MH HIX_Regression RFQ MH SQA (6-8-18).docx

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTTS

EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

ONE ASHBURTON PLACE, 11TH FLOOR

BOSTON, MA 02108

REQUEST FOR QUOTES

MASSHEALTH

HEALTH INSURANCE EXCHANGE (HIX)

USER ACCEPTANCE TEST

REGRESSION AUTOMATION PROJECT

Issued under the Rules and Regulations of Statewide Contract ITS53 for IT Project Servicesj

ISSUED: June 8, 2018

Document Number: 18BEHSHIXRAPRFQ

DRAFT – FOR INTERNAL DISCUSSION PURPOSES ONLY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ATTACHMENTS:

Attachment 1: Cost Response Attachment 2: Certification of Key Personnel Attachment 3: Sample Statement of Work

HIX UAT REGRESSION AUTOMATION RFQ

INTRODUCTION

Purpose of Procurement The objective of this initiative is to optimize the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (“EOHHS”) MassHealth Information Technology Office (“MassHealth IT”) Health Insurance Exchange (“HIX”) User Acceptance Team (“UAT”) test capability by moving from a manual regression test method to an automated testing practice, currently considered an industry “best practice”. The purpose of this Request for Quotes (“RFQ”) is to engage a qualified contractor to provide a strategic plan and services to transform/implement the MH HIX UAT automation regression test suite.

Transforming MH HIX UAT regression testing from a manual base to an automated suite will achieve the desired benefits:

· Significantly enhance MH HIX UAT capability and capacity to automate currently manual (and often redundant/repetitive) regression tests, increasing software quality, improving the speed of report/release delivery, and reducing the number of manual hours required to execute test cases.

· Boost the ability to reuse scripts across multiple browsers (compatibility testing) and multiple environments, to achieve more system flexibility and overall reliability.

· Assist in running multiple sets of data to reduce the manual effort involved in the current system. Fetch test data from database on the fly and reduce manual effort.

· Improve testing efficiency to run scripts virtually unattended, leaving the results to be monitored through a system-generated notification.

· Increase overall test coverage, allowing MH HIX UAT to focus on manual testing of new application features and/or enhancements.

· Aid in MH HIX UAT training, allowing team members to gain needed test automation skills.

· Allow the running of tests in parallel on different hosts, for faster completion of regression testing.

To that end, MassHealth IT seeks a vendor to provide the following areas of expertise:

· Expertise with popular programming languages, especially Java, which is required to effectively develop automated test scripts using Selenium – an EOHHS IT standard.

· Proven knowledge and history in test automation design and framework development.

· Experienced capability to strategically plan, manage and implement a regression test automation framework suite with metric reporting.

· Wherewithal to provide training and reference support documentation.

HIX is the Massachusetts eligibility and enrollment online application that services individual residents as well as small businesses. This COTS plus enhancements developed application is led by OPTUM and hCentive; the selected Bidder will be required to interact with select members from these teams in the design, planning and workgroup sessions to achieve the primary project objective – the MH HIX UAT Selenium Regression Automation Framework Suite. The phases below summarize key deliverables envisioned to be delivered as part of this effort; detail requirements are outlined in Section 4.2.

· In Phase I, Start-Up: Assessment and Design of this initiative, the selected Bidder will provide MassHealth IT with a project management plan (“Plan”) describing how the Bidder plans to approach this project. The Plan will include a project management methodology and status reporting framework that will include issue and risk tracking, as well as proposed scheduled check-ins. It will reiterate the project objective; as well as provide a high-level scope summary and timeline that will be reviewed and approved by MassHealth IT.

The selected Bidder will focus on an assessment of the current MH HIX UAT regression test cases and gain knowledge of the application and test environments. The selected Bidder will also participate in cross-team workgroup sessions, which will include members from MH HIX UAT, OPTUM and hCentive technical and test teams. The expected output from this effort will be a design document describing the MH HIX UAT Selenium Regression Automation Framework Suite (“Framework”) describing the technical design, approach, pre/post requisites to implement and project plan that will be reviewed and approved by MassHealth IT.

· In Phase II, the selected Bidder will develop and implement the approved Framework design covering the estimated 1600 regression test cases. The Bidder will collaborate closely with assigned MH HIX UAT members in the course of Framework development, as well as working closely with OPTUM and hCentive technical and test teams to complete environment configuration, coordinate validation, metric reporting implementation (all development is expected to have associated architecture documentation). When the Framework is implemented at the conclusion of Phase II, it is expected that MH HIX UAT will have an automated regression test suite that designated staff can execute and manage ongoing support.

