ESBD_396480_1739558070381_RFP 2502-002 Employee Engagemet Survey Tool.pdf

Request for Proposals

RFP 2502-002

Employee Engagement Survey Tool

February 14, 2025

Contact: Central Health Purchasing Office 1111 E. Cesar Chavez St. Austin, TX 78702 Phone: 512-978-8157 Email: CHPurchasing@centralhealth.net

PROPOSALS DUE: March 19, 2025 - 2:00 P.M. Prevailing Central Time

RFP 2502-002 Employee Engagement Tool P a g e 2

Request for Proposals RFP 2502-002 - Employee Engagement Survey Tool

Procurement Schedule

Action Date Time Responsibility Location / Details

Solicitation Issue Date Friday, February 14, 2025 5:00 PM Central Health Bidnet and Electronic State Business Daily

("ESBD")

Site Visit (if applicable) N/A N/A Central Health N/A

Pre-Proposal Conference (optional)

Wednesday, February 26, 2025 2:00 PM Central Health MS Teams

Question Submittal Wednesday, March 5, 2025 5:00 PM Proposers Bidnet or CHpurchasing@centralhealth.net

Question Response Wednesday, March12, 2025 5:00 PM Central Health Bidnet and ESBD

Proposal Submission Wednesday, March 19, 2025 2:00 PM Proposers Bidnet or 1111 E. Cesar Chavez, Austin TX 78702

Proposals received after the Proposal Submission time at the designated location will not be considered.

Protest Deadline See Section II.A.11 Proposers

Initial Contract Duration: 1 Year

Contract Renewal: Optional - Four (4) one-year renewal periods after initial term

Proposals and Prices Good for: 90 days

Multiple Awards: No

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PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

Proposers should note that this Request for Proposals (RFP) is published and accessible through electronic means. Proposers who received notification of this solicitation by means other than through any of the three websites listed below should register with Bidnet in order to receive timely notification of any addenda, amendment, and/or other forms of information that may be issued prior to the solicitation submittal date:

http://www.centralhealth.net/finance/purchasing https://www.txsmartbuy.com/esbd https://www.bidnetdirect.com/texas/traviscountyhealthcaredistrictdbacentralhealth

Registration is free.

Proposal Submissions: Proposers are strongly encouraged to submit proposals online via Bidnet.

Submission via Bidnet is the preferred method of submission.

A secondary option is to deliver one (1) printed Proposal via USPS mail, FedEx, DHL, etc.

DUE TO STAFF HYBRID WORK SCHEDULES AND CURRENT BUILDING ACCESS

RESTRICTIONS, IF YOU PLAN TO DELIVER A PRINTED COPY TO THE PURCHASING OFFICE,

YOU MUST CONTACT THE PROCUREMENT AUTHORITY PRIOR TO DELIVERY. The printed Proposal with any supporting and/or sample documentation must be delivered in a sealed container that is labeled and addressed as follows:

Attn: RFP 2502-002 Employee Engagement Survey Tool Central Health - Purchasing Office 1111 East Cesar Chavez Street Austin, TX 78702

Should a Proposer submit both a proposal via Bidnet and deliver a printed Proposal, the Bidnet submitted Proposal will be the proposal of record and will be used for the purposes of the RFP. Proposals submitted in a format other than 1) online via Bidnet or 2) delivery of a printed proposal to the address above will not be considered.

It is the Proposer’s sole responsibility to ensure that it obtains any and all addenda and/or amendments to this RFP; addenda and amendments will be posted on Bidnet the day they are released.

In the event of a conflict between a version of the RFP in the Proposer’s possession and the version maintained by Central Health, the version maintained by Central Health will control.

All Proposals will be submitted and/or delivered on or before the closing date and time for receipt of Proposals. Proposals received at the designated location after the published time and date will not be considered.

http://www.centralhealth.net/finance/purchasing https://www.txsmartbuy.com/esbd https://www.bidnetdirect.com/texas/traviscountyhealthcaredistrictdbacentralhealth

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. INTRODUCTION

A. Entity Background B. Purpose of Request for Proposals C. Procurement Authority D. Definition of Terminology A. Pre-proposal Conference B. Deadline to Submit Questions C. Response to Written Questions D. Submission of Proposal E. Proposal Evaluation F. Selection of Finalists G. Interviews of Short-listed Finalists ............................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

H. Contract Award I. Protest Deadline

III. PROPOSER RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS

A. Rights

Amending Proposals Withdrawing Proposals Designating Proposal Contents as Confidential or Proprietary

B. Obligations

1. Conditions and Contract Terms Associated with RFP

2. Costs Associated with Procurement

3. Electronic Mail Address

4. Identification and Selection of Subcontractors

5. Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Program and Good Faith Effort

6. Suspension and Debarment Certification

7. Conflict-of-Interest Questionnaire (CIQ Form)

8. Certificate of Interested Parties (Form 1295)

9. Good-Faith Negotiations

IV. CENTRAL HEALTH RIGHTS

Summary of Rights

Reject any or all Proposals without obligation or liability to any Proposer;

Accept a Proposal other than the lowest-price Proposal (as applicable);

3. Award a Contract on the basis of an initial Proposal received without discussions or requests for Best and Final Offers;

