Request for Proposal

October 28, 2021

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

RP039-21

The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners is soliciting competitive sealed proposals from qualified service providers for the Document Processing Services for the Department of Water Resources on an Annual Contract with four (4) options to renew for the Department of Water Resources.

Proposals must be returned in a sealed container marked on the outside with the Request for Proposal number and Company Name. Proposals will be received until 2:50 P.M. local time on November 30, 2021 at the Gwinnett County Financial Services - Purchasing Division – 2nd Floor, 75 Langley Drive, Lawrenceville, Georgia 30046. Any proposal received after this date and time will not be accepted.

Proposals will be publicly opened and only names of submitting firms will be read at 3:00 P.M. A list of firms submitting proposals will be available the following business day on our website www.gwinnettcounty.com.

Questions regarding proposals should be directed to Shelley McWhorter, Purchasing Associate III at shelley.mcwhorter@gwinnettcounty.com or by calling 770-822-8734, no later November 8, 2021.

Proposals are legal and binding upon the bidder when submitted. One (1) unbound original, one (1) .pdf copy on a thumb drive or CD and four (4) identical copies should be submitted.

Successful suppliers will be required to meet insurance requirements. The Insurance Company should be authorized to do business in Georgia by the Georgia Insurance Department, and must have an A.M.

Best rating of A-5 or higher.

Gwinnett County does not discriminate on the basis of disability in the admission or access to its programs or activities. Any requests for reasonable accommodations required by individuals to fully participate in any open meeting, program or activity of Gwinnett County Government should be directed to ADA Coordinator, Gwinnett County Justice and Administration Center, 770-822-8165.

The written proposal documents supersede any verbal or written prior communications between the parties.

Selection criteria are outlined in the request for proposal documents. Gwinnett County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals to waive technicalities and to make an award deemed in its best interest.

Award notification will be posted after award on the County website, www.gwinnettcounty.com and companies submitting a proposal will be notified via email.

We look forward to your proposal and appreciate your interest in Gwinnett County.

Shelley McWhorter, CPPB Purchasing Associate III http://www.gwinnettcounty.com/ mailto:shelley.mcwhorter@gwinnettcounty.com http://www.gwinnettcounty.com/

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I. SCOPE OF WORK

The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners is soliciting competitive sealed proposals from qualified service providers to provide Document Processing Services for the Department of Water Resources on an Annual Contract with four (4) options to renew. The Department of Water Resources is responsible for producing water bills and other customer facing communications for approximately 275,000 accounts monthly.

It is imperative that the paper bills, e-bills, postcards, onserts, and County newsletters be accurate, eye-appealing, and easy to read. They must be in compliance with very specific County branding and color requirements and be mailed or e-mailed on schedule. The Department of Water Resources utilizes the SAP Billing/CRM platform, a Unisys Check Processing System, a lock box service, an online customer portal, and iNovah cashering system. The final billing statements, including payment coupons, must be compatible with these systems. Encryption of customer data files in a secure FTP set up is also required.

II. GENERAL INFORMATION

A. No Contact Clause

Individuals, firms and business seeking an award of a Gwinnett County contract may not initiate or continue any verbal or written communications, regarding a solicitation with any County officer, elected official, employee or other County representative without permission of the Purchasing Associate named in the solicitation between the date of the issuance of the solicitation and the date of the final contract award by the Board of Commissioners. Violations will be reviewed by the Purchasing Director. If determined that such communication has compromised the competitive process, the offer submitted by the individual, firm or business may be disqualified from consideration for award.

B. Key Contact Persons

If you require additional information concerning the proposal, make your inquiries to the following person:

Shelley McWhorter, CPPB, Purchasing Associate III Gwinnett County Purchasing Division 75 Langley Drive Lawrenceville, GA 30046 Phone # 770/822-8734; Fax #770/822-8735 e-mail: shelley.mcwhorter@gwinnettcounty.com

C. RFP Addenda

If required, one or more addenda may be issued to all firms receiving this solicitation. All addenda should be signed and returned with the proposal documents. Failure to return the addenda does not relieve the vendor from the responsibility of the information contained therein. Although the Purchasing Division will make every effort to send any addendum to known proposers, it is the proposer’s ultimate responsibility to ensure that they have all applicable addenda prior to proposal submittal.