· In Phase III, the selected Bidder will complete the integration testing of the MH HIX UAT Automation framework. The bidder will also complete a draft Developer Guide and Transition Documentation for MH Teams.

· In Phase IV, the selected Bidder will provide training sessions for designated staff equipping them with the technical knowledge of the Framework and skills to manage ongoing development and support. As part of the training MassHealth IT expects supporting documentation as reference materials. In addition, Bidder will be contracted to provide hands on support for a short period after implementation.

The Framework will include a transparent and manageable regression suite with automation test cases, scripts supporting libraries of common functions, error messages, and metric reports that will be deployed and validated. MH HIX UAT will be the central point of contact to direct the project.

This RFQ is restricted to Contractors on ITS53 for IT Project Services. Only quotes from approved Contractors and their associated providers/partners who are in good standing with the Commonwealth on the statewide Master Service Agreement will be accepted for consideration.

Payment Payment will be on a fixed-fee basis as set forth in the Section 4.4 Payment Schedule, paid according to the Commonwealth’s standard payment terms.

Section 1.3 Anticipated Term of Contract The contract that results from this RFQ will have an initial term that begins with contract execution and terminates one year from execution, with the ability to extend for an additional 12 months in any increment as determined by EOHHS.

Section 1.4 General Procurement Information

Purchasing Department Executive Office of Health and Human Services

This RFQ does not commit the Commonwealth or EOHHS to approve a Statement of Work (SOW) or to pay any costs incurred in the preparation of the Bidder’s Quote or contract for products or services.

EOHHS reserves the right to accept or reject any and all proposals received as a result of this RFQ and to contract for some, all, or none of the products and services as a result of this RFQ. EOHHS further reserves the right to negotiate with any or all qualified Bidders and to cancel in part or in its entirety this RFQ if it is in the best interest of EOHHS or the Commonwealth to do so.

EOHHS also reserves the right to amend this RFQ at any time prior to the date responses are due. Any such amendment will be posted to the Commonwealth’s procurement web site COMMBUYS, at www.commbuys.com. Bidders are reminded to check the COMMBUYS site regularly, as postings to this site will be the sole method used for notification of changes as well as for any clarifications of the RFQ that EOHHS might issue.

All Quotes and related documents submitted in response to this RFQ become public records and are subject to the Massachusetts Public Records law, M.G.L. c.66, §10 and M.G.L. c.4, §7, subsection 26. Any statements in submitted Quotes that are inconsistent with these statutes will be disregarded.

All Quote submissions, regardless of whether a contract is awarded to a particular Bidder, become the property of EOHHS. EOHHS shall be under no obligation to return any Responses or materials submitted by a Bidder in response to this RFQ. The Commonwealth reserves the right to use any ideas, concepts, or configurations that are presented in a Bidder’s Response, whether or not the Response is selected for Contract award.

Section 1.5 Project Modifications and New Initiatives EOHHS shall have the option, at its sole discretion, to modify, increase, reduce or terminate any activity related to any contract that may result from this RFQ whenever, in the judgment of EOHHS, the goals of the project have been modified or altered in a way that necessitates such changes.

EOHHS may determine that additional work products or new initiatives are necessary to accomplish the objectives of this RFQ or that certain items are not required or must be substantially modified. The selected Bidder and EOHHS may negotiate change orders to the SOW that are in the best interests of the Commonwealth.

EOHHS will provide prior written notice of any such action to the Bidder and the parties will negotiate the effect of such changes in scope on the schedule and payment terms. No compensation shall be owed, nor credits given, until the parties reach agreement on the modified Change Order or SOW amendment. Such Change Order or SOW amendment, when approved, shall detail the changes, the cost impact (if any), and the timeline impact (if any).

DEFINITIONS

The following terms and acronyms are used throughout the RFQ and shall have the meaning stated in this section, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

Agency – one of the 16 agencies consolidated under EOHHS.

Bidder – an entity that submits a response to this RFQ.

Commonwealth Data – all data used or owned by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services to which the contractor gains access through the contract resulting from this RFQ.

Executive Office of Health and Human Services (“EOHHS”) – the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) is comprised of the Agencies that collectively deliver and administer most of the Commonwealth’s health and human service programs.