4. Request Best and Final Offers from any or all Proposers;

Procure the Services in whole or in part by other means;

6. Award more than one Contract; and/or Not award any Contract

Termination of RFP C. Waive Minor Irregularities D. RFP Amendments E. Negotiate Additional Contract Terms F. Accept Contract Deviations G. Investigate Proposers H. Request Change in Proposer Representatives I. Assert Ownership of Proposals

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V. PROPOSAL FORMAT AND ORGANIZATION

A. Proposal Format

Proposal Organization Letter of Transmittal – Required Table of Contents - Optional Proposal Summary - Optional Response to Narrative Prompts - Required Completed and Signed Acknowledgement of Receipt Form - Required Completed Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Form - Required Completed and Signed Conflict of Interest Questionnaire (CIQ) – Required upon selection Completed and Signed Certificate of Secretary – Required if Proposer is a corporation

Completed Insurance Coverage Form - Required

Other (optional) supporting material (may be included on the electronic device)

VI. PROPOSAL CONTENT REQUIREMENTS

A. Narrative Prompts/Evaluation Criteria B. Evaluation Process

Exhibit A: Scope of Work Attached

Exhibit B: Price/Cost Attached

Exhibit C: Acknowledgement of Receipt Attached

Exhibit D: Historically Under-Utilized Business Form Attached

Exhibit E: Conflict of Interest Questionnaire Attached

Exhibit F: Certificate of Secretary Attached

Exhibit G: Sample Contract with Required Contracts Terms and Conditions Attached

Exhibit H: Business Associate Agreement Attached

Exhibit I: Certificate of Interested Parties Attached

Exhibit J: Not Used N/A

Exhibit K: Insurance Coverage Attached

Exhibit L: Not Used N/A

ATTACHMENT A - CAPABILITIES SPECIFICATIONS Excel Spreadsheet

ATTACHMENT B - TECHNICAL REVIEW Excel Spreadsheet

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I. INTRODUCTION

A. Entity Background The Travis County Healthcare District d/b/a Central Health (“Central Health” or the “district”) is a hospital district created under Chapter 281 of the Texas Health and Safety Code that is responsible for providing or arranging for the provision of hospital and medical care to low-income residents of Travis County. Central Health’s mission is to improve the health of the community by caring for those who need it most – particularly the uninsured and underinsured.

Central Health is making healthcare better through the direct practice of medicine, partnerships and collaborations with other providers, and building facilities to provide care in the communities most in need. The district’s Healthcare Equity Plan, adopted in early 2022, is guiding up to $700 million in investments to close the gaps that persist throughout the safety-net healthcare system.

Central Health owns Sendero Health Plans, a community nonprofit insurer that covers members through the Affordable Care Act Health Insurance Marketplace. Central Health clinical partner, CommUnityCare Health Centers, is a federally qualified health center network with more than 27 primary care locations throughout Central Texas. A network of partners, including Integral Care (behavioral health), Lone Star Circle of Care (a Federally Qualified Health Center), and the Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin, help Central Health extend services deeper into the community.

B. Purpose of Request for Proposals

Central Health acknowledges that the enterprise requires a solution to support enterprise-level employee surveying around topics of engagement, wellness, and workplace culture. Identify, evaluate, and implement a tool to support enterprise HR strategic objective for employee engagement and workplace culture data collection. The purpose of the request is to evaluate proposals for a comprehensive tool to support the initiative to build a comprehensive employee surveying program that supports enterprise objectives for employee engagement.

C. Procurement Authority Central Health has designated a Procurement Authority who is responsible for the conduct of this procurement on behalf of Central Health; therefore, all deliveries (including Proposal delivery) shall be addressed as follows:

RFP 2502-002 EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT SURVEY TOOL

Central Health – Purchasing Office 1111 East Cesar Chavez Street Austin, TX 78702 CHpurchasing@centralhealth.net

Any inquiries or requests regarding this procurement should be submitted to the Procurement Authority as identified on Bidnet and Central Health’s Website:

http://www.centralhealth.net/finance/purchasing. Inquiries must reference the solicitation number on any and all correspondence. Proposers shall ONLY contact the Procurement Authority regarding this procurement. Proposers shall NOT contact individual Central Health

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Board Members, Central Health executive team leaders or staff regarding this solicitation. Such contact may result in disqualification of the Proposer initiating the contact.

D. Definition of Terminology This section contains definitions and abbreviations that are used throughout this procurement document.

“BAFO” request for a Best and Final Offer.

"Bidnet Website" is the following link:

https://www.bidnetdirect.com/texas/traviscountyhealthcaredistrictdbacentralhealth

"Central Health Website" is the following link:

http://www.centralhealth.net/finance/purchasing.

"Close of Business (COB)" means 5:00 PM Prevailing Central Time.

"Contract" means a written agreement for the procurement of items of tangible personal property or services.

"Determination" means the written documentation of a decision by the Procurement Authority, including findings of fact supporting a decision. A Determination becomes part of the procurement file.

"Desirable" means that the terms “may”, “can”, “should”, “preferably”, or “prefers” identify a Desirable or discretionary item or factor (as opposed to “Mandatory”).

