HRIS RFP-2023-11 - FINAL.pdf

SUNY Schenectady

Human Resources

Information System (HRIS)

PROCUREMENT NUMBER:

RFP 2023-11

RELEASE DATE:

August 22, 2023

DUE DATE/TIME:

September 28, 2023, 2:00 pm EST

SUNY Schenectady County Community College (SUNY Schenectady) reserves the right to postpone, withdraw, discontinue or cancel this RFP at any time and for any reason, and to issue such clarifications, modifications, and/or amendments, as it may deem appropriate. Receipt of proposal materials by SUNY Schenectady or submission of a proposal to SUNY Schenectady confers no rights upon the proposer nor obligates SUNY Schenectady in any manner.

SUNY Schenectady reserves the right to waive non-material irregularities in proposals, if such action is in its best interest. Any such waiver shall not modify remaining RFP requirements or excuse the proposer from full compliance with the RFP specifications and other contract requirements if the proposer is awarded the contract.

TIMETABLE OF KEY EVENTS

RFP Release Date August 22, 2023

Deadline for Submission of Bidder Questions September 7, 2023 4:30 pm EST.

Issuance of Response to Bidder Questions September 14, 2023

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF BIDS September 28, 2023 2:00 pm

Level II Presentations (if selected to advance) Week of October 16, 2023

Finalist Recommendation Presented to the Board of

Trustees November 20, 2023

Anticipated Contract Award November 21, 2023

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Table of Contents

TIMETABLE OF KEY EVENTS

NON-BIDDER RESPONSE

1. Introduction and Background

2. General Comments

3. Disclaimers

4. Errors in the RFP

5. Addenda

6. Questions Regarding the RFP

7. Withdrawal and Resubmission/Modification of Proposals

8. Proposal Deadline

9. Debriefing of Unsuccessful Proposers/Protests

10. Rejection of Proposals

11. Award and Execution of Contract

12. Term

13. Notice

14. Publicity

15. Use and Release of Bidder Submissions

16. Freedom of Information Law

17. College Facilities

ATTACHMENT 1: Scope of Services

ATTACHMENT 2: Bid Submission

ATTACHMENT 3: Evaluation of Proposal

EVALUATION CRITERIA

COST PROPOSAL EVALUATION (40 Points)

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL EVALUATION (60 Points)

EXHIBIT A. FORM of BID – Cost Proposal

EXHIBIT B. CONFLICT OF INTEREST DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

EXHIBIT C. NON-COLLUSIVE BIDDING CERTIFICATION

EXHIBIT D. RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING SIGNATURES

EXHIBIT E. EIT CONFORMANCE CONTACT AND SIGNATURE

EXHIBIT F: ACCESSIBILITY CONFORMANCE REPORT (ACR)

EXHIBIT G. IRANIAN ENERGY SECTOR DIVESTMENT

EXHIBIT H. PERSON AUTHORIZED TO RECEIVE NOTICE

EXHIBIT I. REFERENCES

EXHIBIT J. RECEIPT OF ADDENDA

ATTACHMENT 4: Contract Terms and Conditions

APPENDIX A. VOLUNTARY PRODUCT ACCESSIBILITY TEMPLATE® (VPAT®), EN

301 549 EDITION

APPENDIX B. ACCESSIBILITY CONFORMANCE REPORT (ACR) GUIDANCE

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Human Resources Information System (HRIS)

SUNY Schenectady (College) is accepting proposals from contractors to provide a Human Resources

Information System (HRIS). Proposals shall cover all labor and materials to perform services and materials in conformity with this Request for Proposals (RFP).

The Request for Proposal may be downloaded from the BidNet Direct website at:

http://www.bidnetdirect.com/, from the New York State Contract Reporter website at:

https://www.nyscr.ny.gov/, or picked up at the Office of Administration, Elston 502, SUNY Schenectady at 78 Washington Avenue, Schenectady, NY 12305. All proposals must be delivered in a sealed envelope/package and marked “Proposal: RFP 2023-11, “Human Resources Information System

(HRIS)” not later than 2:00 p.m. EST. on September 28, 2023 to the following address:

SUNY Schenectady County Community College

ATTN: Division of Administrative Services

Elston Hall, Suite 502

78 Washington Avenue

Schenectady, NY 12305

Woman and minority owned businesses are encouraged to submit proposals. SUNY Schenectady is an

Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.

The College reserves the right to reject any and all proposals, and to accept any proposal or proposals as submitted, or as modified, which in the opinion of the College will be in the best interest of the College.

August 22, 2023

Division of Administrative Services

SUNY Schenectady County Community College http://www.bidnetdirect.com/ https://www.nyscr.ny.gov/

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CONTRACTOR’S NAME: ________________________________________________

NON-BIDDER RESPONSE

For the purpose of facilitating your firm’s response to our request for proposal, SUNY Schenectady

County Community College is interested in ascertaining reasons for prospective bidders’ failure to respond to this RFP .