Selenium – This tool is used to develop test automation specifically geared to the needs of testing web applications including web UI. Selenium is EOHHS IT standard preferred test automation tool.

Key Personnel – Personnel directly responsible for management of the contract, or those personnel whose professional/technical skills are determined to be essential to the successful implementation of the contract.

Response – Any information submitted by the Bidder in response to the requirements outlined in this RFQ, including any clarifying information requested by MassHealth IT.

BIDDER QUALIFICATIONS

Firm Qualifications Bidders and/or subcontractors for this engagement must meet the following qualifications:

· Extensive knowledge of and experience with Selenium automation suite framework design, development, integration and implementation, specifically utilization of Java programming language;

· Strategic planning – defining a specific strategic approach for this project and recommending tactical steps to move towards the desired goal for an automated regression testing suite.

· Analysis – conducting critical business and technical examination and review.

· Facilitation – facilitating of design and analysis workshop with other participating technical and test teams from MH HIX UAT, OPTUM and hCentive.

· Proven project management experience – a demonstrated ability to deliver projects of similar size and scope and training within budget and on time, especially projects with aggressive timelines.

· Demonstrated success in implementation and project transition management;

· 2 – 3 relevant projects that can be presented to MassHealth IT demonstrating the firm’s ability to develop and implement Selenium automation framework.

· Proven project where Bidder demonstrates ability to develop project with training.

· Offices and operations within the United States;

· Demonstrated financial viability; and

· Possession of all necessary business licenses, registrations, and professional certifications at the time of contracting to be able to do business in Massachusetts.

Staff Qualifications The qualifications of Key Personnel (see Section 5.5.2) will be considered in evaluating a Bidder’s Response. Any changes in Key Personnel during the term of the project must receive EOHHS’s prior approval. Replacement of Key Personnel must have comparable in training, experience and ability as the person originally proposed for the project.

Note that EOHHS expects Key Personnel to have demonstrable experience in:

· Project management;

· Leading staff through workshop sessions, with a vision towards establishing a strategic design approach, and the ability to create a clear, viable project pathway from assessment, design, and development to implementation;

· Preparing documentation for review/use both by project participants and senior EOHHS/HIX managers detailing project progress, timelines, and risks and issues.

· Conduct demos to both Business and technical teams.

· Selenium Developer

· Extensive experience in the use of the Selenium tool and JAVA programming language for web applications, including framework design, development metric reporting, and validation.

· Extensive experience with these tools sets: Eclipse IDE, Junit/TestNG, and development tools for Build, Version control and Continuous integration. Additional tools include use of EOHHS IT standard JIRA defect tracking and MassForge project documentation systems.

· Ability to develop technical documentation and presentation.

· Ability to train and produce supporting documentation.

· It is strongly preferred that Bidder staff has some experience with Medicaid-related projects such as HIX.

SCOPE OF WORK

This section describes the Services to be performed by the selected Bidder.

Organization and Communication MassHealth IT seeks a Bidder with the requisite experience and knowledge of the project requirements expressed herein to design and implementing a comprehensive automation solution aimed to optimize the MH HIX UAT capability in improving test support of the HIX system. The scope of services for this RFQ consists of design, development, execution, maintenance of regression test automation and metric reports, the training of MH HIX UAT resources, transition of test results and support documentation relating to the MH HIX UAT test automation suite.

The selected Bidder will report to the MassHealth Systems Teams Lead and work closely with the MH HIX UAT manager throughout the project. The selected Bidder personnel will be expected to be available on site, and work closely with the teams to deliver the automation suite and trainings. The selected Bidder will be expected to establish recurring status meetings along with scheduled submission of status reports.

All documentation and deliverables produced in the performance of the Services must be stored in MassForge, the EOHHS collaboration portal. Efforts will be made to ensure required accesses contractor’s personnel are granted and validated.

The individual activities within the scope of Services and deliverables that will result from these activities are described below.

Phases As noted in Section 1.1, this initiative is envisioned by MassHealth IT as a set of four distinct project phases:

· Phase I: Start-Up: Assessment and Design

· Phase II: Development and Implementation

· Phase III: Testing and Integration

· Phase IV: Training and Transition

Each project phase will require the selected Bidder to produce a specific set of deliverables. The acceptance of all the deliverables for each project phase by the MassHealth IT will represent the completion of the project phase.