“Duly Authorized Representative” means the individual who is authorized to submit a Proposal to this RFP on behalf of Proposer and to bind the Proposer to any Contract that may result from the Submission of Proposal.

“ESBD” is the Electronic State Business Daily at the following link:

https://www.txsmartbuy.com/esbd

"Evaluation Committee" means a body appointed by Central Health management to perform the evaluation of Proposals.

"Evaluation Committee Report" means a document prepared by the Procurement Authority and the Evaluation Committee for Contract/s award. It contains all written Determinations resulting from the RFP.

"Finalist" is defined as a Proposer who meets all the Mandatory specifications of this Request for Proposals and whose score on evaluation factors is sufficiently high to merit further consideration by the Evaluation Committee.

https://www.bidnetdirect.com/texas/traviscountyhealthcaredistrictdbacentralhealth https://www.txsmartbuy.com/esbd

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"Mandatory" means that the terms “must”, “shall”, “will”, “is required”, or “are required” identify a Mandatory item or factor (as opposed to “Desirable”). Failure to meet a Mandatory item or factor will result in the rejection of the Proposer's Proposal.

“Principal” is a person in charge of an organization who takes leadership.

"Proposer" is any person, entity, corporation, or partnership that submits a Proposal.

"Procurement Authority" means a person or designee authorized by Central Health to manage or administer a procurement requiring the evaluation of the RFP Proposal.

"Request for Proposal" or “RFP” means all documents, including Attachments and Exhibits, which are hereby incorporated by reference and considered a part of the Proposals.

"Responsible Proposer" means a Proposer who submits a Proposal and who has furnished, when required, information and data to prove that on the basis of demonstrated competence and qualifications, its financial resources, production and service facilities, personnel, service reputation and experience are adequate to satisfactorily perform the Services or provide items of tangible personal property described in the Proposal.

"Responsive Proposal” means a Proposal that includes all required documentation and conforms in all material respects to the requirements set forth in the Request for Proposals. The Proposal to this Request for Proposals must include responsive information, which support the Proposer’s competence, qualifications, and ability to perform the Services, including, but not limited to, quality, quantity, and delivery requirements.

“Timely Response” means the potential vendor or contracted vendor will respond to all requests from the Procurement Authority or any Central Health representative by the deadlines provided in the request. Vendor may propose an alternative deadline to the Procurement Authority, but the decision whether or not to extend any deadline is solely within the discretion of Central Health. Failure to respond timely to requests may be grounds for invalidating a bid or canceling an awarded contract.

II. PROCUREMENT SCHEDULE

This section of the RFP describes all major events listed in the RFP Schedule. The Procurement Authority will make every effort to adhere to the Procurement Schedule set forth in this RFP.

A. Pre-proposal Conference

If a pre-proposal meeting is held the date and time of that conference will be noted in the Procurement Schedule on page 2 of this RFP. Conference call and video conference information will be available the day before the meeting and will be posted on Bidnet and Central Health’s website.

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B. Deadline to Submit Questions All Proposers are expected to carefully examine this RFP. Any ambiguities or inconsistencies therein should be brought to the attention of the Procurement Authority as described in this RFP.

Additionally, it is the responsibility of the Proposer to obtain clarification of any information contained herein that is not fully understood. Proposers may submit written questions via Bidnet.

C. Response to Written Questions Written responses to all questions submitted by potential Proposers will be addressed in either a RFP addendum or question and answer document that will be posted on Bidnet by Close of Business per the Question Response Date as indicated in the Procurement Schedule on page 2 of this RFP.

Any verbal statement made by Central Health regarding the RFP prior to the award will be considered non-binding. The only formal interpretation of the RFP will be made by addendum or a question-and-answer document issued by the Procurement Authority.

D. Submission of Proposal The Procurement Authority or designee must receive all proposals for review and evaluation no later than 2:00 PM Central Time per the Proposal Submission Date as indicated in the Procurement Schedule on page 2 of this RFP. Proposals received after this deadline will not be accepted. Refer to Proposal Instructions on page 3 of this RFP for Proposal Submission instructions.

Proposals submitted via Bidnet (preferred method), Bidnet.com will automatically record the date and time of receipt of each correctly submitted Proposal.

The date and time of receipt will be recorded on each printed Proposal. The Proposal must be addressed and delivered to the Procurement Authority in a sealed container at the address listed in 1.C above. Proposals submitted by facsimile or other electronic means will not be accepted.

A public log will be kept of the names of all organizations that submit a Proposal. Unless required by law, the contents of any Proposal will not be disclosed to competing Proposers prior to Contract award.

E. Proposal Evaluation The Evaluation Committee will evaluate the Proposals. The Procurement Authority may initiate discussions with Proposers who submit Responsive or potentially Responsive Proposals, but Proposals may be accepted and evaluated without such discussion. Any resulting clarifications will be issued to all Proposers. While Proposers may initiate requests for clarifications pursuant to above, general discussions SHALL NOT be initiated by the Proposers. The Evaluation Committee will evaluate and score written Proposals using the evaluation criteria identified in section VII. EVALUATION CRITERIA.

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F. Selection of Finalists The selection process may be conducted in two steps. In step one, the Evaluation Committee will evaluate and score written Proposals using the evaluation criteria identified in section VII.