If your firm is not responding to this bid, please indicate the reason(s) by checking any appropriate item(s) below and return this form to: Division of Administrative Services, SUNY Schenectady County

Community College, Elston Hall, Suite 502, 78 Washington Avenue, Schenectady, NY 12305 or forward electronically to purchasing@sunysccc.edu with the PROJECT NUMBER and “Non-Bidder

Response” in the subject line.

We are not responding to this “Request for Proposals” for the following reason(s):

_____ Our services and/or equipment do not meet specifications.

_____ Specifications not clearly understood or applicable (too vague, too rigid, etc.).

_____ We are unable to perform the assignment within the time specified.

_____ Insufficient time allowed for preparation of bid.

_____ OTHER: ______________________________________________________

Thank you for your participation in this bidding process.

mailto:purchasing@sunysccc.edu

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SUNY SCHENECTADY COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Human Resources Information System (HRIS)

This Request for Proposals does not commit SUNY Schenectady County Community College (also known as SUNY Schenectady and the “college”) to award a contract. SUNY Schenectady reserves the right to withdraw and/or amend the RFP and to alter the deadline for submission of proposals.

1. Introduction and Background

The intention of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to obtain the services of a responsive and responsible

Contractor to provide a Human Resources Information System (HRIS) in accordance with the Scope of

Services set forth in this RFP.

SUNY Schenectady, created in 1969 by the Schenectady County Legislature, is a public community college within the State University of New York. SUNY Schenectady provides quality, comprehensive education for transfer, careers, training and workforce development to a diverse population in a student-centered environment. The college is committed to an accessible and affordable education. Utilizing innovative practices and contemporary technology, the college fosters success through excellence in teaching and support services.

An estimated 3,775 students are enrolled at the college, and approximately 383 full and part-time employees. Classes take place from 8 am to 10 pm Monday-Friday and Saturday mornings, late August through the third week of May; most sites see a reduced course load during the summer months and winter break. Competitive college athletics take place off-site. There is no student housing, but there is a privately-owned housing facility across the street that is occupied by both SUNY Schenectady and non-

SUNY Schenectady students and non-students. Classes are conducted at several facilities around the

Capital District.

2. General Comments

Under no circumstances will the College be liable for any costs incurred by the contactors in preparation and/or production of a proposal nor for any work performed prior to SUNY Schenectady’s written authorization to proceed on the contract.

The contactor selected should be independent and not have any interest that would constitute a conflict of interest involving the Board of Trustees, College employees, or our county sponsor. The firm will be required to disclose any pre-existing relationship with the afore-named individuals and organizations using the attached form.

The selected contactor shall not assign, transfer, or subcontract the project without the express prior written approval of the College.

The selected contractor shall not discriminate in its hiring practices against any employee or applicant because of age, race, religion, color, gender, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, or national origin; and be able to demonstrate compliance with affirmative action programs.

No communication should be had with the Board of Trustees, College employees, employees of the auxiliary services organization (Faculty Student Association, Inc.), its Foundation, or Schenectady

County concerning this solicitation in any manner other than by written inquiry to purchasing@sunysccc.edu.

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All materials submitted in response to an RFP will become the property of SUNY Schenectady and will be returned only at SUNY Schenectady’s option and at the expense of the bidder. One copy of each proposal will be retained for SUNY Schenectady’s official files.

3. Disclaimers

SUNY Schenectady reserves the right to withdraw this RFP at any time and for any reason, and to issue such clarifications, modifications, and/or amendments, as it may deem appropriate. Receipt of proposal materials by SUNY Schenectady or submission of a proposal to the College confers no rights upon the offeror nor obligates SUNY Schenectady in any manner. The College reserves the right to waive non-material irregularities in proposals, if such action is in the best interest of SUNY Schenectady. Any such waiver shall not modify remaining RFP requirements or excuse the offer from full compliance with the

RFP specifications and other contract requirements if the offer is awarded the contract.

4. Errors in the RFP

If a bidder discovers any ambiguity, conflict, discrepancy, omission, or other error in the RFP, the bidder should immediately provide SUNY Schenectady with written notice of the problem and request that the

RFP be clarified or modified. Without disclosing the source of the request, the College may modify the document prior to the date fixed for submission of proposals by issuing an addendum and advising all those to whom the RFP was provided.

If prior to the date fixed for submissions, a bidder knows of or should have known of an error in the RFP but fails to notify SUNY Schenectady of the error, the bidder shall bid at its own risk, and if, awarded the contract, shall not be entitled to additional compensation or time by reason of the error or its later correction.

5. Addenda

SUNY Schenectady may modify the RFP prior to the date fixed for submission of proposals. If issued, addenda will be BidNet Direct website at: http://www.bidnetdirect.com/, and the New York State

Contract Reporter website at: https://www.nyscr.ny.gov/. If addenda have been issued, Bidder must complete and submit the Receipt of Addenda form, attached hereto. Bidders are STRONGLY advised to verify the existence of addenda BEFORE submitting a bid.

6. Questions Regarding the RFP

Questions regarding this solicitation should be sent to purchasing@sunysccc.edu. All inquiries should include the title and number of the solicitation in the subject line. All questions and answers will be published. No communication should be had with SUNY Schenectady, its employees, agents, or assigns concerning this solicitation in any other manner than by written inquiry to this email address.

