MRTS RFI _ Final.pdf

INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE (IRS)

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) NOTICE

Reference/Notice Number (if applicable): 051324

Project Title: “Manager Rating and Tracking System (MRTS) Replacement”

PCS or FSC Code: DA01

NAICS Code: 541511, 541512

Release Date: May 13, 2024

Response Due Date: May 28, 2024, 12pm EST

Primary Point of Contact: Shontae.T.Harley@irs.gov

Secondary Point of Contact: Frank.Greco@irs.gov

This is a Request for Information (RFI) (hereinafter Notice). This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, request for bids or quotations, nor, a promise to issue a solicitation in the future. The purpose of this RFI is for the Government to obtain knowledge and information for market research and project planning purposes only.

1. GENERAL PROJECT DESCRIPTION: (subject to change)

The Government has interest in and is seeking information regarding the capability of providing a system which automates Taxpayer Services’ (TS) year-end managerial rating and tracking system. Currently, TS uses an interactive server-based system called Manager

Rating and Tracking System (MRTS) which automates the process for establishing bonus pools, tracking manager ratings, and calculating bonus awards for the year-end pay band process. MRTS is a Microsoft Access database developed internally in FY08 as an interactive server-based system that resides on a SQL server owned by Taxpayer Services

Research.

MRTS has 2 components: 1) the data system, which is housed on a Microsoft SQL Server, and

2) the frontend, which operates from inside of Microsoft Access. The Server manages the data. It tracks all interactions, stores changes, and maintains records. In addition, the SQL Server also manages user permissions: it parcels out data according to user permissions and it will not allow anyone access to the data unless he/she has been made a member of the MRTS group via the internal application entitlement process. The database does not interface with any other databases or applications. It is populated initially each year from a Focus Report furnished by

Agency-Wide Shared Services (AWSS). The other component of MRTS is the frontend. The frontend creates a user-friendly interface and provides a user the framework for the MRTS management process.

The MRTS process consists of the rules and protocols for determining which user is responsible for a pay band employee and what that user can do regarding the pay-banded employee. For example, when a pay banded employee has transferred from one organization to another during or shortly before the year-end process and responsibility for that employee needs to be transferred from one user to another; there is a protocol to accomplish this. The frontend structure of MRTS facilitates the protocol and the server accomplishes the transfer.

There are 4 frontend versions of the MRTS software:

1. MRTS-T3. This is the version the user who directly interfaces with employee data uses.

2. MRTS-T2. This is a user administrator version. Users who have users under them have this version. With this version the user can administer the permissions of other users under his/her purview.

3. MRTS-T1. This is a higher-level user administrator version. Users who have more than one level of users under them would have this version. The users who have this version would have users under them who have the MRTS-T2 version. Permissions are managed by the SQL Server and the frontend provides the user interface.

4. MRTS-T8. This is the true administrator version. Only W&I HCO, Performance

Management users have this version. The goal is to be able to do everything that needs to be done using this version and that there would be no need for specialized expertise to manage the day-to-day operation.

Taxpayer Services has the largest number of managers in the Service (over 2,500 for FY22).

All other business units are utilizing Excel spreadsheets to manage their performance management records. Successful implementation of this project may lead to scaling MRTS to include other business units in the IRS.

The solution will use a Power App and SharePoint lists to intake information from users making requests. The request information is then copied to a Dataverse table with automation. Processing and approvals are completed against the Dataverse table. Status changes are replicated back to the SharePoint list for users. Power BI reports are used to provide status reports to Request Support Staff and to users who submitted requests. Email statuses are sent to the requester’s mailbox. Staff uses Planner to track taskings and assignments within the process.

Number of estimated users by role:

Role Number

Projected

Notes

Program

Maker/Developer

3 Will require elevated access to build/develop solutions

Technical

Administrator

3 Will require elevated access to manage

Dataverse and solutions.

Coordinators 130 Will require access to run the application and modify (read/write to) Dataverse tables

Sample of M365 components needed for the solution:

• SharePoint Site collection (URLs if sites currently exist)

• Power Apps with these connectors o Dataverse o SharePoint Online o Office 365 Outlook o Planner o Power BI

• Dataverse with five tables

• Power BI Pro

• Power BI Desktop

• Power Apps premium subscriptions

• Power Automate for M365

2. REQUESTED INFORMATION:

Responses to this RFI are requested in three (3) parts as detailed below.

PART I: Company Profile (1 page limit)

Please provide the following information about your company:

Company Overview

Name of Company

Address

City, State, Zip

Point of Contact Name

Telephone Number

E-mail Address

Number of years your company has been in the application development industry

Provide an overview of your company

Company size and socioeconomic status (if applicable)

Experience/Similar Project

Info as related to this project (e.g., contract #, PART II: Responses to Questions (7-page limit)

1. What level of experience in Power Apps, Power Automate, Dataverse (tables: one to many, many to one, etc.), Power BI, and SharePoint would be required to accomplish this project?

2. What level of project management experience do you anticipate needing to accomplish this project?

3. What type of labor categories do you anticipate needing to perform these services?

4. What has been your experience with providing a transitioning support to the Government once the application is built?

5. Can you provide a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) for these types of services?

6. Would you recommend we use another platform to use that may be more useful/efficient?

What else is available?

7. How long would you anticipate the time it required to build out this project? (Excluding any on-boarding, internal approvals, access to systems, testing, etc.)

8. What has been your experience in building a system that can be scalable? (i.e. expanding the application from one business unit to multiple business units in the future to a larger system)

PART III: Exhibits and Attachments (2-page limit)

Your response may include attachments. These items must be clearly marked as attachments.

Please provide any additional information you believe is pertinent for our consideration.

3. HOW TO SUBMIT A RESPONSE:

RFI Responses to this Notice shall be emailed to the attention of both individual(s) listed in this Notice on page 1. Responses are to be submitted in either MS Word or PDF format, which does not exceed 10 pages, excluding any cover page.

RFI Responses are to be submitted no later than May 28, 2024, 12pm EST.

Questions and comments relevant to this RFI may be provided for consideration. RFI questions must be submitted by May 16, 2024, by 9am EST. The IRS will consolidate all questions received and provide a response on or before COB May 17, 2024. All RFI questions shall be emailed to both individual(s) listed on page 1.

*Note: The Government reserves the right to contact some, all or none of the responding vendors for further discussions regarding the RFI response. The IRS will reach out to the point of contact listed on the response should we choose to contact any vendor(s). This discussion is for

POP, brief description, agency/company supported) clarification or for further information gathering. This exchange should not be misconstrued as the Governments interest to pursue or enter into any contractual agreement or obligation.

Proprietary information, if any, should be minimized and MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED.*

Place of Contract Performance: Contractor or a Third-party location.

Security Requirements: For purposes of this RFI, vendors shall comply with all IRS standard security requirements. If/when a formal solicitation is issued all required security clauses will be provided in the RFQ and shall be adhered to.

4. TERMS AND CONDITIONS REGARDING THIS NOTICE:

This Notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. All costs associated with responding to this Notice are solely at the responding party's expense. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization’s qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. Further, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation.

Responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract or agreement. The Government will not be obligated to pursue any particular acquisition alternative as a result of this notice. Responses to the notice will not be returned. Not responding to this notice does not preclude participation in any future solicitation, if one is issued.

No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in responses to this Notice, unless otherwise appropriately marked by the Respondent. The

Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information received in response to this Notice in any resultant solicitation(s).

Phone calls will not be accepted or returned in response to this RFI.