EVALUATION CRITERIA. Based on the scoring in step one, the Evaluation Committee, as step two, may develop a “short list” of Proposers who may be invited to interview or provide a demonstration with the Evaluation Committee. Only "short listed" Finalists will be considered for further evaluation and invited to participate in the subsequent steps of the procurement process.

G. Interviews of Short-listed Finalists Based on step one of the selection process, Central Health, at its sole discretion, may determine that it is necessary to interview or request a demonstration from the short-listed finalists prior to making a recommendation to ask for a Best and Final Offer (“BAFO”) or to recommend Contract award. If Central Health desires to conduct interviews/demonstrations, short-listed finalists will be invited to present their Proposals to the Evaluation Committee. The purpose of interviews/demonstrations, if conducted, is to ensure the Evaluation Committee’s understanding of the Proposals and Proposer’s qualifications, as well as, to evaluate the Proposer’s team under the criteria set forth in section VII. EVALUATION CRITERIA. When conducted, interview/demonstration scores will be used as an additional consideration for recommendation and award of a Contract. The Procurement Authority will schedule the time for each Proposer presentation, if applicable. All Proposer presentations will be held as virtual, conference call presentations. Each interviewee will have time to present followed by a question/answer period from the evaluation team. Time limits for the presentation and question/answer period will be determined by Central Health. The selected interviewees will receive an official Interview/Demonstration Invitation letter with the meeting information and duration defined.

H. Contract Award Central Health may but is not obligated to award one or more Contracts to the Proposer/s that best satisfies Central Health’s requirements and provides the best overall value to Central Health for the Scope of Work.

As of the date of issuance, a single award is contemplated.

I. Protest Deadline Protest of Contract award by a Proposer that was not recommended for same must be submitted in writing to the Procurement Authority within ten (10) calendar days after Central Health notifies Proposers of a Contract award. The written protest must clearly set forth the arguments supporting the protest and, if desired, should include a request for an expedited hearing with the Procurement Authority. The Procurement Authority will rule on the protest in writing within ten

(10) business days from the date it receives the written protest and any hearing. Any appeal of the Procurement Authority’s decision must be made within ten (10) calendar days after receipt thereof and submitted to the Procurement Authority, who will present the matter for final resolution to the Central Health President and CEO or his/her designee. The Proposer will be notified of the time and place the appeal is to be heard and afforded an opportunity to present

P a g e 11 evidence to the Central Health President and CEO or his/her designee in support of the appeal.

Central Health's decision on appeal is final.

Protests received after the deadline will not be accepted.

III. PROPOSER RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS

A. Rights Amending Proposals

Any Proposer may submit an amended Proposal before the deadline for receipt of Proposals.

Such amended Proposals must be complete replacements for a previously submitted Proposal and must be clearly identified as such in the transmittal letter. Central Health will not merge, collate, or assemble Proposal materials.

Withdrawing Proposals Proposers will be allowed to withdraw their Proposals at any time prior to the deadline for receipt of Proposals. To withdraw a Proposal, the Proposer must submit a written withdrawal request signed by the Proposer’s Duly Authorized Representative and addressed to the Procurement Authority.

Designating Proposal Contents as Confidential or Proprietary Proposers may mark, stamp, or imprint the words “proprietary” or “confidential” on any pages of the Proposal that include information of this type. However, Proprietary or confidential information should be readily separable from the Proposal in order to facilitate eventual public inspection of the other portions of the Proposal. Central Health will not sort, otherwise isolate, or redact proprietary or confidential information embedded within the body of a Proposal.

B. Obligations

1. Conditions and Contract Terms Associated with RFP Proposers must indicate their acceptance of all conditions governing the RFP in their letter of transmittal. However, a Proposer’s failure to do so will not operate to exempt Proposer from these conditions, as the act of submission itself constitutes acceptance of the conditions, including the evaluation criteria contained in section VII. EVALUATION CRITERIA of this RFP.

Additionally, Proposers must agree to include the terms contained within Exhibit G – Sample Contract with Required Contract Terms and Conditions, which is incorporated in this RFP, in any Contract that results from this RFP and to execute the Business Associate Agreement contained within Exhibit H, of this RFP.

2. Costs Associated with Procurement Any and all costs incurred by the Proposer in preparation, transmittal, and presentation of any Proposal or material submitted in response to this RFP will be borne solely by the Proposer.

3. Electronic Mail Address A large part of the communication regarding this procurement will be conducted by electronic mail (e-mail). Therefore, all Proposers must have a valid e-mail address to receive

P a g e 12 correspondence.

4. Identification and Selection of Subcontractors The term “subcontractor” includes sub-consultants. Proposer’s intended use of subcontractors must be clearly explained in its Proposals, and major subcontractors must be identified by name.

The awarded Proposer will be wholly responsible for the entire performance of the Contract, whether or not subcontractors are used, and Proposer expressly acknowledges that in entering into such subcontract(s), Central Health is in no manner liable to any subcontractor(s). Awarded Proposer further acknowledges that Central Health will make Contract payments only to the awarded Proposer.

5. Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Program and Good Faith Effort Proposers are asked to make a "good faith effort" to take all necessary and reasonable steps to ensure that certified HUBs (see next paragraph) have the maximum opportunity to participate in the performance of any Contract that results from this RFP as subcontractors.