Contact with SUNY Schenectady personnel in connection with this RFP may not be made other than as specified in this RFP. Unauthorized direct or indirect contact with any college personnel may be cause for rejection of a bid.

All questions and answers regarding the RFP will be shared with all bidders known to be interested in submitting a proposal. If a question relates to a proprietary aspect of its proposal and the question would expose proprietary information if disclosed to competitors, the bidder may submit the question in writing, conspicuously marking it as “CONFIDENTIAL.” With the question, the bidder must submit a statement explaining why the question is confidential. If SUNY Schenectady agrees that the disclosure of the question or answer would expose proprietary information, the question will be answered, and both the question and answer will be kept in confidence. If SUNY Schenectady does not agree regarding the proprietary nature of the question, the question will not be answered in this manner and the bidder will be notified.

http://www.bidnetdirect.com/ https://www.nyscr.ny.gov/

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Prior to contract award, SUNY Schenectady may contact the bidder for clarification of any portion of its proposal.

7. Withdrawal and Resubmission/Modification of Proposals

A proposal may be withdrawn at any time prior to the deadline for submitting proposals by notifying

SUNY Schenectady in writing of its withdrawal. The notice must be signed by the Bidder. The Bidder may thereafter submit a new or modified proposal, provided that it is submitted to SUNY Schenectady no later than the deadline. Modifications offered in any other manner, oral or written, will not be considered.

Proposals cannot be changed or withdrawn after the deadline.

8. Proposal Deadline

Proposals must be received by the Division of Administrative Services of SUNY Schenectady no later than the deadline date and time stated in the timetable above. Any proposal received after this time will not be considered, and will be rejected or returned to the proposer. The College reserves the right to postpone the proposal deadline for any reason.

9. Debriefing of Unsuccessful Proposers/Protests

Upon request, a debriefing conference will be scheduled with an unsuccessful proposer. The request for a debriefing conference should be sent to purchasing@sunysccc.edu with the words “Request for

Debriefing” in the subject line within five (5) business days after the notification that the proposal was unsuccessful has been emailed to the bidder. The debriefing must be held within seven (7) business days of the request, unless otherwise agreed to by the parties, except that the request will be stayed pending negotiations of the final agreement with the successful proposer. Discussion will be limited to a critique of the requester’s proposal. Comparisons between proposals or evaluations of the other proposals will not be allowed. Debriefing conferences may be conducted in person or on the telephone and will be scheduled for a maximum of one hour.

10. Rejection of Proposals

SUNY Schenectady reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to reject any or all proposals in whole or in part, without incurring any cost or liability whatsoever. All proposals will be reviewed for completeness.

If a proposal fails to meet material requirements of the RFP, if it is incomplete, or contains irregularities, the proposal may be rejected.

Material deviations may cause a bid to be rejected. SUNY Schenectady may or may not waive an immaterial deviation in a proposal. The College’s waiver of an immaterial deviation will in no way modify the RFP or excuse a bidder from full compliance with the RFP requirements. A deviation is

“material” if it is not in substantial accord with RFP requirements.

Proposals containing false or misleading statements may be rejected if in SUNY Schenectady’s opinion the information was intended to mislead the College regarding a requirement of the RFP.

11. Award and Execution of Contract

Upon the Board’s adoption of a resolution awarding a contract for the Human Resources Information

System (HRIS), a written notice of contract award will be sent electronically to the awardee with a contract to be executed.

No contract or agreement, express or implied, shall exist or be binding on SUNY Schenectady before the execution of a written contract by both parties. If agreement on the terms of such contract cannot be reached after a reasonable period (deemed such by the college in its sole discretion), SUNY Schenectady may enter into negotiations and sign a contract with another firm.

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12. Term

The term of the contract shall be for three years, with two, one year extensions to be exercised at the discretion of the College, beginning November 1, 2023, and expiring on October 31, 2026, at a cost not to exceed the agreed upon price, as submitted in the Bid. No additional price escalations will be allowed.

The successful vendor agrees to invoice monthly in arrears, such invoice to be paid within thirty (30) days of receipt.

13. Notice

Where written notice is required in this RFP, the notice must be sent by both U.S. mail and by electronic mail, unless otherwise specified by SUNY Schenectady.

Notice to SUNY Schenectady shall be to:

Office of Administrative Services

78 Washington Avenue, Elston 502

Schenectady, NY 12305

(518) 381-1210 purchasing@sunysccc.edu

Notice to the bidder shall be to the person signing the Bid Proposal. If bidder desires another or additional person(s) to receive notice, so indicate on the attached form (Attachment 4 - Forms).

14. Publicity

No bidder shall issue any public announcements concerning SUNY Schenectady or this RFP, without the prior written consent of the college. News releases pertaining to the award of any contract resulting from the procurement may not be made without the prior written approval of SUNY Schenectady.

15. Use and Release of Bidder Submissions

All materials submitted by the Bidder become the property of SUNY Schenectady and may be returned to

Bidder at its sole discretion. One copy of each proposal will be retained for the college’s official files.

