MAP RFP-S000000096 REVISED 3.29.22.docx

STATE OF ARKANSAS

DEPARTMENT OF TRANSFORMATION AND SHARED SERVICES

OFFICE OF STATE PROCUREMENT

501 Woodlane St., Ste. 220 Little Rock, Arkansas 72201-1023

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (MAP)

SOLICITATION DOCUMENT REVISED

SOLICITATION INFORMATION

SUBMISSION DEADLINE AND DELIVERY OF RESPONSE DOCUMENTS

Proposal submissions for this Request for Proposal must be submitted through ARBuy, the State’s eProcurement system. It can be accessed at https://arbuy.arkansas.gov. Proposals received after the submission deadline may be rejected as untimely. See Section 1.2 for information regarding Live Proposal Openings.

TSS OFFICE OF STATE PROCUREMENT CONTACT INFORMATION

Section 1 – GENERAL INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS

· Do not provide responses to items in this section unless specifically and expressly required.

INTRODUCTION

This Request for Proposal (RFP) is issued by the TSS Office of State Procurement (TSS OSP) for the Arkansas Department of Education (ADE) Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) Child Nutrition Unit (CNU) to obtain pricing and a contract for Administrative and Procurement Reviews for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), School Breakfast Program (SBP), Seamless Summer Option (SSO), Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program (FFVP), and Special Provisions.

Contract will be awarded to the Prospective Contractor determined to have submitted the proposal that is the most advantageous to the State. Direct all questions, comments, or concerns you may have regarding this solicitation to TSS OSP, not DESE/CNU.

LIVE PROPOSAL OPENING

Use the information below to view the proposal opening online.

Zoom Meeting Link: https://arkansas-gov.zoom.us/j/89276213572?pwd=N0tZWnJZeFJGQ0E0aC93d3BHN3JvUT09 Meeting ID:892 7621 3572 Meeting Password:012488 Dial-In Information: 877 853 5257 US Toll-free 888 475 4499 US Toll-free

TYPE OF CONTRACT

A. As a result of this RFP, TSS OSP intends to award a contract to a single Contractor.

B. The anticipated starting date for any resulting contract is July 1, 2022, except that the actual contract start date may be adjusted unilaterally by the State for up to three (3) calendar months. By submitting a signed proposal in response to the RFP, the Prospective Contractor represents and warrants that it will honor its proposal as being held open as irrevocable for this period.

C. The initial term of a resulting contract will be from award date to June 30, 2023, with the option to renew in one (1) year increments. Upon mutual agreement by the Contractor and Department, the contract may be renewed by TSS OSP for up to six (6) additional one-year terms or portions thereof, not to exceed a total aggregate contract term of seven (7) consecutive years.

SOLICITATION SCHEDULE

A. For informational purposes, TSS OSP is providing a Solicitation Schedule; however, dates listed and noted with an asterisk (*) are anticipated dates only and are subject to change at the discretion of the State. All times listed are Central Time.

TABLE A: TENTATIVE SOLICITATION SCHEDULE

BIDDERS CONFERENCE

A. TSS OSP will host a bidders’ conference to provide additional information and clarification regarding the RFP.

1. The conference will take place on the date and time listed in Section 1.4 Table A.

2. The conference is important for Prospective Contractors to understand the tasks a Prospective Contractor shall complete when submitting a proposal (“Submission Requirements”).

3. Prospective Contractors may attend the conference via Zoom.

Zoom Meeting Link:

Meeting ID:852 3871 3311 Meeting Password:906019

4. The bidders conference presentation will be posted to the Solicitation posting in ARBuy.

CLARIFICATION OF SOLICITATION

A. Submit any questions requesting clarification of information contained in this Solicitation via the Solicitation posting in ARBuy by the date and time listed in Section 1.4 Table A.

1. For each question submitted, Prospective Contractor should reference the specific Solicitation item number to which the question refers.

2. Prospective Contractors’ written questions will be consolidated and responded to by the State as deemed appropriate. The State’s consolidated written response is anticipated to be posted to the Solicitation posting in ARBuy by the close of business on the date provided in Section 1.4, Table A. If Prospective Contractor questions are unclear or non-substantive in nature, the State may request clarification of a question(s) or decline to answer.