HUB contractors and subcontractors must be certified as a HUB, Minority/Women-Owned Business Enterprises, or Disadvantaged Business Enterprise source by a recognized governmental program, such as:

• City of Austin Municipal Government;

• Texas Unified Certification Program; or

• State of Texas; or

• Other certification entity recognized by Travis County, Texas

Any subcontractor who Proposer intends to subcontract with at the time of Proposal submission and that is identified, as a HUB will be required to submit a copy of its certification with this Proposal. Central Health reserves the right to verify any entity's HUB status prior to Contract award.

6. Suspension and Debarment Certification The Proposer will certify, by signing the Acknowledgement of Receipt Form, attached hereto as Exhibit C, that to the best of its knowledge and belief that the Proposer and/or its Principals or subcontractors are not and have not been debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment or declared ineligible for the award of Contracts by any federal department or district.

7. Conflict-of-Interest Questionnaire (CIQ Form) Pursuant to Chapter 176 of the Texas Local Government Code, the awarded Proposer, if any, will be required to complete the Conflict-of-Interest Questionnaire ("CIQ"), which is attached to this RFP as Exhibit E, and submit it together with the Contract, if the Proposer has: (i) an employment or other business relationship with a local government officer of Central Health or a family member of same; (ii) given a local government officer of Central Health or a family member of same one or more gifts having an aggregate value as specified in Exhibit E or (iii) has a family relationship with a local government officer of Central Health. For additional information concerning filling out the CIQ, see https://www.ethics.state.tx.us/forms/conflict/.

https://www.ethics.state.tx.us/forms/conflict/

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8. Certificate of Interested Parties (Form 1295) Section 2252.908 of the Texas Government Code prohibits a governmental entity, like Central Health, from entering into certain Contracts, unless the business entity submits a Certificate of Interested Parties form, attached to this RFP as EXHIBIT I, to the governmental entity at the time the business entity executes a Contract. Form 1295 is applicable to any of awarded Proposer’s directors, officers, or employees who hold a controlling interest (10% or more ownership) in the business entity and who actively participated in facilitating the Contract or negotiating the terms of same (broker, intermediary, advisor, and/or attorney), if any.

The Proposer for such Contract award will be required to electronically file a Form 1295 with the Texas Ethics Commission upon notification of selection from Central Health. The online filing process will generate a Certificate Number and Date Filed. The Proposer will submit that information Central Health as part of its contract.

For more information, visit:

https://www.ethics.state.tx.us/filinginfo/1295/

9. Good-Faith Negotiations The Procurement Authority or designee will participate in all discussions with Proposers.

Discussions will only be conducted with responsible Proposers who submit Responsive Proposals to the RFP, which are determined to be reasonably acceptable of being selected for award. Those Proposers will be accorded fair and equal treatment with respect to any opportunity for discussion and revision of Proposals. Proposers may be required to submit additional information and/or clarify previously submitted information during negotiations.

Revisions and supplements to Proposals may also be permitted after submission and before Contract award for the purpose of obtaining BAFOs in Central Health’s sole discretion. Any BAFO, as well as the entire Proposal, will become part of Central Health’s awarded Contract.

Central Health reserves the right to negotiate the price and any other term with any, all, or none of the Proposers. Any oral negotiations must be confirmed in writing prior to an award.

IV. CENTRAL HEALTH RIGHTS

Summary of Rights Central Health may:

Reject any or all Proposals without obligation or liability to any Proposer;

Accept a Proposal other than the lowest-price Proposal (as applicable);

3. Award a Contract on the basis of an initial Proposal received without discussions or requests for Best and Final Offers;

4. Request Best and Final Offers from any or all Proposers;

Procure the Services in whole or in part by other means;

6. Award more than one Contract; and/or Not award any Contract.

https://www.ethics.state.tx.us/filinginfo/1295/

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Termination of RFP This RFP may be canceled at any time and any and all Proposals may be rejected in whole or in part if Central Health determines such action to be in Central Health’s best interest.

C. Waive Minor Irregularities

The Evaluation Committee reserves the right to waive minor irregularities (e.g. Proposer submits the incorrect number of Proposal copies or does not sign all Proposal copies) in the Proposals.

The Evaluation Committee also reserves the right to waive certain, non-mandatory requirements contained herein if the Proposal otherwise meets the mandatory requirements and/or waiving the minor irregularity does not otherwise materially affect the procurement. This right may be exercised at the Evaluation Committee’s sole discretion.

D. RFP Amendments Central Health reserves the right to issue amendments to this RFP before the date on which Proposals are due.

E. Negotiate Additional Contract Terms Central Health reserves the right to modify and negotiate with a successful Proposer provisions in addition to those attached to this RFP. The contents of this RFP, as revised and/or supplemented, and the successful Proposer's Proposal will be incorporated into and become part of the Contract.

F. Accept Contract Deviations Any additional terms and conditions, which may be the subject of negotiation, will be discussed only between Central Health and the selected Proposer and will not be deemed an opportunity to amend the Proposer’s Proposal. If a Proposer requests significant changes to either the required Contract terms or the terms of the Business Associate Agreement, Proposer’s Proposal may be considered non-Responsive and result in Proposers’ disqualification or, if such changes are requested post-Proposal submission in violation of this RFP, will result in termination of negotiations and Contract award.