Submissions may be reviewed and evaluated by any person, other than one associated with a competing

Bidder, designated by SUNY Schenectady.

16. Freedom of Information Law

SUNY Schenectady is required to comply with the New York State Freedom of Information Law (Public

Officer’s Law Article 6). Should any member of the public request a copy of a proposal, the College will review the request and may disclose the requested proposal in whole or in part. If a bidder believes that its proposal or any portion thereof should be exempt from disclosure, it is incumbent that the bidder identify, AT THE TIME OF ITS PROPOSAL SUBMISSION, each page of the proposal for which exemption will be claimed. The bidder may indicate same with the words “Confidential,” “Proprietary,” or “Trade Secret” written or stamped on the page.

17. College Facilities

Main Campus

SUNY Schenectady’s main campus is located at 78 Washington Avenue, Schenectady, New York, and straddles the City of Schenectady and Town of Rotterdam, in the County of Schenectady. The main campus is comprised of six (6) buildings and several acres of fields. It abuts the Mohawk River on the

SUNY Schenectady Human Resources Information System (HRIS) Page 9 of 80 west and Interstate Highway 890 on the south, a highway ramp on the east and an historical downtown community known as The Stockade on the north. The campus is accessed by vehicle from two points:

from the north by a loop road off of NYS Route 5 and from the east by an entrance ramp off of Route I-

890.

The six buildings which make up the main campus are

• Gateway (housing a daycare center and Montessori school),

• Begley (housing the Learning Commons and Auditorium),

• Stockade (housing admissions, lecture halls and classrooms),

• The School of Music Building,

• Elston (housing the student commons, cafeteria, café and quick-mart, administrative offices, classrooms, and culinary labs, banquet and meeting rooms), and

• The Center for Science and Technology Building (“CST”) building (housing classrooms and science labs). The CST building is attached to Elston Hall by a walkway bridge suspended over

NYS Route 5.

Routinely classes are held Monday – Friday, 8:00 – 5:00 as well as in the evenings and Saturdays. Care must be taken to ensure there are no unscheduled/unapproved interruptions in network service.

Center City Location

SUNY Schenectady is a tenant at 443 State Street, Schenectady, New York, which is owned and managed by a private owner. SUNY Schenectady occupies 30,000 square feet consisting of classrooms, a student lounge area, staff offices, and business office space. SUNY Schenectady employees work at the Center

City location and roughly 2,000 students attend classes there. Additionally, the space hosts large and small meetings several times a month. Parking is provided for the full-time staff in a parking garage a few blocks from the building. Classes are held from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 pm throughout the day, including some weekends.

Kindl Building

SUNY Schenectady owns a three-story historical building in the Stockade area of downtown

Schenectady, a few blocks east of the main campus at 201 State Street. At this time, only the first floor is occupied, with two classrooms, office space and a meeting area.

13 State Street

SUNY Schenectady leases space on the first floor of 13 State Street for liberal arts programs.

Mill Lane

The ground floor of 10 Mill Lane, Schenectady, New York is used by Hotel, Culinary Arts, and Tourism

Students for a Confectionary and Chocolate Laboratory.

Schenectady County Airport

SUNY Schenectady holds classes at the Schenectady County Airport in Glenville, NY. There are two classrooms and an instructor’s office.

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ATTACHMENT 1: Scope of Services

SUNY Schenectady (College) is accepting proposals from qualified contractors to provide a comprehensive and fully integrated human resource information system (HRIS), to include a learning management system (LMS) to provide a learning platform for employee development, and off site Cloud hosting. The College reserves the option to award all or parts of the project to one or more qualified vendors. Proposals shall cover all labor and materials to perform services in conformity with this Request for Proposals (RFP). The Successful Bidder will be required to provide all the equipment stated, installation services (if any), licenses, and other equipment necessary to support the software requested.

Higher Education experience, while not required, is preferred.

The Successful bidder will be responsible for the conversion/import of data. All data is considered the property of the College, and to be returned to the College at any time the College requests it, or at the termination of the agreement.

The Successful Bidder will work with the College’s Office of Human Resources and Information

Technology Dept., as needed, and will be overseen by the Executive Director for Human Resources. The project scope shall include the following:

GENERAL SYSTEM AND SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

• Mobile adaptive/friendly

• Single-source, fully integrated database with Ellucian Banner

• Scalable, single report writer for all aspects of the system with ability to export reports to Excel

• Option for 100% paperless processing

• Dedicated account team

• Ability to migrate historical information from existing system (Hirezon-Interview Exchange) to new system

• System auditing abilities (approved/denied transactions, data changes, etc.)

• Ability to interface with a third-party system for which the vendor does not have a standard interface.

HUMAN RESOURCE INFORMATION SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

A. General

1. Centralize all personnel data in one place

2. Automated approvals & workflows

3. Intuitive salary administration and bulk salary updates

4. Employee self-service portal for a wide variety of functions

5. Position management tools to track active employees and FTE

6. Simple query abilities, with minimal knowledge/training.

7. Ability to extract data and create custom reports, including work agreements

B. Applicant Tracking

1. Centralized process to attract applicants, screen them, and land a qualified hire while ensuring equitable hiring processes and compliance.

