Questions and Answers__DHS answers_Final.xlsx
XLSX spreadsheet 37 KB Posted
- Attached to
- DHS RFP DRS TECHNICAL WRITER BUSINESS
- Solicitation number
- 26-444DHS-CENOF-B-49610
- Issued by
- Illinois
About this file
This document is a Questions and Answers file for the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS) Technical Writer Business RFP (BidBuy 26-444DHS-CENOF-B-49610). The RFP seeks contractor services to create and update Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) across approximately 11 functional areas within DRS, including Local Offices, Central Office, application processes, and contracted services. The work is driven by federal monitoring findings and corrective action requirements, with the contractor expected to review all federal rules, internal policies, and conduct Subject Matter Expert (SME) interviews to develop SOPs that may require creation from scratch or updating of existing inadequate procedures. The contract has an initial term of 12 months commencing upon final signature, with no renewal options; the language permitting up to 10 years total contract length is standard state-required language and does not reflect IDHS intent. Key milestones include Day 45 (initial update), Day 180 (draft), and Day 240 (final deliverables), with success determined by RSA and IDHS-DRS team review. The contractor will work remotely for SOP development, though SME interviews will be conducted remotely with 19 SMEs across 11 areas, with the government coordinating all scheduling. Nineteen individual SMEs will be available, with field SMEs requiring one week's notice for interview scheduling.
Pricing must be submitted as firm fixed price according to BidBuy items and evaluated under RFP Section D.6; no hourly cost caps are specified, and expenses including travel reimbursement are not allowed. An internal head of policy development currently handles SOP updates. The contractor will receive all relevant internal content from IDHS and must comply with background check requirements per the Standard Terms and Conditions; state system access credentials are not anticipated to be necessary. Vendors may submit 2025 DEI documentation if 2026 data is unavailable, and the contractor should not shift work outside the United States if additional evaluation consideration was provided for U.S.-based work. The platform for SOP deployment will be determined during contract execution, and success will be measured by RSA acceptance and satisfaction with addressing all stated areas.
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Other files
| File | Type | Posted |
|---|---|---|
| Terms and Conditions .pdf | ||
| Questions and Answers__Round_2_IDHS_Answers__final.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| c2d-offeror-job-aid-v.24~1.pdf | ||
| ipg-active-registered-vendor-disclosure-formerly-forms-b-v-26-1-8-26-2025-1~19.docx | DOCX document | |
| C2D-vendor-answer-sheet.docx | DOCX document | |
| Questions and Answers Template~3.xlsx | XLSX spreadsheet | |
| Technical Writer RFP Final.docx | DOCX document | |
| c2d-vendor-guidance-v.24.4~7.pdf | ||
| vendor-disclosure-formerly-forms-a-v26-2-7-22-2025~16.docx | DOCX document | |
| Offer to the State~3.pdf | ||
| DHS RFP Specific Terms and Conditions~2.docx | DOCX document | |
| pre-submission-conference-sign-in-sheet-v-20-1~2.pdf | ||
| the-difference-between-bep-and-c2d-v.24.2~2.pdf |
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Worksheet Information Questions and Answers Worksheet Information Illinois Department of Human Services DHS RFP DRS TECHNICAL WRITER BUSINESS BidBuy 26-444DHS-CENOF-B-49610
| Tabs in this Worksheet | |
| Worksheet Information | This tab includes the information about the contents of this worksheet. |
| Questions and Answers | Please use this tab in this format to submit questions on the solicitation. The Department will post answers in the same format and an Addendum on the Bulletin. |
| Columns in the Questions and Answers Tab | |
| Question ID | DHS will assigned # to track Questions and Answers. |
| RFP or Attachment Section | The DHS RFP Section Number, such as Section F.2.3., or please name a specific Attachment and the Section Number of the Attachment. |
| Page Number | This is the page number of the RFP or Attachment. |
| Topic | This is a general topic of the question. |
| Specific Questions/Inquiry | Please enter your question here. |
| Department Answers | The Department will respond in this section. |
DCFS PO19-164 CCWIS Attachment U Questions and Answers Page &P of &N
Questions and Answers
STATE OF ILLINOIS
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
Illinois Department of Human Services DHS RFP DRS TECHNICAL WRITER BUSINESS BidBuy 26-444DHS-CENOF-B-49610
| ID | RFP or Attachment Section Number | Page Number | Topic | Specific Question/Inquiry | Department Answer | |
| QaA.001 | A.1 | 1 | Priority | Which specific federal monitoring findings/corrective actions (2024–2025) are driving this SOP effort? | It was not a specific finding, the need for updated policies and procedures was noted in corrective action for almost all findings. | |
| QaA.002 | A.1 | 1 | Priority | Which 3–5 SOP areas are the highest risk or highest priority for RSA review? | Per A.2 the SOPs will cover Local Offices, Central Office, Appication process, interaction of previous and their relation to federal metrics, and conctracted services. | |