B. The Prospective Contractor should notify the TSS OSP buyer of any term, condition, etc., that precludes the Prospective Contractor from submitting a compliant, Responsive Proposal. Prospective Contractors should note that it is the responsibility of the Prospective Contractor to seek resolution of all such issues, including those relating to the terms and conditions of the contract, prior to the submission of a proposal.

C. Prospective Contractors may contact the TSS OSP buyer with non-substantive questions at any time prior to the proposal opening.

D. An oral statement by TSS OSP will not be part of any contract resulting from this Solicitation and may not reasonably be relied on by any Prospective Contractor as an aid to interpretation unless it is reduced to writing and expressly adopted by TSS OSP.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

A. Unless otherwise defined herein, all terms defined in Arkansas Procurement Law have the same meaning herein.

B. “Prospective Contractor” means a responsible offeror who submits a proposal in response to this solicitation.

C. The terms “Request for Proposal,” “RFP,” and “Solicitation” are used synonymously in this document.

D. “Requirement” means something required.

E. “Responsive Proposal” means a proposal submitted in response to this solicitation that conforms in all material respects to this RFP.

F. “Shall” and “Must” mean the imperative and are used to identify requirements.

G. “Specification” means any technical or purchase description or other description of the physical or functional characteristics, or of the nature, of a commodity or service. “Specification” may include a description of any requirement for inspecting, testing, or preparing a commodity or service for delivery.

H. “State” means the State of Arkansas. When the term “State” is used herein to reference any obligation of the State under a contract that results from this solicitation, that obligation is limited to the Department using such a contract.

I. “School Food Authority (SFA)” means the governing body that is responsible for the administration of one or more schools and has the legal authority to operate the program therein or be otherwise approved by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) to operate the program

RESPONSE DOCUMENTS

A. All proposal responses must be submitted through ARBuy, the State’s eProcurement system. The system can be accessed at https://arbuy.arkansas.gov.

B. Technical Proposal Packet

1. Responses within the Information for Evaluation and Exceptions sections must not contain the Prospective Contractor’s name or any other identifiers, including without limitation names of staff members, projects, products, and addresses.

2. Prospective Contractors shall utilize the Technical Proposal Packet to submit their responses.

3. The following items are proposal Submission Requirements and must be submitted as part of a Prospective Contractor’s proposal response.

a. Signed Proposal Signature Page. Signature may be ink or digital. (See Technical Proposal Packet.)

b. Technical Proposal response to the Information for Evaluation section included in the Technical Proposal Packet. Proposal response must be in the English language.

c. Completed Pricing Response. Official Solicitation Price Sheet attached to the ARBuy solicitation posting.

d. Pricing must be proposed in U.S. dollars and cents.

e. Proposed Subcontractors Form. The utilization of any proposed subcontractor is subject to approval by the Department.

f. Exceptions Form.

g. Copy of Prospective Contractor’s Equal Opportunity Policy.

4. The following items, which must be submitted prior to a contract award to the Prospective Contractor, may also be included with the Prospective Contractor’s proposal:

a. EO 98-04: Contract and Grant Disclosure Form.

b. Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT), if applicable.

5. DO NOT include any other documents or ancillary information, such as a cover letter or promotional/marketing information.

C. Redacted Copy of the Technical Proposal Packet and Completed Pricing Response

1. One (1) redacted (marked “REDACTED”) copy of the Prospective Contractor’s proposal response (see Section 6 of the Solicitation Terms and Conditions referenced in Section 1.10.)

ACCEPTANCE OF REQUIREMENTS

A. Unless a Prospective Contractor expressly and conspicuously identifies any exception or exceptions to any of the Requirements in the Requirements Section(s) of this RFP by listing them on the Exceptions Form (see Technical Proposal Packet), Prospective Contractor understands and agrees its submission of a proposal to represent that its proposal meets all such Requirements.

B. A Prospective Contractor’s proposal may be rejected if a Prospective Contractor takes exception to any Requirements in the Requirements Section(s) of this RFP.

ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

A. This RFP incorporates all of the Solicitation Terms and Conditions located on the TSS OSP website here.

B. Any special terms and conditions included in this solicitation shall override the Solicitation Terms and Conditions.

C. Unless a Prospective Contractor expressly and conspicuously identifies any exception or exceptions to any of the terms in the Services Contract (SRV-1) Fillable Form (found here) by listing them on the Exceptions Form (see Technical Proposal Packet), Prospective Contractor agrees and shall adhere to all terms if selected as the successful Contractor. Items identified as non-negotiable may only be modified if the legal requirement is satisfied and approved by the State.