2. Create robust job postings that include custom photos and video

3. Modernized communication with text messaging, electronic offer letters, and an applicant self-service portal, giving applicants the ability to check the status of their application and self-schedule written exams, oral panel interviews, and performance tests

4. Streamline the search process with a centralized hub designed to make it easy for search committees to provide feedback about candidates,

5. Leverage built in rating matrices for search committee review of candidates

6. Ability to blind sensitive info on candidate applications and attachments

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7. Generate reports for EEO, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and analyze time-to-hire

8. Maintain transparency and streamline communication for both the applicant and HR with an online self-service portal.

9. Ability to integrate background check processes with background check companies.

C. Onboarding

1. Ability to assign and track completion of essential onboarding tasks that can be sent, signed, and stored electronically.

2. Ability for new hires to complete employment paperwork online, including I-9 and W-4.

3. Ability to introduce new employees to the workplace with a self-service portal that makes them feel a sense of belonging from the start.

4. Upload and store photos and videos to introduce them to other team members and leadership.

5. Provide links to pertinent organizational resources

6. Ability to export data for compliance reporting

7. Automate the scheduling of 30-60-90 day check-ins

D. Performance Management

1. Automate probationary review

2. Automate annual employee performance review processes

3. Ability to schedule periodic check-ins and reminders to provide feedback and increase transparency between employee and manager

4. Ability to use journal entries to document employee achievements and areas of concern

5. Ability to eliminate recency bias by referring back to journal entries during evaluation process

6. Ability to Implement performance improvement plans and electronically document every step of the process

7. Ability to track status of performance reviews, classroom observation reports, and more

8. Reports and dashboards to analyze individual employee, team, or departmental data, assisting in identifying skills gaps and determining employee development needs.

E. Document Management

1. Ability to build online forms or convert existing forms.

2. Ability to distribute, track, and approve all employee documents digitally, creating centralized personnel files

3. Reduce filing burden by automating storage of completed forms from all stages of the employee lifecycle.

4. Ability to define automated routing workflow processes

5. Ability to protect sensitive HR data through user roles and permissions.

6. Ability to assign required signatories

7. Ability for employees to self-initiate processes and track status to completion.

F. Job Description Management

1. Ability to create job descriptions, using pre-populated information - i.e. established benefit package or physical requirement information

2. Ability to store job descriptions in a safe environment that is also accessible to internal and external users.

3. Ability to archive job descriptions for retired positions.

4. Ability for managers to independently submit revisions to job descriptions, with ability to assign approval track for revisions

5. Ability to provide job description revision history, including audit trail.

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G. Learning Management System Requirements

• Centralized online platform that can be accessed onsite or remotely, designed for the specific needs of educational institutions

• Robust course catalog, including courses specific to higher education

• Ability to utilize external course catalog.

• Ability to create learning content with robust tools

• Automated notifications/reminders to increase engagement and improve class attendance rates

• Enable employees to complete training from anywhere with a mobile-friendly interface

• Ability to assign courses to individuals, employee groups, entire departments, or all employees

• Ability to create due dates that trigger automated email notifications and reminders

• Ability for managers to track employee participation

• Ability to create and upload customized courses

FUTURE FUNCTIONALITY

There is no immediate need for the following Payroll, Benefits and Time and Attendance components below but we would be looking to have this ability available in the HRIS should we need to utilize this feature in the future due to organizational restructure or growth.

A. Payroll System Requirements

• Ability to completely process bi-weekly employee payroll to both paper check or direct deposit for all employee groups, including adjunct payroll.

• Unlimited earnings codes, deduction codes and direct deposits

• Detailed pay stubs reflecting the various earning codes

• Payroll tax filing for Federal, State and Local jurisdictions

• W-2 printing and reconciliation

• Electronic W-2 filing to Federal and State jurisdictions

• 24/7 secure access to pay check history

• Online W2’s (Current and Historic)

• Ability to track and provide reports for multiple annual and sick leave monthly accruals, pay period deductions/use, and calculation of balances at the end of each pay period

• Ability to allocate individual employees’ salaries to multiple General Ledger account codes

• Ability to display different job pay descriptions on paystubs

• Ability to pay 9, 10 or 11- month contracts over 12 months, and provide a journal entry to accrue the values over two fiscal years

• Ability to create complex reports, including in-depth pay history

• Ability to export General Ledger information to accounting software via a custom-formatted or Microsoft Excel document

B. Benefit Management

• Manage all employee plan and enrollment types in one place

• Support multiple benefit plans

• Ability to create schedules based on employee group, type, and status

• Ability to automate open enrollment and new hire enrollment processes

• Ability to automate qualifying event enrollment processes

• Ability to maintain complex benefit calculations

• Seamlessly integrate with payroll.