| QaA.003 | A. | 2 | Scope Clarification | Does the Government expect the contractor to rewrite or revalidate existing SOPs in full, or only update them where gaps exist? | The contractor will review all federal rules and will likely need to create some of the SOPs from scratch using only the federal rules, internal policies, and SME interviews. Some may be built upon previous SOPs but several are inadequate and may bog down the process. | |
| QaA.004 | RFP A.2 | 2 | Scope | Has there been previous work to create/update SOPs either internally or externally with vendors? | See B.1 and B.3 | |
| QaA.005 | A.2 | 2 | Scope Clarification | Can the Government clarify whether the contractor is responsible for developing SOPs only, or also for designing templates, toolkits, and job aids (e.g., quick reference guides, workflows, checklists)? | As noted in A. Scope of Work and B. Current Conditions, the requirements are for SOPs. The referenced job aids would at times be deemed appropriate for a substantive SOP. | |
| QaA.006 | A.2 | 2 | Expectation | Where are the biggest breakdowns today—policy inconsistencies, unclear procedures, training gaps, inconsistent service delivery, payment/invoicing documentation, or performance metric tracking—and which steps are most error-prone for frontline staff? | See B. Current Conditions | |
| QaA.007 | A.2 | 2 | Expectation | What is the review/approval workflow for the revised SOP? | See A..3, F.1, and F.3 | |
| QaA.008 | A.2 | 2 | Expectation | How do you want SOPs used by 700+ staff in a hybrid/union environment—preferred platform (intranet/SharePoint/PDF), required formatting standards, training/job aids needed, accessibility/508 expectations, and what mechanism do you want for ongoing effectiveness review and updates? | See A.2 and B.2, the platform will be decided during course of the contract. | |
| QaA.009 | A.3 | 2 | Expectation | At Day 30, Day 180 (draft), and Day 240 (final), what does ‘success’ look like to DRS leadership and RSA (e.g., acceptance criteria, compliance checks, staff usability metrics, reduction in errors, audit readiness)? | Per A.3 45 days is initial update. Regular updates are to ensure progress is made to the draft stage. Success on final draft will be determined by review from the RSA and IDHS-DRS team to ensure all stated areas have been addressed to the satisfaction of the RSA. | |
| QaA.010 | A.3 | 3 | Milestone | Does the Government expect overlapping development cycles (e.g., drafting SOPs while conducting SME interviews), or a sequential approach? | See A.3 and F.1. The government expects those schedules and does not have a preference for doing SME interviews while or before drafting of specific SOPs as long the schedule is adhered to and expectations for a product are met. | |
| QaA.011 | A.3 | 3 | Access to Personnel | How many SMEs will be available for interviews and what is the expected availability (hours per week)? | 19 individual SMEs will be included in groups that encompass 11 areas. Some SMEs may bring a small number of staff in their area with them to the interviews. The availability of central staff will be shifted to the needs of this project. SMEs from the field will need a week's notice to find a gap sufficient for this project. | |
| QaA.012 | A.3 | 3 | Access to Personnel | Will the Government facilitate SME scheduling, or is the vendor responsible for coordinating directly with all offices statewide? | The government will coordinate the scheduling. The SME's will not be from all offices. Roles transcend geographic areas and only a few different specialties are differenciated amongst field staff. | |
| QaA.013 | RFP A.4 | 4 | Vendor work location | Is the vendor work remote, hybrid or onsite? | It is the government's expectation that the SME interviews will be remote as many staff are spread throughout the state geographically. The active work for the writing of the SOPs and review of applicable rules can be done in the normal work environment of the contracted entity. | |
| QaA.014 | Contract type | Is the project a new requirement or recompete? | New | |||
| QaA.015 | RFP A.1, A.5 | Contract length | Is the contract length for 1 year, or will have option years up to 10 years? | |||
| - | A.1 states - This will be for a period of time and not for a one-time purchase. Following the 12-month term, the work will be complete, and no further renewals will be applicable to this procurement. | |||||
| - | A.5, A.5.1 states - TERM OF THIS CONTRACT: The contract resulting from this procurement will have an initial term commencing upon final dated signatures of the parties and ending twelve (12) months from start date. In no event will the total term of the contract, including the initial term, any renewal terms, and any extensions, exceed ten (10) years. | The language regarding the contract duration in A.1 is IDHS' intent of contract term. The language in A.5.1. also reflects this. The part of the language specifying [I]n no event will the total … exceed ten(10) years is required language regarding permissible length of contract periods and not specific to IDHS intent. | ||||