D. Termination for Cause

The County may terminate this agreement for cause upon ten days prior written notice to the contractor of the contractor’s default in the performance of any term of this agreement. Such termination shall be without prejudice to any of the County’s rights or remedies by law.

E. Termination for Convenience

The County may terminate this agreement for its convenience at any time upon 30 days written notice to the contractor. In the event of the County’s termination of this agreement for convenience, the contractor will be paid for those services actually performed. Partially completed performance of the agreement will be compensated based upon a signed statement of completion to be submitted by the contractor, which shall itemize each element of performance.

F. Insurance

For the entire term of the contract, the successful Service Provider shall obtain, maintain and furnish the County with Certificates of Insurance from licensed companies doing business in the State of Georgia and acceptable to the County per attached requirements.

mailto:shelley.mcwhorter@gwinnettcounty.com

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III. PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL

One (1) unbound original (designated as the original) and four (4) copies of your proposal should be submitted. All copies of the proposal must be identical. The full cost of the proposal preparation is to be borne by the proposing firm. Proposals must be signed in ink by a company official who has authorization to commit company resources.

Proposals must be signed in ink by a company official who has authorization to commit company resources.

Proposals must be enclosed in a sealed package with the name and address of the proposer, the date and hour of opening, and the request for proposal number on the face of the package. Telegraphic/faxed proposals will not be considered. IMPORTANT: Within the sealed package, the cost proposal must be enclosed in its own sealed envelope sealed to keep it separate from the other proposal components and marked “COST PROPOSAL” on the outside of the envelope.

Proposals submitted are not publicly available until after award by the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners.

All proposals and supporting materials as well as correspondence relating to this RFP become property of Gwinnett County when received. Any proprietary information contained in the proposal should be so indicated. However, a general indication that the entire contents, or a major portion, of the proposal is proprietary will not be honored.

Gwinnett County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, in whole or in part, to negotiate changes in the scope of services and to waive any technicalities as deemed in its best interest.

The successful service provider is required within ten (10) days of the Notice of Award to provide the following:

a. Certificate of Insurance as specified in the proposal document.

b. Two (2) properly executed contract documents.

Failure to provide the above documents within ten (10) days may be just cause for the annulment of the award. At the discretion of the County, the award may then be made to the next highest scoring responsible proposer.

IV. QUALIFICATIONS OF THE PROPOSER

The following should be identified in the submittal as Tab A Provider is to submit written proposals that present the provider's qualifications and understanding of the services to be provided. The service provider's proposal should be prepared simply and economically and should provide all the information which it considers pertinent to its qualifications and which responds to the Scope of Services and Evaluation Criteria listed herein. The Proposal seeks assurance of a proven track record for the proposed services;

high degree of dependability, reliability, and accuracy; cost effectiveness; responsiveness; and financial solvency.

Emphasis should be placed on the completeness of services offered and the clarity of content. The following information should be provided in the proposal:

A. Company profile detailing financials, number of employees and number of years in business (minimum of three

(3) years’ experience required) B. A statement as to whether the entity operates as a sole proprietorship, individual, partnership, or corporation and the state in which the entity is incorporated or licensed to operate C. The name of the central contact person, along with their phone number(s), and any cellular phone number and/or fax number D. Description of software products in use and other technical resources E. Fully completed Service Provider Questionnaire F. Complete answers to Understanding and Approach section G. List of exceptional charges: (i.e. special reports, special mailings, major program changes, etc.). Include any listing of rates that would be charged to the County for other services that could be provided within the general scope of work.

