasize how these elements represent a modern approach to safeguarding sensitive information in a permitting environment.

4. Mobile Accessibility: Identify modern standards in mobile accessibility and cloud-based solutions that could elevate the experience of our user base across a variety of devices.

5. Dynamic Reporting Capabilities: Describe the dynamic and flexible reporting capabilities of your application, focusing on how they can provide comprehensive insights and support decision-making in encroachment permitting. Please review attachment B for an example of a report currently generated by EPPS for context.

6. Training and Documentation: Describe your approach to comprehensive training and onboarding for a new system implementation, detailing how you ensure users can fully leverage all features and functionalities.

7. Maintenance, Support, and Error Handling: Detail your comprehensive maintenance and support practices, emphasizing how they can enhance service efficiency and responsiveness. Describe your approach to managing system upgrades, outline your technical support response protocols, and explain the error logging mechanisms you offer that would empower our team for independent issue resolution.

8. Search Capabilities and Data Retrieval: Describe the search capabilities of your system, focusing on how they ensure rapid and precise retrieval of data, and contribute to the overall efficiency of the permitting process.

9. Analytics and Reporting: Detail the capabilities of your analytics and reporting features, illustrating how they can deliver in-depth insights and bolster decision-making processes. Provide examples of analytics dashboards and the range of reports your system can generate.

10. Automated Notifications and Updates: Describe the automated notifications and reminders capabilities of your system, emphasizing the customization options available for tailored communication strategies.

Also, explain how the system distinguishes between internal and external users.

11. Streamlined Workflow Automation: Describe the workflow automation features of your system and how they could enhance operational efficiencies in the encroachment permitting process.

12. Regional Benchmarking: In your portfolio of previous projects, please include those that align with this initiative and highlight any engagements with Southeastern Region DOTs. Detail the work performed, timeframe for when these existing systems went live, outcomes achieved, and whether any neighboring DOTs are currently utilizing your system, to help us understand how our workflows and systems compare regionally.

13. Cost-Effective Development and Maintenance: Offer an estimation of the cost-effectiveness of your solution, detailing the anticipated initial development costs and the forecasted ongoing maintenance expenses.

14. Customization and Scalability: Elaborate on how the customization and scalability features of your system can support the evolving needs of SCDOT’s operations, ensuring the system remains relevant and effective over time.

15. Optimized Development and Implementation Timeline: Provide a detailed and realistic timeline for the full implementation of your system, from initial development to go-live, including any major milestones.

16. Unaddressed Needs and Future Proofing: Highlight any advanced features or forward-thinking design elements of your solution that ensure it is equipped to meet not only today’s needs but also adaptable to future developments and challenges.

17. Further Considerations: Share any additional insights or feedback on aspects crucial to the development and success of the application that may not have been explicitly addressed in the previous questions.

Highlight any further considerations or emerging industry trends that could impact the application or process.

Please refer to the following attachments (posted as separate documents) for additional information:

ATTACHMENT A: SCDOT Encroachment Permit Review Process

ATTACHMENT B: EPPS Generated Report Example

III. DISCLAIMER & CONFIDENTIALITY

This RFI is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation for future business, an offer for procurement, or any other type of current or future procurement or contractual action and is only intended to gather input. SCDOT will not award a contract based on this RFI, nor will it pay for the information it receives. Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by SCDOT to form a binding contract. No party is bound by the information provided in response to this RFI.

Respondents may provide market-based pricing structures and describe potential services or solutions for planning purposes only.

Respondents are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI. SCDOT is not liable for any costs or fees incurred by the respondent in preparing its responses.

Confidentiality

If any of the information in the vendor response is considered confidential, proprietary, or a trade secret, it must be clearly indicated on the appropriate page of the vendor response. Release of such materials is governed by the South Carolina Freedom of Information Law, which in pertinent part requires the requester to provide specific justification as to why disclosure of particular information in the response would cause substantial injury to the competitive position of the vendor. It is incumbent upon the vendor to specify company-specific trade secrets in need of protection where public disclosure of said trade secrets would harm the company.

Public Access to Procurement Information in South Carolina: -http://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t11c035.php

SECTION 11-35-410. Public access to procurement information.

A) Procurement information must be a public record to the extent required by Chapter 4, Title 30 (The Freedom of Information Act), except as otherwise provided by this code, and with the exception that commercial or financial information obtained in response to a request for proposals or any type of bid solicitation that is privileged and confidential need not be disclosed.

(B) Privileged and confidential information is information in specific detail not customarily released to the general public, the release of which might cause harm to the competitive position of the party supplying the information.

Examples of this type of information include:

(1) customer lists;

(2) design recommendations and identification of prospective problem areas under an RFP;

(3) design concepts, including methods and procedures;

(4) biographical data on key employees of the bidder.

(C) The board shall promulgate regulations directing the public availability and disposition of documents submitted in response or with regard to a solicitation or other request where no award is made.

(D) For all documents submitted in response or with regard to any solicitation or other request, the person submitting the documents shall comply with instructions provided in the solicitation for marking information exempt from public disclosure. Information not marked as required by the applicable instructions may be disclosed to the public.

https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.scstatehouse.gov%2Fcode%2Ft11c035.php&data=04%7C01%7Crbarr%40mmo.sc.gov%7Cb92adb2fc5204485367c08d8a773c67d%7Ce9f8d01480d84f27b0d6c3d6c085fcdd%7C1%7C0%7C637443462983805989%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=JsByBsFozCBbQRYrxxocn8nSKEtILo7wVbqhxuMQ%2Bic%3D&reserved=0

(E) A governmental body, with the approval of the appropriate chief procurement officer, may keep portions of a solicitation confidential and release the information to prospective offerors only upon execution of a nondisclosure agreement, provided the information is otherwise exempted from disclosure by law.

(F) If requested in writing before a final award by an actual bidder, offeror, contractor, or subcontractor with regard to a specific intended award or award of a contract, the procurement officer shall, within five days of the receipt of any such request, make documents directly connected to the procurement activity and not otherwise exempt from disclosure available for inspection at an office of the responsible procurement officer. Without otherwise limiting any other exemptions granted by law, and except as provided herein, documents of and documents incidental to proposed contractual arrangements, including those used for contract negotiations, are not exempt from disclosure after the date notice of intent to award is posted, unless the notice is subsequently canceled.

IV. RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS

The sole point of contact for this RFI is:

Jeffery C. Schwalk Procurement Manager South Carolina Department of Transportation 955 Park Street, Room 101 Columbia, SC 29201

(803) 737-1018 SchwalkJC@SCDOT.org

Respondents shall make no contact with other SCDOT personnel, except as permitted by the point of contact, concerning this RFI.

RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS

Respondents should provide their responses in native Microsoft Office formatted documents (e.g., Microsoft Word or PowerPoint) via email to the point of contact listed above.

The emailed response must be received by email on or before the date and time of the RFI Response Due listed on the cover page. Please adhere to the following convention for subject lines in emailed RFI Responses:

[Company Name] – RFI #5400026323 Response

Where [Company Name] is a recognizable short-name or acronym for the respondent’s company.

Each submission shall be limited to a maximum of thirty-five (35) single-sided 8" x 11 ½" pages, excluding the title page, cover letter, and table of contents. Respondents are encouraged to focus their responses on specific elements instead of including generalized or marketing statements and collateral unnecessarily.

In order to facilitate the review of the responses content, please provide the information in exact order as listed in Section II of this document.

NOTE: If you believe we missed any categories or capabilities, please include them in your Response.

mailto:SchwalkJC@SCDOT.org

RESPONSE INSTRUCTIONS