G. Investigate Proposers The Evaluation Committee may make such investigations as necessary to determine the qualifications and ability of the Proposer to adhere to the requirements specified within this RFP.

The Evaluation Committee will reject any Proposal that is submitted by a Proposer who it deems unqualified or who otherwise fails to submit a responsive Proposal. Central Health may also investigate a Proposer’s prior contract relationships, contact references provided by Proposer, and explore and consider prior public statements or actions by a Proposer or any of its key personnel that may be relevant to the performance of the tasks in the RFP or the ability of the Proposer to perform such tasks.

H. Request Change in Proposer Representatives Central Health reserves the right to require a change in the representatives that Proposer submits with the Proposal, if the assigned representatives are not, in the opinion of Central Health, able to adequately meet Central Health’s needs.

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I. Assert Ownership of Proposals All documents submitted in response to this Request for Proposals will become the property of Central Health.

V. PROPOSAL FORMAT AND ORGANIZATION

This section of the RFP describes the format and organization of the Proposer's Proposal. Failure to conform to the requirements contained herein may result in the disqualification of the Proposal.

A. Proposal Format All Proposals, electronic or printed, must delineate each section. The page limit should be no more than forty (40) pages (20 front/back if printed) not including tabs and required forms (see item B. below), or as further instructed in this RFP. If submitting a printed Proposal, the Proposal must be in a binder with tabs delineating each section.

Proposal Organization The Proposal must be organized and indexed in the following format and must contain, as a minimum, all items that are listed as required in the sequence indicated.

Letter of Transmittal – Required

• Identify the submitting organization;

• Identify the name, title, e-mail address and telephone number of the person authorized to contractually obligate the organization or individual proposing;

• Identify the name, title, e-mail address, and telephone number of the person authorized to negotiate a Contract on behalf of the organization;

• Identify the names, titles, e-mail addresses, and telephone numbers of persons to be contacted for Proposal clarification;

• Explicitly indicate acceptance of Sections II through IV of this RFP;

• Be signed by the person authorized to contractually obligate the organization; and

• Acknowledge receipt of all, if any, addenda to this RFP.

Table of Contents - Optional Proposal Summary - Optional Response to Narrative Prompts - Required Completed and Signed Acknowledgement of Receipt Form - Required Completed Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Form - Required Completed and Signed Conflict of Interest Questionnaire (CIQ) – Required upon selection Completed and Signed Certificate of Secretary – Required if Proposer is a corporation Completed Insurance Coverage Form - Required Other (optional) supporting material (may be included)

The forms listed behind the numbers 5, 6, 8 and 9 must be thoroughly completed, executed and witnessed, if and as required, and included in the appropriate section of the Proposal. Proposals

P a g e 16 must include all Attachments and Exhibits in order to be considered Responsive.

Any Proposal that does not adhere to these requirements may be deemed non-responsive and rejected on that basis.

VI. PROPOSAL CONTENT REQUIREMENTS

Proposers shall respond in the form of a detailed narrative to each of the narrative prompts contained in Item A below and based on information provided in in Exhibit A: Scope of Work and Exhibit B: Price/Cost. The narratives, along with supporting materials, will be evaluated and awarded points accordingly.

Failure to respond to the following mandatory narrative prompts will result in disqualification of the Proposal as non-responsive.

A. Narrative Prompts/Evaluation Criteria

Item EVALUATION CRITERIA Weight (%)

1. Requirements 30

2. Maintenance Agreement & Support 20

3. Implementation Process 20

4. Vendor Qualifications 5

5. Pricing 25

Total 100%

Demo/Interview 20 Points

1. Requirements: Proposers should have the ability to meet the REQUIRED and PREFERRED Requirements (Capabilities-Specifications) listed as Attachment A.

2. Maintenance Agreement & Support: Proposers must demonstrate the ability to provide reliable maintenance and support. Please refer to the questions referenced in the section "Operational Support Questions".

3. Implementation Process: Provide high-level timeline, details of what is included and estimated resources needed (for Central Health) for implementation process options available. Proposers should include a reasonable amount of time for training employees and have sufficient training resources for Central Health to move forward successfully.

4. Vendor Qualifications: Proposers must demonstrate relevant work experience and capabilities as a whole and of the proposed project personnel on projects of a similar size, scope, complexity, and nature. Outline 3 experiences with current clients as it relates to

P a g e 17 implementation, maintenance, and customer satisfaction. No more than 2 pages per staff member and no more than 4 pages with company information.

5. Pricing: Proposers should have a pricing strategy (Exhibit B) that successfully provides the best overall value to Central Health.

Demo/interview: Proposers will be evaluated based on demo or interview as part of the evaluation process.

B. Evaluation Process

1. Proposals will be reviewed for compliance with the above criteria for this solicitation.

Proposals deemed non-responsive will be eliminated from further consideration.

2. The Procurement Authority may contact the Proposer for clarification of the Proposal as specified in above.

3. The Evaluation Committee may use other sources of information to perform the evaluation as specified in Proposal Evaluation.