D. A Prospective Contractor’s proposal may be rejected if a Prospective Contractor takes exception to any terms or conditions in the documents listed in 1.10.A and 1.10.C.

CONTRACT PROVISIONS FOR NON-FEDERAL ENTITY CONTRACTS UNDER FEDERAL AWARDS

In addition to the State of Arkansas’ Terms and Conditions, the Awarded Contractor shall comply with the following Federal requirements:

A. (F) Rights to Inventions Made Under a Contract or Agreement. If the Federal award meets the definition of “funding agreement” under 37 CFR §401.2 (a) and the recipient or subrecipient wishes to enter into a contract with a small business firm or nonprofit organization regarding the substitution of parties, assignment or performance of experimental, developmental, or research work under that “funding agreement,” the recipient or subrecipient must comply with the requirements of 37 CFR Part 401, “Rights to Inventions Made by Nonprofit Organizations and Small Business Firms Under Government Grants, Contracts and Cooperative Agreements,” and any implementing regulations issued by the awarding agency.

B. (G) Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401-7671q.) and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251-1387), as amended—Contracts and subgrants of amounts in excess of $150,000 must contain a provision that requires the non-Federal award to agree to comply with all applicable standards, orders or regulations issued pursuant to the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401-7671q) and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act as amended (33 U.S.C. 1251-1387). Violations must be reported to the Federal awarding agency and the Regional Office of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

C. (H) Debarment and Suspension (Executive Orders 12549 and 12689)—A contract award (see 2 CFR 180.220) must not be made to parties listed on the governmentwide exclusions in the System for Award Management (SAM), in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 CFR 180 that implement Executive Orders 12549 (3 CFR part 1986 Comp., p. 189) and 12689 (3 CFR part 1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension.” SAM Exclusions contains the names of parties debarred, suspended, or otherwise excluded by agencies, as well as parties declared ineligible under statutory or regulatory authority other than Executive Order 12549.

D. (I) Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment (31 U.S.C. 1352)—Contractors that apply or bid for an award exceeding $100,000 must file the required certification. Each tier certifies to the tier above that it will not and has not used Federal appropriated funds to pay any person or organization for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a member of Congress, officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a member of Congress in connection with obtaining any Federal contract, grant or any other award covered by 31 U.S.C. 1352. Each tier must also disclose any lobbying with non-Federal funds that takes place in connection with obtaining any Federal award. Such disclosures are forwarded from tier to tier up to the non-Federal award.

E.

SECTION 2 – REQUIREMENTS

· Do not provide responses to items in this section unless specifically and expressly required.

OBJECTIVES AND GOALS

The CNU is seeking a qualified contractor to conduct Administrative Reviews (ARs) and Procurement Reviews (PRs) as required by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and federal regulations 7 CFR 200s and 2 CFR 200s and other applicable Arkansas laws. USDA requires state agencies administering federal child nutrition programs to conduct ARs of all 250 school districts and public charter schools during a three-year cycle. The ADE is seeking services to assist CNU by completing 15 to 75 ARs and 15 to 75 PRs during the 2022-2023 school year.

The CNU will annually evaluate the amount of ARs and PRs that will be assigned to the Contractor based on need and available funding.

PROCUREMENT LIBRARY

A Procurement Library has been established by the ADE. Prospective Contractors are encouraged to review the material contained in the Procurement Library by selecting the link provided in the electronic version.

Link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1s3ydx-Q60nfjWMOEdYblfNHDhpJj-4OR?usp=sharing

PROSPECTIVE CONTRACTOR MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

A. Prospective Contractors shall have experience with projects of similar content frameworks, scale, scope, and implementation timeline as described in this RFP.

B. Prospective Contractors shall have one (1) year minimum experience conducting NSLP, SBP, SSO, FFVP, equipment grants, Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), and Special Provisions reviews.

C. Prospective Contractors shall have demonstrated financial stability.

1. During Discussions, the Prospective Contractor shall provide copies of the most recent years independently audited financial statements and the most current $10,000, as well as financial statements for the preceding three (3) years if they exist. The submission must include the audit opinion, the balance sheet, and statements of income, retained earnings, cash flows, and the notes to the financial statements. If independently audited financial statements do not exist, the Prospective Contractor must state the reason and, instead, submit sufficient information to support financial stability.