| QaA.016 | Scope | The RFP requirement states it is to create and update existing SOP’s. How many SOP’s exist and how many need to be created? | The number that exist has been deemed questionable by the findings leading to this RFP. There is estimated to be 11 areas in need of SOPs though that could change slightly as progress is made and additional need identified. | |||
| QaA.017 | B.2 | 5 | Scope Clarification | Is there an estimated number of SOPs, procedures, or process areas to be developed? | There is estimated to be 11 areas in need of SOPs. | |
| QaA.018 | B.3 | 5 | Past workflow | Is there an incumbent that updates SOP for the office? | Yes we have a head of policy development internally. | |
| QaA.019 | D.4 | 15 | DEI | For Commitment to Diversity scoring, may vendors submit documentation covering fiscal year 2025 if 2026 data is not yet available? | Yes, 2025 documentation would be appropriate as 2026 just started. | |
| QaA.020 | D.4 | 15 | DEI | Will the State provide clarification on how self-reported DEI community engagement hours will be assessed and validated? | Please see page 4 of attachment C2D-vendor-guidance-v.24.4.pdf attached in BidBuy. | |
| QaA.021 | F.1 | 22 | Federal & State Regulatory | Are there specific RSA corrective action findings that the contractor must prioritize or address directly in the SOPs? | There is no priority, all must be corrected and have applicable SOPs. Many have overlapping considerations and would be encompassed by fewer SOPs than there are corrective actions. | |
| QaA.022 | F.1 | 22 | Federal & State Regulatory | Is the contractor expected to interface directly with RSA representatives, or will all communication be routed through IDHS‑DRS? | No there are many forseeable circumstances where it would be in all parties interest for the RSA's technical assistance team to interface with the contractor. | |
| QaA.023 | F.1 | 22 | Federal & State Regulatory | Does the Government have preferred formats or templates for regulatory crosswalks (Federal → State → SOP)? | Yes, exactly as you have stated, Federal to State to SOP. | |
| QaA.024 | F.1 | 22 | System Access | Will IDHS‑DRS grant the contractor access to internal systems such as the DRS intranet (Coordinator Corner) for sourcing content? | All relevant internal content will be provided to the contractor. The Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology controls access to protected internal systems and IDHS cannot speak on their behalf. | |
| QaA.025 | F.1 | 22 | Work Access | Will contractors be permitted to work fully remotely, or are any in‑person sessions required in Springfield or Chicago? | Contractors are permitted to work remotely as long as their location and offices fulfill all requirements for Illinois contracts. | |
| QaA.026 | F.1 | 22 | Work Access | Are background checks, security clearances, or State of Illinois system access credentials required for contractor staff? | Background checks are covered in Standard Terms and Conditions - page 4/item #15. Standard Terms and Conditions have been attached as part of this bid amendment. IDHS does not anticipate contractor's staff needing access to State of Illinois (SOI) computer systems. As such, credentials needed to access SOI should not be necessary. | |
| QaA.027 | F.5 | 26 | Pricing | Should pricing be based on an estimated level of effort (hours), fixed deliverables, or another expected structure beyond “firm fixed price”? | Pricing must be entered in BidBuy according to the items and shall be scored according to the language in section D.6 of the RFP. | |
| QaA.028 | F.5 | 26 | Pricing | Is travel reimbursable if the Government later determines in‑person workshops are required? | Per RFP section F.5.3 Expenses are not allowed. | |
| QaA.029 | F.5 | 26 | Pricing | Is there a pricing cap on the hourly cost? | Pricing must be entered in BidBuy according to the items and shall be scored according to the language in section D.6 of the RFP. | |
| QaA.030 | Offer to the state | 2 | Vendor work location | The document asks where is the location of services performed and and percentage performed at this location. The question here is the vendor work remote, hybrid or onsite? If onsite, where are the location(s)? | This question is not referencing in person versus remote work. This is specific to the paragraph in the text above the fill-in field. This would be based on where your employs are working as a standard. For example, if your employees work in California or Kentucky, but may be traveling to IDHS for meetings, the response here would still be where the employees are based. The applicable language from the form is copied and pasted below: |
Offer shall disclose the locations where the services required shall be performed and the known or anticipated value of the services to be performed at each location. If the Offeror received additional consideration in the evaluation based on work being performed in the United States, it shall be a breach of contract if the Offeror shifts any such work outside the United States.
| QaA.031 | TOPS | Has the State considered use of the the Illinois DoIT Joint Purchase Master Contract (JPMC) – Technology Operations Professional Services (TOPS) Category 1 contract? | As the TOPS contract is specifically an IT related contract, and the services as specified in the RFP are not IT related, use of the TOPS contract would not meet the needs of IDHS in this instance. |
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