Section 4.2.1 Phase I: Start-Up: Assessment and Design The “Start-Up” Phase represents the initiation of the project. During this phase the selected Bidder will submit to MassHealth IT deliverables that will define a set of project management artifacts that will be utilized by the selected Bidder throughout the project and other deliverables that will define how the project will be managed towards achieving the objectives as follows:

Section 4.2.1.1: Project Administration Methodology and Tools The selected Bidder will provide a set of Project Management tools for use in this initiative. It is expected that the selected Bidder will present a set of tools, reports and project schedule; and establish a schedule in which these artifacts with updates will be received regularly.

The Bidder selected will work with MassHealth IT to develop a “Work Group Administration Plan” or “Communication Plan” to manage interactions with dispersed teams not reporting into this department. This plan will define the appropriate work teams, contacts and meeting schedule in order to meet the project objectives. In addition, the selected Bidder will administer and facilitate all Work Group sessions throughout the entire Project.

Section 4.2.1.2: Assessment and Design Assessment: The selected Bidder will engage in workgroup sessions to assess the As-Is state of MH HIX UAT team regression test cases and scripts, environments and interdependent teams; as well as understanding of the application. The selected Bidder shall develop a business and technical profile of the MH HIX UAT team current state to gain insight into its day-to-day operations, constraints, dependencies, and technology used to manage and track test cases, defects, tools and metric reporting. During this phase the select Bidder will also perform a similar assessment with Optum and hCentive, if required.

During this phase the selected Bidder will define the current state of MH HIX UAT operations and testing structure in order to provide a set of facts that will contribute to developing the strategy for the To-Be state.

Design: The expected output from this effort will be a design document describing the MH HIX UAT Selenium Regression Automation Framework Suite (“Framework”) design, approach, pre/post requisites to implement and project plan that will be reviewed and approved by MassHealth IT – covering the estimated 1600 regression test cases. The selected Bidder will present a proposed “MH HIX UAT Selenium Regression Automation Framework Design” document, with supporting text and diagrams of the recommended “Selenium Framework” that clearly shows how each objective, including metric reporting, will be enabled and implemented. MassHealth IT expects the design document will include:

· An overall description of the objective.

· The recommended framework, its architecture and rationale, and where the proposed framework will be developed.

· Including predefined metric reports illustrating pass/fail and narrative as to cause of failure; the selected Bidder will work with MH HIX UAT team to understand standard metric reports to automate.

· A high-level diagram of the recommended framework with folder structure, and libraries.

· A chart showing calls for data and or execution of batch jobs and any Custom functions.

· A description of how this framework will increase efficiency of use and management.

· A discussion of development language and tools.

· The approach to perform collaborative validations.

· A description of pre and post requisites, development dependencies, code reviews and validations, i.e., independent and collaborative.

· A list of corresponding supports documentation, e.g., developer guide, technical architecture etc.

· An updated project timeline describing development, validation, and conduct code walkthroughs.

At the end of this phase MassHealth IT will determine acceptance of proposed framework design and approach; and provide approval to move to next phase.

Section 4.2.1.3: Project Charter The selected Bidder will develop and deliver a Project Charter to initiate the project incompliance with EOHHS IT methodology which will define the scope of the project and approach to develop the desire test automation suite. It is anticipated that the selected Bidder participate in the Intake meeting to kick-off the project. During the Intake meeting the Bidder will be introduced to technical resources needed for support during the engagement of this effort.

Section 4.2.2 Phase II: Development and Implementation During this phase the selected Bidder will begin development of the approved MH HIX UAT Selenium Regression Automation Framework Suite. The selected Bidder will implement deliverables in the “Development and Implementation” Phase that map back to the “primary” project objectives and approved design.

· The selected Bidder will commence developing the Selenium automation framework form the estimated 1600 test cases stored in the Application Lifecycle Management system (ALM) as well as MS Excel spreadsheets.

· The selected Bidder will schedule and conduct code walkthroughs.

· The selected Bidder will coordinate scheduled validation cycles with the MH HIX UAT team; as well as Optum and hCentive.

· The select Bidder will log and track defects; and perform cross reference checks with the teams to ensure defects are addressed and signed off at the end of each test cycle. It is preferred that Bidder developers use EOHHS IT JIRA system for logging and tracking defects.

· The selected Bidder will develop a technical architecture document, including any custom functions to support execution of the automation suite.

· The selected Bidder will develop and deliver a “Transition Document” that describes the training and support procedures to enable MH HIX UAT to manage the framework suite.