4. Responsive Proposals will be evaluated using the criteria set forth in the table above. The Responsive and Responsible Proposers with the highest scores may be selected as short-listed Finalists. Said short-listed Finalists may be invited to present their Proposals to the Evaluation

5. Committee. Points awarded from the interviews, if any, will be added to Proposer’s overall score.

6. The Proposer whose Proposal is most advantageous to Central Health, taking into consideration the stated EVALUATION CRITERIA, may be recommended for Contract award as specified in above. Proposers who are asked or chosen to submit a revised Proposal for the purpose of obtaining Best and Final Offers may have their points recalculated accordingly. Please note however, that a serious deficiency in the initial Proposal may be grounds for rejection regardless of overall score.

7. Proposers or potential contracted vendors will respond to all requests by the Central Health Purchasing Office within the deadline timeframe provided in the request. Proposers or potential contracted vendors may propose an alternative deadline to the Procurement Authority, but the decision whether or not to extend any deadline is solely within the discretion of Central Health. Failure to respond by the given deadline may result in proposer being deemed non-responsive.

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EXHIBIT A

SCOPE OF WORK

Employee Engagement Survey Tool

Background:

Central Health, Travis County (Texas) Hospital District, is a building a comprehensive, high-functioning healthcare system for residents with low income who need it most in and around Travis County in Central Texas.

Currently, Central Health is working to develop a comprehensive, enterprise-wide approach to employee engagement surveying to support organizational objectives around employee retention, workplace culture evaluation, and overall employee engagement initiatives. Currently, surveying employees across the enterprise occurs leverages multiple tools (such as MS Forms, PowerApps, Survey Monkey, etc.) and lacks an integrated, centralized location for collection and analysis of vital employee engagement-related data to support organizational objectives. The current process is cumbersome, highly dispersed across the enterprise, and is not efficient enough to meet the needs of a growing organization in its current format. This project is evaluating for a solution that provides a more-centralized mechanism to collect, analyze, and report on employee survey data, as well as facilitating leveraging this information to improve key metrics across the enterprise.

We are seeking a centralized solution to administer employee surveys across the enterprise and leverage data to improve our understanding of employee engagement, wellness, and retention for systematic measurement, analysis, and intervention.

Purpose:

Central Health acknowledges that the enterprise requires a solution to support enterprise-level employee surveying around topics of engagement, wellness, and workplace culture. Identify, evaluate, and implement a tool to support enterprise HR strategic objective for employee engagement and workplace culture data collection. The purpose of the request is to evaluate proposals for a comprehensive tool to support the initiative to build a comprehensive employee surveying program that supports enterprise objectives for employee engagement.

Scope of Work:

Central Health is requesting an employee engagement survey tool as part of the development of an enterprise-level employee surveying program. The scope of work for this project covers employee engagement surveys for all staff in the enterprise as well as surveys targeting employees at particular locations and/or employees in particular job categories. The selected tool will need to be able to build new surveys using industry-vetted questions, as well as create surveys based on historical surveys currently being administered. This project is seeking a solution that is able to provide survey administration, data collection, and data analysis capabilities for surveys administered. Finally, this project is also looking for a solution that can store historical data from surveys for comparison purposes.

Proposals should include all responses to the items indicated in Attachments A, and B to include commentary on requirements identified and technical inquiries.

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Requirements in the Specifications attachment (Attachment A) are labeled in Column C as REQUIRED

(R) or PREFERRED (P) and any clarifications or requested exposition is in Column G. Proposers will indicate only one of the corresponding responses in Columns D-F (Fully Meets, Partially Meets, Does Not Support) based on the functionality of the vendor offering and offer any clarifying comments in Column G.

Describe the work to be done in detail, including any materials, software, personnel, or other resources needed to complete the project in full by answering the Implementation, Operational Support, and Vendor Questions below. Add any supplemental materials to support your answers.

Implementation Questions:

Please describe your implementation process. Include:

1. Vendor team roles with their list of responsibilities:

2. Your expectations for the roles required from Central Health's team and their responsibilities:

3. The general timeline of the overall implementation (this can be an estimate based on previous experience):

4. The list of activities and tasks that need to be completed for a successful implementation:

a. Responsible party for each task? Identify the specific role and entity (vendor or Central Health) where applicable

b. Who needs to be trained to learn the tool? Indicate the total amount of time needed.

5. What are your data integration methodology options?

a. Describe the steps needed to integrate with other vendor applications / products, specifically UKG Ready, our enterprise Human Resources Information System.

b. Describe who would need to be involved in the integration from Central Health's team and your team.

Operational Support Questions:

1. Who will be the customer representative for the duration of the contract?

2. How will updates or upgrades be handled? Would we expect outages?

3. What times throughout the day can Central Health contact user support?

4. How are incidents or tickets handled? Do you have SLA’s? What is your escalation path for bugs or incidents?

Other questions for vendors:

1. (Factors into score Criteria C: Implementation Process): Please provide an estimated timeline for implementation for our organization. Include a high-level timeline of what to expect re:

implementation.

a. Roughly 2500+ employees (and growing) across the enterprise (three entities), no current solution in place, system will require at minimum integration with UKGReady (one-way). Please let us know if you need more details.