SCOPE OF WORK/GENERAL REQUIREMENTS

A. The Contractor shall initiate, conduct, and complete AR and PRs from start to finish for USDA Child Nutrition Program(s).

B. The Contractor shall complete all assigned ARs and PRs by June 30, 2023, of the applicable program year to the CNU’s satisfaction, in accordance with all applicable rules and regulations.

C. The Contractor shall ensure that ARs and PRs are complete when finalized by CNU, with all documentation provided to CNU.

D. The Contractor shall Conduct ARs and PRs in full compliance with applicable law, including relevant USDA, state, and local rules and regulations.

E. The Contractor shall ensure adequate staff is able and available to travel throughout the State of Arkansas to conduct ARs and/or PRs when needed.

F. The Contractor shall independently complete all ARs and PRs that are assigned by the CNU.

G. The Contractor shall determine SFA’s compliance with applicable federal and state laws, regulations and policies pertaining to ARs and PRs.

H. The Contractor shall provide in-person testimony and shall assist with administrative appeals arising out of ARs and/or PRs conducted and completed by the Contractor.

I. The Contractor shall input all AR an PR data into an electronic filing system as designed by CNU.

J. The Contractor shall ensure closure of AR within thirty (30) days of the Corrective Action Document acceptance by the CNU.

K. The Contractor’s documentation must meet all USDA and DESE requirements (CNU will provide training on CNU requirements).

L. The Contractor shall conduct quality assurance checks on all ARs and PRs before submission to CNU.

M. The Contractor shall conduct entrance and exit conferences with SFA’s superintendent, designee, or another appropriate individual.

N. The Contractor shall properly document all sections of the review within the USDA and Arkansas tools.

O. The Contractor shall review all documents and responses submitted by the SFA in connection with the AR and PR in compliance with applicable federal and state regulations and guidance.

P. The Contractor shall draft and send letters related to the AR and PR as required by the SFA.

Q. The Contractor shall comply with Byrd Anti-Lobbying Amendment (31 U.S.C. 1352 R. Contractor shall not be listed on the government wide exclusions in the System for Award Management (SAM), in accordance with the OMB guidelines at 2 CFR 180 that implement Executive Orders 12549 (3 CFR part 1986 Comp., p. 189) and 12689 (3 CFR part 1989 Comp., p. 235), “Debarment and Suspension.”

S. Contractor shall comply with all applicable standards, orders or regulations issued pursuant to the Clean Air Act (42 U.S.C. 7401-7671q) and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act as amended (33 U.S.C. 1251-1387). Violations must be reported to the Federal awarding agency and the Regional Office of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

T. The Contractor shall comply with the requirements of 37 CFR Part 401, “Rights to Inventions Made by Nonprofit Organizations and Small Business Firms Under Government Grants, Contracts and Cooperative Agreements,” and any implementing regulations issued by the Department.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

A. The Contractor shall assign an account manager as a single point of contact for the Department.

B. The Contractor shall schedule, plan, and host a contract initiation meeting with designated Department staff within timeframes established by the Department.

1. The Contractor shall schedule, plan, and conduct regular project status meetings with designated Department staff on a schedule established by the Department.

REPORT REQUIREMENTS

A. The Contractor shall provide the CNU bi-weekly status reports concerning work performed as well as projected dates of completion with the off-site, on-site, post review, letters, closure, and problematic reviews.

B. The Contractor shall provide a monthly list of ARs and/or PRs that did not result in any findings or which resulted in Excellent Reviews or ratings (reviews with no findings) to the CNU.

INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

A. The Contractor, at all times during the term of a resulting contract, shall obtain and maintain in force, at minimum, insurance coverage of the types and with the limits as follows:

1. The Contractor shall maintain occurrence based commercial general liability insurance or equivalent form with a limit of not less than $1,000,000.00 for each occurrence. If such insurance contains a general aggregate limit, it shall apply separately to the resulting contract or be no less than two times the occurrence limit.

2. The Contractor shall maintain business automobile liability insurance or equivalent form with a limit of not less than $1,000,000.00 for each accident. Such insurance shall include coverage for owned, hired and non-owned vehicles.