The selected Bidder will present an overview to management of the completed automation framework and validations; along with final execution report. The selected Bidder will confirm all project artifacts are posted in the project MassForge folder and provide a summary of next steps for MassHealth IT review and sign-off.

Section 4.2.3 Phase III: Testing and Integration In this section the selected Bidder will complete the integration testing and documentation draft..

· The selected Bidder will Complete Successful Testing of MH HIX UAT Regression Automation Framework suite.

· Prepare Developer Guide Draft.

· Prepare Transition Documentation Draft.

Section 4.2.4 Phase IV: Training and Transition In this section the selected Bidder will execute the approved Transition Plan:

· The selected Bidder will deliver a Developer Guide describing the final framework suite technical architecture, accessing the code, configurations, pre/post dependencies and relevant permissions; as well as support procedures to enable the MH HIX UAT team to successfully manage the test automation suite.

· The selected Bidder will provide the MH HIX UAT team with some number of agreed upon training sessions prior to transition after implementation of the test automation suite.

· The selected Bidder will provide post implementation support for some agreed upon time.

Project Deliverables & Sign-off This section details the milestones and deliverables the Bidder shall meet to implement the MH HIX UAT Selenium Regression Automation Framework Suite Phases I, II and III.

Prior to the commencement of the milestones identified in the table below, the selected Bidder must submit for EOHHS review and approval an Approach document that clearly identifies the selected Bidder’s approach to meeting the milestone. This Approach document must be submitted 10 business days prior to the commencement of the applicable milestone. EOHHS will either approve or respond with a list of questions and concerns within three business days of the receipt of the Approach document.

Recommendations required to support certain milestones must be submitted by the Bidder five business days prior to the commencement of the milestone. The Recommendations will be taken under advisement and may not necessarily require EOHHS approval.

: Payment Schedule The Bidder will receive payment in accordance with Section 1.2 based on completion of the following Milestones and Deliverables.

Table 1: Strategic Milestones and Deliverables Matrix

Phase I: Start-Up: Assessment and Design

· Preliminary Project Plan

· Project Status Reporting Plan

· Work Group Administration Plan

· Project Charter

· Design Document

· Status Report

· Acceptance and sign-off

· Workgroup sessions

· Base code and framework structure

· Reports designed to be run off of the automation testing, identifying how well the code is matching the requirements as defined by the MH HIX UAT team.

· Acceptance and sign-off

· Developer Guide Draft

· Transition Documentation Draft

· Acceptance and sign-off

· Transition Document Final

· Completed MH HIX UAT Team Training & Transition

· Final Sign-off

The Bidder selected for this engagement must agree to provide the deliverables as stipulated above. The Bidder may submit additional supplemental documentation, but may not eliminate any required deliverables. On the Project Plan (see Section 5.5.4) the Bidder must provide the individual dates when these milestones will be completed.

The selected Bidder will present a final check list conferring all phases and deliverables have been met; and all documents are posted in the designated project MassForge folder and approved by MH IT before receiving final and sign-off.

RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS

Response Submission Requirements Complete Responses must be submitted by the date and time listed in Section 8, Procurement Timetable. Any Response received after the deadline shall be rejected.

A. Responses must be posted to COMMBUYS, using the online submission tools available to active COMMBUYS account holders only. Bidders are solely responsible for monitoring this site for amendments to this RFQ, if any. Bidders may monitor the record by frequently checking the Header Information for the list of Amendments. Bidders with active COMMBUYS accounts may also monitor the record through COMMBUYS email notification and record tracking tools enabled when a Contractor acknowledges receipt of a response. To establish a COMMBUYS account, respondents must select the Register link on www.commbuys.com and complete the online subscription process.

B. Each document submitted shall include only that information specific to the topic of that document and shall contain no reference to information contained in either of the other two documents.

Format and Organization of Response Each submission shall be clearly labeled and state:

· The title of this RFQ;

· The bidding entity’s legal name; and

· The title of the Response document (e.g., Business Response).

The Bidder shall respond to each item in the order in which it appears in the RFQ. The Bidder’s response to each section shall include headings and numbering to match the corresponding section from the RFQ. The Bidder shall adhere to page limits, where specified.

EOHHS assumes no responsibility for knowledge of any material that is not presented in accordance with EOHHS’s instructions and may not consider any such material in evaluating the Bidder’s response to the RFQ.