2. (Factors into score Criteria C: Implementation Process): Please provide an estimated timeline for when your team would be able to kick-off implementation for our organization after contract execution.

3. (Factors into score Criteria A: Requirements): Please provide details regarding the Access Control System/Identity & Access Management System for your tool, please speak to functionality around Role-based access, Attribute-based access & discretionary access.

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Period of Performance:

Project Kick Off should commence within the time agreed to by the vendor and Central health, and to be no more than 15 business days after the contract is executed. Following implementation, Central Health plans to make use of the chosen Solution indefinitely, or until business needs change.

Applicable Standards (If any):

• All infrastructure supporting data storage must be held within the contiguous United States.

• Physical security standards in place in any facility housing employees or data (i.e. locked facilities, security systems, visitor control, etc.). Vendor qualifications regarding compliance with this standard should be detailed in Attachments A & B.

• Up to date on SOC (System Organization Control) compliance and audit requirements and other self-attestation(s) regarding security and compliance. Vendor comment regarding compliance with this standard should be detailed on in Attachments A & B.

• In compliance with Advanced Encryption Standard 256 regarding data in transit and data at rest).

• The vendor must follow the cybersecurity standard developed by the State of Texas to regulate the security of cloud service organizations that do (or intend to do) business with the State, one of its agencies, or a higher education institution within it.

Deliverables:

The following expectations and items must be completed to submit the Request for Proposals and fulfill implementation criteria:

• The ultimate delivery and implementation of an employee engagement survey tool.

• Central Health should have the ability to build, administer, analyze and store data for employee engagement surveys.

• Training for the enterprise People Partnership and Engagement team, as well as other identified survey administrators in the enterprise, to use the tool. As well as training in tool set-up, configuration, and on-going maintenance and support for the tool.

• Assistance, as needed, with setting up integrations with other enterprise systems.

• Central Health must have access to the Employee Engagement Survey tool as soon as possible after contract execution.

• A completed pricing sheet as indicated in Exhibit B of this document.

• As indicated in the SOW, responses to all items included in Attachments A & B (Capabilities-

Specifications and Technical Review).

• Three total references from clients that you currently support.

• If requested, a live demonstration for members of the evaluation committee.

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EXHIBIT B

PRICING SHEET

Employee Engagement Survey Tool

Item Description Cost/Measure

(ex: $1/hr)

Licensing options & associated costs (e.g. enterprise, pay per use, etc.), including platform fees.

User-based fees

Implementation Costs

$XX.XX/hr

Ongoing Support & Maintenance

Upgrades

Customization fees

Other

• License Type: Please provide detailed pricing information, including all potential fees or recurring charges to access the platform. Please include tiered pricing, if available.

• User-based fees: Please provide any per employee, per-admin, per-survey, or per-response pricing, with details regarding tiers (if applicable).

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• Implementation Support: As described in the SOW, Joint Tech expects that our project team and other staff will require basic training to become familiar with any functionality. We expect the vendor to be available for direct support during Go Live and testing to assist with training and troubleshooting. Please provide a tiered pricing structure by level of support and include details specifying what is included at each tier. Please describe what kind of support you offer through implementation for our administrators and indicate price by the hour.

• Ongoing Support: Please provide details regarding type of ongoing support that will be needed to support the tool with line-item pricing.

• Upgrades: Please indicate whether vendor-required upgrades are subject to any increase in price. If applicable, please clarify what circumstances would demand an increase in license or support costs.

• Customization fees: Please detail any charges/fees for custom reports, survey results analysis, integrations, or feature modifications.

• Other: Specify whether any additional ancillary fees or customer support pricing is required to support our requirements. Please indicate whether these are one time or recurring fees for APIs (UKGReady, Tableau, etc.), SSO set up, and/or other services/fees that are required or recommended for successful implementation and sustainment for the tool.

Exhibit C Acknowledgment of Receipt Form

In acknowledgment of receipt of this Request for Qualifications, the undersigned agrees that he/she has received a complete copy, beginning with the title page and Table of Contents and Exhibits.

The acknowledgment of receipt should be signed, returned, and included with the Respondent's submittal. Complete (Legal) Name of Proposer:

Proposer Tax Identification Number:

Business Address:

Telephone Number:

Type of Organization: Individual Partnership Corporation Association

Other (please describe)

If incorporated, state of incorporation:

Date organization was formed (month/year):

The number of years providing services/systems similar to those requested in this Solicitation:

Description of Proposer’s organization, locations, and number of staff (including subcontractors as applicable) that will provide services/support outlined in this Solicitation):

Please certify the following by placing an “X” in the appropriate column:

Certification Yes No Is Proposer/Respondent currently in the process of filing for bankruptcy?

Has Proposer/Respondent filed for bankruptcy within the past five (5) years?

Is the Proposer/Responder delinquent on any taxes owed to Travis County?

Do you certify that the Proposer/Responder is not currently under suspension or debarment by any governmental entity (City of Austin/state/federal government)?

Do you acknowledge that if the Proposer/Responder is currently under suspension or debarment, its submittal may not be considered?

Acknowledged Addenda of

Individual authorized to bind Proposer/Respondent to contract:

Name/Title:

Telephone: E-mail:

Point of contact information for this Solicitation (if different from…