3. The Contractor shall procure and maintain workers' compensation and employers' liability insurance.

4. The Contractor shall procure and maintain professional liability insurance or miscellaneous professional liability insurance with a limit not less than $1,000,000.00.

5. The Contractor shall maintain cyber liability insurance with a limit of not less than $20,000,000.00.

B. During Discussions, the Prospective Contractor shall provide properly executed Certificates of Insurance which must clearly evidence all insurance required in this RFP.

C. In the event of a substantial change in insurance, issuance of a new policy, or cancellation or nonrenewal of the policy, the Contractor shall provide immediate notice to the ADE and shall provide a new certificate of insurance showing continuous coverage in the amounts required.

D. The Contractor shall furnish copies of insurance policies if requested by the State.

OWNERSHIP AND TRANSITION REQUIREMENTS

A. Upon contract termination, cancellation, and/or expiration, the Contractor shall assist the Department and the new contractor, to the extent the Department determines necessary, to ensure an orderly transfer of responsibility and the continuity of those services required under the terms of the contract to another organization designated by the Department.

B. The Contractor shall provide at no charge to the Department, all records, documentation, reports, data, recommendations, and/or printing elements, etc., produced under a resulting contract to the Department or to the Department's designee, within seven (7) days of DESE’s request, contract termination, or contract cancellation.

1. The Contractor shall follow the method of delivery determined by the Department.

2. This Requirement does not refer to the Contractor’s intellectual property.

C. The Contractor shall provide all services to execute the successful transition of services data.

D. All data, records, files, and other information relating to the Department account must remain the property of the Department and must be released to the Department in the event the contract is ended.

E. In addition to required reporting and analysis, the Contractor shall provide to the Department the raw, primary data from all research and analysis completed under a resulting contract.

PERFORMANCE STANDARDS

A. State law requires that qualifying contracts for services include Performance Standards for measuring the overall quality of services that a Contractor shall provide.

B. The State may be open to negotiations of Performance Standards prior to contract award, prior to the commencement of services, or at times throughout the contract duration.

C. Performance Standards shall not be amended unless they are agreed to in writing and signed by the parties.

D. Failure to meet the minimum Performance Standards as specified will result in the assessment of damages.

E. In the event a Performance Standard is not met, the Contractor will have the opportunity to defend or respond to the insufficiency. The State has the right to waive damages if it determines there were extenuating factors beyond the control of the Contractor that hindered the performance of services. In these instances, the State has final determination of the performance acceptability.

F. Should any compensation be owed to the Department due to the assessment of damages, Contractor shall follow the direction of the Department regarding the required compensation process.

SECTION 3 – selection

· Do not provide responses to items in this section.

1. SELECTION PROCESS

A. TSS OSP will review each Technical Proposal Packet to verify submission Requirements have been met. Technical Proposal Packets that do not meet submission Requirements will be rejected and will not be evaluated.

1. The State may conduct cost checks based on the cost submitted by each Prospective Contractor on the completed Pricing Response.

a. Prospective Contractors submitting Responsive Proposals with a proposed cost that falls twenty-five percent (25%) or more from the average submitted cost may be asked to justify their submitted cost.

b. Should TSS OSP request clarification and/or additional information regarding cost, Prospective Contractors shall provide clarification and/or additional information as specified by the request.

B. A Department-appointed Evaluation Committee will evaluate and score qualifying Technical Proposals. Evaluation will be based on Prospective Contractor’s response to the Information for Evaluation section included in the Technical Proposal Packet.

1. Members of the Evaluation Committee (Evaluators) will individually review and evaluate proposals and complete an Individual Score Worksheet for each proposal. Individual scoring for each Evaluation Criteria will be based on the following Scoring Description.

2. After initial individual evaluations are complete, the Evaluators will meet to discuss their individual ratings. At the initial consensus meeting, each Evaluator will be afforded an opportunity to discuss his or her rating for each evaluation criteria.

3. After Evaluators have had an opportunity to discuss their individual scores with the committee, the individual Evaluators will be given the opportunity to change their initial individual scores, if they feel that is appropriate.

4. The final individual scores of the Evaluators will be recorded on the Pre-Interview Consensus Score Sheets and averaged to determine the group or consensus score and rank for each proposal.