H. A complete and concise written executive summary that clearly states the proposer’s approach to rendering the required services. Any special techniques, strategies and capabilities should be discussed here.

I. A description or outline that includes how the proposer will approach the program in Gwinnett County and its working relationship with others.

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V. REFERENCES

The following should be identified in the submittal as Tab B The selected vendor must have demonstrated successful performance on projects of a similar size and scope to that requested by the RFP. References for a minimum of three successful projects performed by the Service Provider within the last year for organizations of similar size to Gwinnett County must be supplied on the attached sheet for references. References must reflect the same type of service being provided for clients who are doing a minimum of 230,000 bills per month. IMPORTANT: References will be contacted directly; therefore, all information provided should be complete, current and easily verifiable.

VI. EVALUATION PROCEDURE

Proposals will be evaluated based on their relative responsiveness to the criteria described below and with those criteria's values weighted as shown:

Criteria Allowable Points

Phase I

A Company profile, relevant qualifications and experience of firm and staff; company background, years in business; training/certifications; completeness of questionnaire 30

B References- success performing services of a similar size and scope as demonstrated through client satisfaction 30

C Understanding and Approach 15

D Company operations, schedule and Equipment Turnaround time, and redundant operations- number of print machines, mail sorting and mailing insert machines available, and proper maintenance contracts on the equipment

Sub-total 90 Phase II

E Total Cost of Services Provided 10 Total 100

Optional F Interview/Presentation and/or On-site visit by County (if deemed necessary) 10

Phase I: Evaluation Committee will evaluate criteria A, B, C, and D as described above and score and rank the proposals. Evaluation Committee may short list the highest-ranking proposers.

Phase II: Open cost proposals and the results will then be combined with the results of Step 1 scoring. After this scoring, a number of the highest-ranking proposers may then be short listed.

Optional: At the discretion of the Evaluation Committee, presentation and demonstrations would be to offer a brief explanation of the company's services and how the company proposes to provide billing services for the County. All costs associated with the interview will be at the expense of the proposing firm. Demonstrations should be conducted within five (5) working days after request. If Gwinnett County exercises this right, a maximum of ten (10) additional points may be assigned.

Gwinnett County reserves the right to require evidence of technical, production, managerial, financial, or other abilities prior to the award. Proposing firms may be required to demonstrate any or all of their system features prior to the final selections.

VII. CONTRACT

Each proposal is received with the understanding that the acceptance in writing by the County of the offer to furnish any or all of the commodities or services described therein shall constitute a contract between the proposer and the County which shall bind the proposer on his part to furnish and deliver the articles and/or services quoted at the prices stated in accordance with the conditions of said accepted proposal. The County, on its part, may order from such contractor, except for cause beyond reasonable control, and to pay for, at the agreed prices, all articles specified and delivered.

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Gwinnett County requires firm pricing during the first one-year contract period (with the exception of U.S. Postal rates which may increase during the course of the contract term). Contract to begin March 18, 2022 or upon award, whichever is later. The contract may be renewed for four (4) additional one (1) year periods provided fees are firm or subject to a pre-approved negotiated increase, service is satisfactory, both parties are willing to renew and renewal is approved by the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners. Proposals shall include suggested increases for renewal years, but such renewal rates will be evaluated annually.

VIII. CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION & PAYMENT

A. Work Quality: All work performed by the Service Provider shall be of first quality. Unacceptable work includes but is not limited to the following: double or missing inserts, improper postage, incorrect packaging, misreading addresses in window envelopes, mis-fed bills, late mailing, printing delays, improper folding, noncompliance with Gwinnett County Brand and Usage guide (found at the following link: https:// gwinnettcounty.canto.com/g/GwinnettCountyBrandGuide/index?viewIndex=2),and lack of communication on work order status etc.