Cover Letter The Bidder shall prepare a cover letter to accompany its response. The cover letter must be signed by an individual authorized to negotiate for and execute the Contract on behalf of the Bidder. It must state:

· That the Bidder acknowledges that the terms and conditions found in this RFQ, including any attachments hereto, will apply to any contract resulting from this RFQ;

· That the Bidder’s response is effective through the date a Contract is executed; and

· The name, mailing address, e-mail address, fax and telephone number(s) of the individual who should be contacted for the purpose of discussing any aspect of the Bidder’s response.

Business Response Requirements In response to the requirements provided in Sections 3 and 4, the Bidder must submit the following information:

A. An “Overall Approach” document that clearly describes how the selected Bidder will successfully meet EOHHS’ requirements for this initiative;

B. An implementation “Project Plan” from a similar “Assessment and Design”/“Development and Implementation”-type project engagement with an organization comparable to EOHHS in size and scope.

Programmatic/Technical Response Requirements The Bidder’s Programmatic/Technical Response shall consist of the Bidder’s response to the requirements in Section 4 with an explanation of how it will accomplish such requirements.

Section 5.5.1 Executive Summary The Bidder shall include with its response an “Executive Summary” (preferably not more than five (5) pages). This Executive Summary should briefly address:

A. The Bidder’s understanding of the overall project, and its goals and objectives;

B. The Bidder’s understanding of the project’s constraints and its approach to overcoming them;

C. Potential project risks and the Bidder’s approach to managing them;

D. A summary of the proposal that includes an overview of the approach the Bidder will take to complete the initiative; and E. A description of why the Bidder’s organization and staff are the best suited, and therefore the best choice, for this engagement (see Sections 3.1 and 3.2).

Section 5.5.2 Key Personnel Of the personnel described in Section 3.2, the Bidder shall designate a Lead and two (2) senior level development staff for this project and submit a completed copy of the form titled “Certification of Key Personnel” (see Attachment 2). These individuals shall be considered Key Personnel (see Section 6.2). The Bidder shall propose other individuals as are necessary, in the Bidder's judgment, to perform the work specified in this RFQ, and shall provide resumes for all personnel slated for participation in this project.

Section 5.5.3 Staff-Loading and Organization Charts The Bidder shall include with its response:

A. A staff-loading chart showing Bidder personnel, Teaming Partner(s) and Significant Subcontractor(s) by task;

B. An organization chart for this project, showing the names and titles of all proposed staff as well as the management structure for project oversight (if a proposed individual “belongs” to a teaming partner or significant subcontractor, this must be so noted on the organization chart); and, C. Specific information describing which staff will be considered on-site and which shall be remote. Describe the expected frequency that these individuals will work on-site.

Section 5.5.4 Project Plan A sample project plan that outlines the proposed implementation activities and timelines for this EOHHS initiative, spanning the entire length of the project from Contract signing/commencement to implementation and final acceptance, a period of no less than twelve (12) months. The Project Plan must show task duration and dependencies, listing task numbers and descriptions, and responsible parties.

Section 5.5.5 VPATs Bidders shall submit the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (“VPAT”) for each piece of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technology/software that the Bidder proposes to utilize.

Section 5.6 Cost Response Requirements The Bidder must submit a Cost Response in accordance with the instructions presented in this section. The Cost Tables for presenting the proposed costs are provided in the associated Microsoft Excel file entitled Attachment 1– Cost Response. The attached Cost Tables are required to be completed as they are presented.

RESPONSE EVALUATION PROCESS

Responses to this RFQ shall be evaluated by an Evaluation Committee appointed by EOHHS (Committee).

Qualifying Responses A. All Responses shall be initially reviewed to determine compliance with the Response submission instructions in Section 5.1. Failure to meet any requirement may result in the Response being removed from further consideration.

B. Any Response may be rejected at any time during the evaluation process if the Bidder:

· Fails to demonstrate to EOHHS’ satisfaction that it meets all RFQ requirements;

· Fails to submit all required information or otherwise satisfy all Response Requirements in Section 5;

· Receives a rating of “Fail”, “Poor” or “Non-Responsive” in the evaluation of one or more categories of its Business or Programmatic/Technical Response;

· Fails to agree to a date and time for an oral presentation, if invited by the Committee;

· Has any interest that may, in EOHHS’ sole determination, conflict with performance of services for the Commonwealth or be anti-competitive; or

· Fails to reach agreement with EOHHS on all contract terms.