5. Other agencies, consultants, and experts may also examine documents at the discretion of the Department.

C. Prospective Contractors submitting Responsive Proposals will be contacted by TSS OSP to schedule an interview.

1. Prospective Contractors shall attend the interview as scheduled by TSS OSP.

2. Evaluators will complete an Individual Score Worksheet for each interview. Evaluation will be based on Prospective Contractor’s responses to questions presented during the interview Individual scoring for each interview will be based on the Scoring Descriptions in 3.1.B.1.

3. During a final consensus meeting, after all interviews are complete, Evaluators will have the opportunity to discuss the interviews and change their individual interview scores on the Post-Interview Consensus Score Sheet, if they feel that is appropriate.

4. The final individual scores of the Evaluators will be recorded on the Post-Interview Consensus Score Sheets and averaged to determine the group or consensus score and rank for each proposal.

D. During the final consensus meeting, cost information will be provided to the Evaluators to allow them to determine if moving forward with the highest-ranking Prospective Contractor is the most advantageous to the State.

E. Should the State request clarification and/or additional information Prospective Contractors’ responses, Prospective Contractors shall provide clarification and/or additional information as specified by the State.

F. TSS OSP will submit responses and pricing received from the interviewed Perspective Contractors, along with the Evaluation Committee’s recommendation to the Department for review and approval to move into Discussions.

G. The State will move forward into Discussions with the highest-ranking Prospective Contractor based on the Grand Total Score for each proposal unless the highest-ranking Prospective Contractor’s response is determined to not be the most advantageous proposal to the State.

EXPLANATION OF THE SUB-SECTIONS OF THE TECHNICAL PROPOSAL

H. Experience

1. The Experience sub-section included in the Technical Proposal Packet allows Prospective Contractors to differentiate themselves based on their experience, technical capability, and understanding of the State’s specific needs.

2. Prospective Contractors should identify expertise in the form of a claim and provide relevant experience to support each claim.

3. Prospective Contractors should use verifiable metrics (number of accounts, size of accounts, years of experience, customer satisfaction ratings) to support each claim.

I. Solution

1. The Solution sub-section included in the Technical Proposal Packet allows Prospective Contractors to differentiate themselves based on their proposed solution and/or approach to solve the State’s specific needs.

2. Prospective Contractors should provide a high-level overview of the Prospective Contractor’s proposed solution and/or approach to services using the Requirements outlined in the RFP.

3. Proposed solutions should be non-technical and include the Prospective Contractor’s recommendations for meeting the objectives and Requirements of the RFP.

4. Additional service options and recommendations above and beyond those included in proposed solution should be included in the Recommended Options Form.

J. Risk

1. The Risk sub-section included in the Technical Proposal Packet allows Prospective Contractors to identify and prioritize major risks that they reasonably foresee could potentially prevent or impair the Prospective Contractor’s delivery of the solution as offered in the proposal or to otherwise fail to meet the State’s desired outcome, specifications, and performance standards, and how they will mitigate, manage, and/or minimize each risk listed.

a. Prospective Contractors should include sources, causes, or actions that are both within and beyond the control of the Prospective Contractors that they reasonably foresee may cause cost increases, delays, amendments, or dissatisfaction to the State.

b. Risks should be described in simple, clear, and non-technical terms.

c. Prospective Contractor should explain how the Prospective Contractor will mitigate, manage, and/or minimize each risk listed.

i. The Documented Performance cell should include details such as how many times any identified risk was previously mitigated and the impact on the Prospective Contractor’s performance in terms of time, cost, and client satisfaction.

K. Interview

1. The Interview will allow Prospective Contractors to further demonstrate their experience in providing the services outlined in the RFP.

a. Each Prospective Contractor meeting the submission requirements will be contacted by TSS OSP to schedule an interview. Prospective Contractors shall attend the interview as scheduled by TSS OSP.

b. Prospective Contractors shall identify one (1) Project Lead at the time of interview confirmation who shall attend the interview as part of the evaluation process.

c. The Evaluation Committee will interview the Prospective Contractor’s identified Project Lead using a pre-determined set of interview questions. Follow up questions may be asked based on responses given by the Project Lead.

TECHNICAL PROPOSAL SCORE

L. The Information for Evaluation section has been divided into sub-sections.

1. In each sub-section, items/questions have each been assigned a maximum point value of ten (10) points. The total point value for each sub-section is reflected in the table below as the Maximum Raw Points Possible.