B. Contract Administration: Gwinnett County will closely monitor the Service Provider's performance under this contract. The Service Provider shall allow County personnel to be on site at the Service Provider's facility in order to perform a random inspection of the work while in process. The successful Service Provider's performance will be monitored through information obtained by such sources as: the required reports, random inspections, customer feedback, etc. Gwinnett County requires the Service Provider to provide a written response to problems within 24 hours.

C. Non-Performance: Failure of the Service Provider to perform according to the requirements of this proposal and within the times stipulated will constitute default of the contract. Default of the contract will be grounds for termination of the contract.

D. Payment: Gwinnett County will issue payment for satisfactory services performed once per month per the contracted rate schedule. As an option, estimated postage (only) may be paid in advance for a mutually agreed upon period of time (i.e. 2 weeks, 4 weeks, etc.). Advance payments will be issued to cover estimated postage charges prior to each time period.

IX. SPECIFICATIONS-SERVICE PROVIDER RESPONSIBILITY

A. In 2020, the County conducted a complete re-design of its bill, e-bill, and related customer documents and does not wish to make further modifications at this time beyond small, cosmetic changes or minor changes to verbiage. The payment coupon layout was designed to be compatible with a Unisys Check Processing System, existing lock box service, and iNovah Cashiering System. The Service Provider shall supply all necessary bill print programs. The billing form may be modified through a written fifteen (15) day notice from Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources. Minor changes to the standard billing form may be made without additional costs to the County; including but not limited to: addresses, area codes, and phone numbers.

B. The County is divided into geographic areas. Meters are read each day and that evening, encrypted files are dropped in a shared secure FTP server for processing, printing, and mailing the following business day.

Gwinnett County will send a cycle of bills on a daily basis, with approximately 60,000 customer accounts transmitted per week (with an occasional skip day). The Service Provider shall print, insert and mail the invoices and postcards from each billing cycle within 24 hours of transmission (excluding weekends and holidays). The order (billing cycle) shall not be considered complete until the U.S. Post Office has officially accepted the mailing. The Service Provider will be required to process approximately 275,000 bills per month, 60,000 of which are e-bills. Gwinnett County reserves the right to stop the billing process at any time. The County will be responsible for any costs incurred up to the time of work stoppage, at the contract rates.

At present, Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources’ customers are able to view their bills through an online portal, www.gwinnetth2o.com. The current Service Provider provides presentment and storage services for current and historical billing statements, and continuation of this service is a requirement of any future Service Provider. The County should also have visibility to production job status and the ability to pull incorrect documents prior to production, preferably through an online portal or equivalent technology.

http://www.gwinnetth2o.com/

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C. The Service Provider should allow for the following items in each mail out: the water bill, the return envelope, the carrier envelope, the monthly County newsletter and a maximum of two (2) informational flyers (all provided by the Service Provider). The return envelope shall be a window type displaying information on the bill such as the individual customer address and the return address. (Sample envelopes are available for viewing in the Purchasing Office.) The informational flyers will normally be single sheets the size of the water bill, or a tri-folded letter size flyer. Occasionally, the County will require printings that are 11” x 17” folded in half, booklet style, and then folded in thirds to fit in the envelope.

D. The Service Provider shall assemble and package the completed order following the proper U.S. Postal

Service procedure for the class of mail requested, complete all U.S. Postal Service mailing forms required.

The Service Provider may either deliver the mailing to the U.S. Post Office of acceptance, or have the order picked up and delivered, within 24 hours or on the next business day. The Service Provider shall maintain their own supply of postal trays, labels, tags, bands, sacks and other items for packaging the mailing.

E. The Service Provider shall meter the completed pieces with the proper U.S. postage using presorted First-

Class rates. The Service Provider shall maintain their own U.S. Postal Service permits for the class requested. Additional U.S. postal costs caused by the Service Provider's failure to follow the required postal metering, packaging, or sorting procedures will be paid by the Service Provider. The Service Provider shall obtain the best rate possible for First Class postage, whether automated or carrier route. Bills shall not be less than First Class. The Service Provider may use First Class indicia or have the envelope pre-printed.