Response Review Process, Evaluation Criteria and Selection A. Business and Programmatic/Technical Response Review

1. The Committee will review and evaluate each section of the Business and Programmatic/Technical Responses in accordance with the following criteria, which are listed with the most important criteria first:

a. The qualifications of the Bidder’s experience and staff proposed in response to Section 3;

b. The Bidder’s ability, as described in its Response, to provide the solution described in Section 4;

c. Responsiveness to the needs of EOHHS and the goals of the procurement;

d. Comprehensiveness and clarity of the Response; and.

e. Cost, provided pursuant to Section 5.6.

2. The Committee will (1) evaluate the Business and Programmatic/Technical Responses in accordance with the criteria described above; (2) give a composite rating of “Excellent”, “Very Good”, “Good”, “Fair”, or “Poor” for each section evaluated; (3) assign each of the Responses an overall rating; and (4) compare the Responses to one another. The Committee will give preference to any Bidder that is certified as a minority business enterprise by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts’ Supplier Diversity Office.

3. Cost Response Review Each Cost Response will be reviewed by the Committee for its reasonableness, competitiveness and value to EOHHS. Cost will be one factor, but not the sole factor, in the Committee’s consideration. EOHHS is not required to choose the Bidder that proposes the lowest cost.

C. Request for Clarification and Other Remedies for Non-Compliance with RFQ The Committee, in its sole discretion, may determine that non-compliance with any RFQ requirement is insubstantial. In such cases, the Committee may:

The Committee, in its sole discretion, will determine which Bidders, if any, will be asked to make an oral presentation. Oral presentations may be held to allow the Bidder to clarify details or further inform the committee regarding the Bidder’s organization or Response, but not to change or correct the original Response in any way. Oral presentations shall not be open to the public nor to any competitors. Section 8 provides the date(s) on which an oral presentation may be held. Failure of a Bidder to agree to a date and time for an oral presentation may result in rejection of the Bidder’s Response.

The interview is intended to:

Note: The interview, if applicable, will take place at 100 Hancock Street, Quincy, MA 02171. EOHHS reserves the right to apply restrictions to the structure and content of the oral presentation.

E. Best and Final Offer (BAFO) Pursuant to 801 CMR 21.06(11), EOHHS may request one or more Bidders to provide a Best and Final Offer (BAFO). If it so chooses, EOHHS will distribute specific information regarding submission requirements, timelines, and information about its BAFO evaluation process to those Bidder(s) selected for participation in the BAFO. Bidders may be asked to reduce costs or provide additional clarification to specific sections of the RFQ response. Bidders are not required to submit a BAFO in response to EOHHS’ request, and may notify EOHHS in writing that their response remains as originally submitted.

F. Past Performance The Committee, in its sole discretion, may consider in its review process EOHHS evaluations of a current contractor’s performance in programs or contracts administered by EOHHS and any other information available to EOHHS.

G. Best Value The Committee may recommend for selection the Response that demonstrates the best value overall, considering the Business, Programmatic and Cost Responses that will achieve the procurement goals of EOHHS. The Committee and a selected Bidder may negotiate a change in any element of contract performance or cost identified in the original RFQ or the selected Bidder’s Response that results in lower costs or a more cost effective or better value than was presented in the selected Bidder’s original Response.

H. Negotiation EOHHS, in its sole discretion, may negotiate with any selected Bidder prior to executing a contract. A recommendation for contract award shall be contingent upon successful negotiation of contract terms, including the budget to be attached to the contract. Should EOHHS fail to reach an agreement on contract terms with any selected Bidder, EOHHS, in its sole discretion, may negotiate with, and award a Contract to, any other Bidder it selects, or reopen the RFQ.

I. Recommendation for Award After the Evaluation Committee completes its evaluation, comparison, and ranking of Responses (and, if applicable, oral presentation(s)), the Committee will recommend to the Secretary of Health and Human Services, or his/her designee, the Bidder with whom to begin contract negotiations. The Secretary will make a decision based on the Committee’s recommendation and the best interests of the Commonwealth. The Secretary reserves the right to not select a Bidder for Contract award or to select a Bidder other than the Bidder recommended by the Committee.

ADDITIONAL PROCUREMENT INFORMATION

COMMBUYS Market Center COMMBUYS is the official source of information for this Bid and is publicly accessible at no charge at www.commbuys.com. Bidders are solely responsible for obtaining all information distributed for this Bid via COMMBUYS. Bid Q&A supports Bidder submission of written questions associated with a Bid and publication of official answers.