2. The Department has assigned Weighted Percentages to each sub-section according to its significance.

INFORMATION FOR EVALUATION

SUB-SECTIONS

MAXIMUM RAW POINTS POSSIBLE

*Sub-Section’s Percentage Weight x Total Technical Maximum Weighted Score = Maximum Weighted Score Possible for the sub-section.

M. The proposal’s weighted score for each sub-section will be determined using the following formula:

(A/B)*C =D

A = Actual Raw Points received for sub-section in evaluation B = Maximum Raw Points possible for sub-section C = Maximum Weighted Score possible for sub-section D = Weighted Score received for sub-section

N. The proposal’s weighted scores for sub-sections will be added to determine the Total Technical Score for the proposal.

O. Proposals that do not receive a minimum Total Technical Score of 325 will not be subject to further consideration in the solicitation process. The pricing for proposals that do not receive a minimum Total Technical Score of 325 will not be scored.

COST SCORE

A. When pricing is opened for scoring, the maximum amount of cost points will be given to the proposal with the lowest Grand Total as shown in Table One (1) on the completed Official Solicitation Price Sheet. (See Grand Total Score for maximum points possible for cost score.)

B. The amount of cost points given to the remaining proposals will be allocated by using the following formula:

(A/B)*C =D

A = Lowest Estimated Cost B = Second (third, fourth, etc.) Lowest Estimated Cost C = Maximum Points for Lowest Estimated Cost D = Total price points received

GRAND TOTAL SCORE

The Technical Score and Cost Score will be added together to determine the Grand Total Score for the proposal. The State may move forward to discussions with the Prospective Contractor determined reasonably susceptible of being selected for award.

MAXIMUM POINTS POSSIBLE

DISCUSSIONS

A. During the Discussions Kick Off Meeting, the Prospective Contractor shall provide the following documents to the State:

1. A detailed scope of work clearly identifying the Prospective Contractor’s understanding, implementation, and performance of services required in this RFP, including all activities required by the Contractor and all activities expected by the State/Participating Entities.

2. A Risk Management Plan intended to mitigate any risks, including but not necessarily limited to, the risks identified in the Risk Plan submitted in the Prospective Contractor’s Technical Proposal Packet.

3. A proposed financial summary, including:

a. The completed Pricing Response and Recommended Options Form submitted in the Prospective Contractor’s Technical Proposal Packet.

b. A proposed payment schedule.

4. Proposed project management and reporting templates.

B. During the Discussions Kick Off Meeting, the Prospective Contractor shall address questions and/or concerns the State may have to the satisfaction of the State.

C. During Discussions, the Prospective Contractor shall revise the discussions documents until agreement is made and the State has provided final approval.

1. The Prospective Contractor shall attend follow up Discussions meeting as determined necessary by the State. Reasonable effort will be made to accommodate scheduling conflicts.

D. During Discussions, the Prospective Contractor shall present a final draft of the Discussions documents to the State, including, at minimum:

1. A summary of all plans and scope of work developed during the discussions process and mutually agreed upon by the State and the Prospective Contractor.

2. A detailed scope of work clearly identifying the Prospective Contractor’s implementation and performance of services required in this RFP, including all provisions negotiated and agreed upon by the State and the Prospective Contractor since the Discussions Kick Off Meeting.

3. Description of deliverables in terms of simplified metrics.

4. The Risk Management Plan.

5. Project management and reporting templates.

6. Financial summary, including:

a. The completed Pricing Response submitted in the Prospective Contractor’s Technical Proposal Packet.

b. A list of agreed upon and accepted recommended options (with impact to price).

c. A payment schedule.

7. Contact information for the Prospective Contractor’s key personnel.

E. During Discussions, the Prospective Contractor shall present the final drafts of the items and shall summarize the coordination and planning completed during the discussion process.

F. Once approved by the State, final drafted documents will become part of the resulting contract.

G. The Prospective Contractor may determine which key personnel will attend the Discussions meetings.

PROSPECTIVE CONTRACTOR ACCEPTANCE OF EVALUATION TECHNIQUE

The submission of a Technical Proposal Packet signifies the Prospective Contractor’s understanding and agreement that some subjective value judgments will be made during the evaluation and scoring of the technical proposals.

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