F. Damage to inserts, envelopes or improper insertion by the Service Providers equipment will be at the

Service Provider expense.

G. The service provider will assume responsibility of any delay in billing, printing & mailing due to staffing issues, including during Holiday periods. All billing schedule modifications due to staffing or other operational interruptions will be pre-approved by Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources. Delays will subject the Service Provider to certain penalties as outlined in the final agreed upon Service Level Agreements (SLA’s).

H. The Service Provider must have the capability to conduct targeted communication campaigns requested by Gwinnett County.

I. The Service Provider must have the capability to withhold return envelopes and pull specific bills from production upon request from Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources. Pulled bills must be destroyed by shredding.

J. The Service Provider shall destroy any unused inserts remaining after the order is completed. Unused inserts shall be shredded, not discarded in whole.

K. The Service Provider shall maintain an adequate stock of paper, envelopes, and necessary supplies to complete the billing process. Failure to complete the billing cycle due to the lack of proper supplies will be a violation of the contract. Stock shall be limited to no more than 30 days of inventory to address changes when necessary.

L. The Service Provider shall provide detailed daily reports which will include the names of items included in the mailing, number of items mailed, number of out-going and return envelopes used, amount of postage and cost break down for handling charges. The report shall include any other information deemed necessary by Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources, upon the completion of each billing cycle.

The Service Provider shall provide a full-consolidated report once per month. The Service Provider shall provide email confirmation of completion of daily billing cycle to include the date, the number of impressions printed (including duplex), the number of bills mailed, the Total Amount Billed, and a list of bills on hold for further processing or review.

M. The Service Provider shall provide PDF proofs as part of the print and mail services offered for each set of bills or documents generated. The Service Provider shall provide the County with the opportunity to review physical or digital proofs of all documents, and approval by the Gwinnett County Department of Water

RP030-19 Page 7

Resources and/or Communications must be received in writing before document production can begin.

Physical proofs should always be sent for special mailing requests.

N. The Service Provider will not be responsible for handling remittance of bills.

O. The Service Provider will be SAS-70 and PCI compliant to ensure that sensitive, private information provided by the County is handled properly and securely.

P. The Service Provider shall not utilize outside vendors to complete printing or mailing of bills or documents.

Q. All file formats need to be in RDI (raw data interface) format.

R. The Service Provider shall have emergency back-up operations wherein printing services for the Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources could resume within 24 hours in the event of an emergency at the Service Provider’s primary processing facility.

S. Since the Service Provider will be responsible for sending email notifications to some Gwinnett County

Department of Water Resources customers, a secure environment should be available that has the capability of handling email bounces so that the Service Provider can report that information back to the Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources.

T. The Service Provider shall have the ability to send and receive encrypted data files through a secure FTP connection.

P. Gwinnett County shall be granted access to Service Provider’s facility with 24-hour written request.

X. BILL PRINTING

A. The bill shall be printed front and back in the layout and coloring shown in the provided sample. Colors shall match exactly those defined in the attached Brand and Usage Guide (found at the following link: https:// gwinnettcounty.canto.com/g/GwinnettCountyBrandGuide/index?viewIndex=2). The return portion of the bill used for payment processing shall meet requirements for a Unisys/Smart Source SSP2120100-PKR check processing system. The Department of Water Resources shall have final approval of the bill quality.

B. The bill shall include the following fields, but not be limited to: customer name, address, billing period, meter reading, a breakdown of the billing, amount due, the due date, account information table, and usage histogram. Free information space for special dynamic messaging and informational material, which should be customizable and editable by the County, must also be provided.

C. Dimensions of the return portion of the bill:

• Document Length: 8.5

• Document Height: 3.75

• Document Thickness: .4

• Paper Weight: 60 lb

• Aspect Ratio (length / height): 1:2.27

D. Scanline Posting Requirements

1. The scanline should be 1/2 inch from the bottom of the document.

2. The scanline should be at least 3 1/4 inches from the left and 5/8 inch from the right side of the document.

3. A clear band should be 1/4 inch from the top of the document. There should be no marks that can be detected by the reader in this area, but printing in a drop-out ink is permissible.