It is each Bidder’s responsibility to check COMMBUYS for:

· Any amendments, addenda or modifications to this Bid, and

· Any Bid Q&A records related to this Bid.

The Commonwealth accepts no responsibility and will provide no accommodation to Bidders who submit a Quote based on an out-of-date Bid or on information received from a source other than COMMBUYS.

COMMBUYS Subscription. Bidders may elect to obtain a free COMMBUYS Seller subscription which provides value-added features, including automated email notification associated with postings and modifications to COMMBUYS records. However, in order to respond to a Bid, Bidders must register and maintain an active COMMBUYS Seller subscription account.

All Bidders submitting a Quote (previously referred to as Response) in response to this Bid (previously referred to as Solicitation) agree that, if awarded a contract: (1) they will maintain an active seller account in COMMBUYS; (2) they will, when directed to do so by the procuring entity, activate and maintain a COMMBUYS-enabled catalog using Commonwealth Commodity Codes; (3) they will comply with all requests by the procuring entity to utilize COMMBUYS for the purposes of conducting all aspects of purchasing and invoicing with the Commonwealth, as added functionality for the COMMBUYS system is activated; (4) Bidder understands and acknowledges that all references to the Comm-PASS website or related requirements throughout this RFQ, shall be superseded by comparable requirements pertaining to the COMMBUYS website; and (6) in the event the Commonwealth adopts an alternate market center system, Successful Bidders will be required to utilize such system, as directed by the procuring entity. Commonwealth Commodity Codes are based on the United Nations Standard Products and Services Code (UNSPSC).

The COMMBUYS system introduces new terminology, which bidders must be familiar with in order to conduct business with the Commonwealth. To view this terminology and to learn more about the COMMBUYS system, please visit the COMMBUYS Resource Center.

Questions specific to COMMBUYS should be made to the COMMBUYS Help Desk at commbuys@osd.state.ma.us.

Bidder Communications Bidders are prohibited from communicating directly with any employee of the procuring department concerning this RFQ, and no other individual Commonwealth employee or representative is authorized to provide any information or respond to any question or inquiry concerning this RFQ except as specified below. Bidders may contact the contact person for this RFQ in the event this RFQ is incomplete or the Bidder is having trouble obtaining any required attachments electronically through COMMBUYS.

A. EOHHS’ Contact Person for this RFQ is:

Bessie DiDomenica, Procurement Coordinator Executive Office of Health & Human Services, Legal Unit One Ashburton Place, 11th Floor Boston, MA 02108 Telephone : 617.573.1714 Email: bessie.didomenica@massmail.state.ma.us B. Reasonable Accommodation Bidders with disabilities or hardships that seek reasonable accommodation, which may include the receipt of RFQ information in an alternative format, must submit a written statement to the RFQ contact person describing the Bidder’s disability and the requested accommodation to the contact person for the RFQ. EOHHS reserves the right to reject unreasonable requests.

C. RFQ Copies Bidders should download all RFQ documents from COMMBUYS. If necessary, Bidders may request a copy of the RFQ, or any of its components, by contacting the individual above through any of the methods described in Section 7.2.A.

D. Electronic Communication/Update of Bidder’s/Contractor’s Contact Information It is the responsibility of the prospective Bidder and awarded Bidder to keep current the e-mail address of its contact person and prospective Contract manager, if awarded a Contract, and to monitor that e-mail inbox for communications from EOHHS, including requests for clarification. EOHHS and the Commonwealth assume no responsibility if a prospective Bidder’s/awarded Bidder’s designated e-mail address is not current, or if technical problems, including those with the prospective Bidder’s/awarded Bidder’s computer, network or internet service provider (ISP) cause e-mail communications sent to/from the prospective Bidder/awarded Bidder and EOHHS to be lost or rejected by any means, including e-mail or spam filtering.

RFQ Questions Bidders may submit written questions concerning this RFQ until no later than the date and time specified in Section 8, Procurement Timetable. Written questions must be submitted in Word format and sent to the RFQ contact person at the e-mail address listed in Section 7.2.A. The Bid Q&A functionality in COMMBUYS will not be used for this RFQ.

Questions received after the deadline may be disregarded. EOHHS will review questions received by the deadline and at its discretion prepare written…