• Ability to provide an 834-carrier exchange

C. Time and Attendance System Requirements

• Robust attendance and leave approval/tracking tools to manage employee time with increased visibility

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• Employee self-service tools to manage time & attendance

• Ability to track FMLA and comp time

• Ability to create and apply special overtime rules

• Ability to perform FSLA calculations

• Electronic timesheets, available on mobile devices as well as computers.

• Ability for offline punching and exceptions

• Ability to support complex timesheet approvals, including special overtime approval.

• Ability to create multiple leave banks with complex accrual rules

• Ability for employees to make online requests for use of PTO, sick, or compensatory leave

• Supervisors’ ability to view employee leave availability when approving requests

• Ability to show leave totals on paycheck/stub, as per Arizona statute.

• External e-mail notifications when items are pending manager’s approval

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS

A. System Availability Requirements

1. All services can be cloud-based, accessed via the web, and accessible 24/7 from both the

College’s network and remote locations.

2. Ability to monitor for uptime and also notification to customers regarding degradation of service.

B. Security Requirements

1. Ability to provide evidence of security policy and 3rd party audits (e.g. Soc report)

2. Ability to provide plan for transmission security.

3. Ability to provide current disaster recovery plan.

4. Allow user-based roles, assignments and permissions

5. Data security at the table, row, and field Levels

6. Sign-in and time-out user session security

7. Security certificates equal to or exceeding cyber standards.

C. Compatibility Requirements

1. Ability to integrate with Microsoft Active Directory or CAS/SAML 2.0 (SP initiated) and/or Active Directory/Azure AD desired.

2. Ability for system to be accessed using any browser (browser agnostic) and any device

(device agnostic)

3. Ability to export payroll data to general ledger system.

D. Data Requirements

1. Periodic data backup.

2. Ability to import and export content

3. Options for retrieving ALL data stored in your systems on behalf of SUNY Schenectady

E. Maintenance Agreement/System Upgrades Requirements

1. Cost of periodic upgrades included in the basic agreement.

2. Training provided on periodic upgrade

F. Support Requirements

1. Single phone number or contact for all support sales and service support needs.

2. End-user support plan, including help desk services and escalation path including support hours, average response time, and graduated or differentiated tiers of support for the application.

3. Training materials available on-demand to end-users.

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4. Assist, and coordinate, with the College’s Information and Technology department with the installation of software and equipment.

5. Provide for Initial Product Training.

G. Other Technical Requirements

1. Ability to be customized for branding and employee preference

2. Ability to require users to complete a process (watch a video, complete a task) before accessing the employee portal or employee content.

ELECTRONIC AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

SUNY Schenectady has a rich history dedicated to public access and diversity. Access to education for all is a fundamental principle codified in SUNY Schenectady’s mission and amplified in its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policy. It is dedicated to serve individuals with disabilities, meet evolving technology access standards, and improving access, equity, and inclusion with disabilities. Its policy is to adhere to the requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (“Section 508” or

“Revised Section 508”) and is committed to “develop, procure, maintain, or use” Information and

Communication Technology (“ICT”) in a manner that ensures employees and students with disabilities have comparable access to, and use of, such information and data relative to its employees and students, unless doing so would impose an undue burden on the College. Further, pursuant to Section 508, SUNY

Schenectady’s policy is to ensure that its students and members of the public with disabilities have comparable access to publicly available information and services unless doing so would impose an undue burden on the College.

Electronic and Information Technology (EIT), is information technology and any equipment or interconnected system or subsystem of equipment, that is used in the creation, conversion, or duplication of data or information. The term includes:

• telecommunications products (such as telephones);

• information kiosks and transaction machines;

• World Wide Web sites;

• multimedia; and

• office equipment (such as copiers and fax machines).

The term does not include any equipment that contains embedded information technology that is used as an integral part of the product, but the principal function of which is not the acquisition, storage, manipulation, management, movement, control, display, switching, interchange, transmission, or reception of data or information. For example, HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) equipment such as thermostats or temperature control devices, and medical equipment where information technology is integral to its operation, are not EIT.

Vendors providing EIT are required to acknowledge that they are in conformance with Federal Law Section

508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. 794d), as amended in 1998 - IT Accessibility and Policies.

Exhibit “E”.

EIT Vendors must also provide a fully completed, up-to-date Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) -one for each user interface (e.g. user, admin) - accurately indicating levels of conformance to Section 508 accessibility standards. ACR's are created using the most recent ITIC Section 508 VPAT template, Appendix “A,” Guidance can be found in Appendix “B.”

IMPORTANT:

PLEASE NOTE: Failure to Submit an ACR form with the Bid/Proposal, when required, may result in rejection of Bid/Proposal as Non-Responsive.

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ATTACHMENT 2: Bid Submission

GENERAL PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

The submission requirements for this RFP are set forth below. A proposal shall constitute an irrevocable offer that extends from the time of submission through 180 business days (business days are defined as

Monday through Friday) following the issuance of the Notice of Contract Award. Reference to a certain number of days in this RFP shall mean business days unless otherwise specified.

SUNY Schenectady is a public institution of higher education and is bound by New York State Freedom of Information Law (FOIL). Please take note of FOIL law impacts set forth in Section 17.

The proposal must be packaged in a sealed box or envelope with a label on the outside containing the following information:

• RFP 2023-11

• Human Resources Information System (HRIS)

• Bidder name

• Bidder senior officer responsible for the bid

• Bidder address and contact information, including email address

• Attention: SUNY Schenectady Department of Administrative Affairs

All proposals must be sent to the following address by First Class Mail, Overnight Delivery, Hand

Delivery, or Express Mail Service and cannot be submitted by email or facsimile. All means of delivery must be addressed to:

Department of Administrative Affairs

Schenectady County Community College

Elston Hall, Suite 502

Proposals or any portions thereof received after the proposal due date/time will not be accepted and may be returned to the submitting entity at SUNY Schenectady’s discretion. The College will accept amendments to a Bidder’s Proposal only if the amendments are received prior to the proposal due date and time. Proposals which fail to address the format requirements above may be deemed non-responsive and not considered further.

COST PROPOSAL

The proposal should include a completed and Form of Bid. The signature must be made by a person able to contractually bind the firm to the bid cost.

Bidders must submit the completed proposal in a sealed envelope clearly labeled on the outside “RFP

2023-11 Human Resources Information System (HRIS) - Proposal” by the due date specified in the

Timetable of Key Events.

The cost proposal should be based on the cost of software and any associated equipment. Please note that the Successful Bidder agrees to submit invoices in arrears electronically to the Executive Director of

Human Resources.

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Proposals which fail to address each of the submission requirements above may be deemed non-responsive and not be considered further. SUNY Schenectady’s evaluation team will not refer to a designated web site, brochure, or other location for the requested information. Reponses that utilize references to external materials as an answer will be considered non-responsive and receive no credit during the evaluation process.

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL REQUIREMENT, CONTENT, AND ORGANIZATION

The purpose of the technical proposal is to demonstrate the qualifications, competence, and capacity of the contractors seeking to provide services in conformity with the requirements of this RFP and the services set forth in the Scope of Services. The proposal should demonstrate the qualifications of the firm and/or the particular staff to be assigned to this engagement. It should describe an approach to providing services that will meet the RFP requirements.

The proposal should be prepared simply and economically, providing a straight-forward, concise description of the proposer’s ability to satisfy the requirements of the RFP. Adherence to the organization requirements will assist the evaluation committee in fairly and effectively evaluating the proposals. The technical proposal must be organized and presented in the manner described in in this section.

Bidders must submit a detailed Technical Proposal in a sealed envelope clearly labeled on the outside

“RFP 2023-11 Human Resources Information System (HRIS) - Technical Proposal” by the due date and time specified on in the Timetable of Key Events. Proposals may include parts of the original RFP if answering questions asked or used in tailoring a specific response, but should not be included in full unaltered form for filler. If specific submission requirements are particularly large and self-contained, they may be included in a separate appendix. Proposals should not direct the College to visit online sources to obtain information, or include “to be provided after award,” or “provided upon request” clauses.

Submission Format for Technical Proposal

To facilitate the evaluation of each technical proposal, Bidders must submit three (3) separately bound hard copies (including one original) and two electronic copies (flash drive/thumb drive) of each proposal.

Electronic submissions must be in a searchable format (e.g. PDF or MS Word) and MUST NOT include any portion of the Cost Proposal. The College’s evaluation committee will not refer to a designated website, brochure, or other location for the requested information. Responses that utilize references to external materials as an answer will be considered non-responsive.

The Technical Proposal should be clearly organized into the following separately numbered tabs:

• Tab 1, Organization History: A brief description of the history and organization of the bidder’s firm and the organizational structure of the corporate/regional offices. This section should also include a brief description of the company’s experience performing services similar to those described herein and the type of work in which the Bidder specializes.

• Tab 2, Licenses & Certifications: Copies of business licenses, union certifications, professional certifications or other credentials, together with evidence that bidder is in a good standing and authorized to conduct business in New York State.

• Tab 3, Financials: The last year’s annual reports, or comparable documents, including detailed profit loss, assets and liabilities, and other relevant financial data.

• Tab 4, Memberships/Associations: Information regarding bidders’ market position in the industry, strategic alliances, membership in professional associations, etc.

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• Tab 5, Qualifications & Background: Qualifications, background and experience of the account manager and other staff proposed to work on the project, including professional licenses, tenure with the company, and training certifications received within the three (3) years immediately preceding.

• Tab 6, References: References, with contact information including phone numbers, cell numbers, email addresses and office addresses, from a minimum of three clients that function as institutions of higher education of similar size to that of SUNY Schenectady that have used the bidder’s services within the last thirty-six (36) months. Identify the nature of the clients’ businesses;

describe the physical layout and other relevant information about the site; and the length of time the bidder has serviced the account. Provide client contact information. (While Higher education experience is not required, it is preferred.) If bidder has not provided services to three (3) institutions of higher learning as described above within the stated time frame, then provide references for clients with multiple buildings and/or facilities at multiple locations who serve the public (for example, a hospital, arena, or governmental organization).

• Tab 7, Methods of Operation: A description of the techniques, approaches and methods to be used in providing the requested services.

• Tab 8, Training & Development: Information regarding the orientation and training provided to network installers and support staff prior to assignment to a client’s facility, as well as any ongoing training and development programs (both mandatory and voluntary).

• Tab 9, Invoice and Billing: A sample of the invoice used to bill clients for services, with a narrative explanation of the billing system used by the Successful Bidder.

• Tab 10, Implementation Plan/Schedule; provide a separate breakdown structure with a timeline and each milestone and decision point identified. The plan should also include the overall project organization structure with key vendor and staff identified. Describe the Vendor’s expectation of availability of College Staff during implementation. Describe the recommended training plan for

College staff who will be responsibility for support of the system(s) after acceptance, including the number of hours of training and number of trainees that are included in the Vendors cost proposal. Proposals and installation sequence should be structured in a manner to provide the

College with the most favorable pricing and lest amount of disruption to the College.

• Tab 11, License, Service-Level, and Maintenance Agreements; Sample license and maintenance agreements should be provided in this section of the Bidder response for all components. Bidder shall also include an explanation of its proposed maintenance plan strategy.

• Tab 12, Submittals: If applicable, the bidder will provide technical specifications and warranty information for any proposed item substitutions (Exhibit K).

• Tab 13, Forms: ALL FORMS MUST BE COMPLETED/SUBMITTED. No alterations will be permitted.

▪ EXHIBIT A: Form of Bid

▪ EXHIBIT B: Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement

▪ EXHIBIT C: Non-Collusive Bidding Certification

▪ EXHIBIT D: Resolution Authorizing Signatures (Corporate Bidders Only)

▪ EXHIBIT E. Electronic and Information Technology Conformance

▪ EXHIBIT F: Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) -See Appendices A & B

▪ EXHIBIT G: Iranian Energy Sector Divestment

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▪ EXHIBIT H: Person Authorized to Receive Notice (If Applicable)

▪ EXHIBIT I: References

▪ EXHIBIT J: Receipt of Addenda

▪ W-9, Completed

(THIS SPACE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK)

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ATTACHMENT 3: Evaluation of Proposal

EVALUATION CRITERIA

All proposals will be reviewed in accordance with the general evaluation criteria listed below.

Proposals which have been determined not to be in compliance with the RFP requirements will not be considered. Pricing will only be considered on those proposals that are deemed acceptable. The contract will be awarded to the vendor whose proposal is most responsive to needs of SUNY Schenectady and provides the best value to SUNY Schenectady, considering cost as well as other factors based on the evaluation criteria described herein.

The contractors must submit completed cost bid forms attached hereto as Exhibit “A”. The cost proposal must include all costs associated with the bidder’s plan to carry out the services set forth in the Scope of Services in the manner described in this RFP. The cost proposal will be reviewed and scored by a representative of the College who is not a member of the evaluation committee assigned to evaluate the technical proposal.

All information gathered will become the property of SUNY Schenectady. The submission of this RFP does not constitute a contract between SUNY Schenectady and the Bidder.

Members of the SUNY Schenectady Website Team will evaluate all proposals received.

Proposals will be evaluated on the following criteria:

COST PROPOSAL EVALUATION (40 Points)

The maximum number of points available for cost for this project is 40 points. The following formula will be used to score each cost proposal, with the lowest “Total Cost” (LTC) from among the proposals being awarded the maximum number of points for cost during the evaluation process.

LTC/TC x 40= PCS

Where: PCS=Proposer’s cost score

LTC= Lowest Total Cost (of all proposals)

TC=Proposer’s total cost bid

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL EVALUATION (60 Points)

All proposals will be reviewed initially by the Procurement Officer for completeness and to determine compliance with administrative requirements and instructions specified in this RFP.

Only responsive proposals will be forwarded to the evaluation committee for further review.

Each responsive proposal will be evaluated by the Technical Evaluation Committee comprised of representatives of the College. The goal of the evaluation process is to award a contract to the firm which offers the best value to the College, as that term is defined in the law. As such, cost will be considered in the evaluation process, but lowest cost will not determine the selection for contract award.

A. LEVEL 1 REVIEW

During the Level 1 Review, the Technical Evaluation Committee will review the technical proposals in accordance with the criteria set forth below. The scores from the technical review will be combined with the cost scores for a total score. The total scores will be ranked highest to lowest. Top scorers from the Level 1 review will advance to the Level 2

SUNY Schenectady Human Resources Information System (HRIS) Page 20 of 80 review for presentations, review of the firm’s financial statements and references, and consideration for contract award.

The College will be the sole judge as to the acceptability, for its purposes, of any and all proposals.

TECHNICAL EVALUATION CRITERIA

Maximum

Points

ABILITY: Ability to form a solution and perform the Scope of Work as demonstrated through examples of work provided and the key elements in the

Scope of Work. i.e. migrate historical information from existing system (Hirezon-

Interview Exchange) to new system, cloud-based, accessed via the web, accessible

24/7 from both the College’s network and remote locations, and the transfer of data from Ellucian Banner ERP system.

ability and accessibility 24/7 from both the College’s…