4. The Service Provider will be responsible for the cost of re-print on a billing cycle where the print job is inadequate and the scan line or important customer information is not readable.

5. The Service Provider shall include a return envelope with a window for processing reasons.

XI. ADDITIONAL SERVICES

A. Standard Postcards (Billing, Uncashed Refund, Backflow)

• Double Panel Postcards – estimated quantity 20,000 per month o The postcards shall include but not be limited to: Dynamic elements such as customer

RP030-19 Page 8 name, mailing address, service location, account number, as well as static standard customer messaging.

o Postcards should be 8.5” x 6” folded to 4.25” x 6” and pressure sealed on one side for security.

o Document thickness: .10 o Paper weight: 110lb card o Grayscale printing o Aspect Ratio (length/height) – 8.5x6 open and 4.25 x 6 closed

B. Periodic Reports, Newsletters and Onserts

• Reports (such as Consumer Confidence Reports) – printed and mailed annually, estimated quantity 215,000 per year mailed plus extras for display o 11 in. x 17 in. 70# offset o Print 2 sides o Folded in half and then to 3 5/8 in. x 8 ½ in.

o Full color printing o Physical proofs and digital proofs will be required. Opportunity for press check required.

o Option to have printed on heavier paper and with a matte or satin finish, dependent on what is offered by the Service Provider

• Newsletters (such as Gwinnett Connection) – printed and mailed monthly, estimated quantity 215,000 per month, plus extras for display o 8 ½ in. x 11 in. 70# offset o Print 2 sides o Folded to 3 5/8 in. x 8 ½ in. for insertion in monthly utility billing o Full color printing o Physical proofs and digital proofs will be required. Opportunity for press check required.

• Informational onserts – printed and mailed monthly, estimated quantity 215,000 per month o 8 ½ in. x 11 in. 70# offset o Print 1 side o Folded to 3 5/8 in. x 8 ½ in. for insertion in monthly utility billing o Full color printing o Physical proofs and digital proofs will be required. Opportunity for press check required.

o Option to have printed on heavier paper and with a matte or satin finish, dependent on what o Ability to separate mailing addresses and send only to specified accounts

C. Email Correspondence

• Paperless Bills and e-Notifications – E-mailed daily, estimated quantity 60,000 per month

D. Ad hoc postcards

• Special campaigns - quantity varies by campaign o The postcards shall include but not be limited to: Dynamic elements such as customer name, mailing address, service location, account number, as well as static standard customer messaging.

o Postcards will generally be 5.5” in. x 4.25” in., but may vary o Print 2 sides o Document thickness: .10 o Paper weight: 110lb card o Full color and/or Grayscale printing o Physical proofs and digital proofs will be required. Opportunity for press check required.

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E. Customer Informational packets

• Packets shall include multiple pages – quantity varies by campaign o May contain special items like magnets.

o 8 ½ in. x 11 in. 70# offset o Print 2 sides o No folding o Full color printing o Physical proofs and digital proofs will be required. Opportunity for press check required.

o Option to have printed on heavier paper and with a matte or satin finish, dependent on what

XII. UNDERSTANDING AND APPROACH

The following should be identified in the submittal as Tab C; in your proposal, state question and then answer/response.

1. Electrical power has been lost to your primary facility, and you have been notified that the outage may last into the next day. Describe the steps your company would take to notify the Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources and ensure that there is no delay in the daily billing.

2. Explain how your company would handle email notifications to customers that bounce; provide details for both hard bounces and soft bounces.

3. The print job completes and you realize that only 5,000 of 10,000 invoices in the daily file printed.

What steps would your company take to ensure that all invoices scheduled to print that day are included in the batch?

4. A special communication is requested and artwork is provided by the County. Describe the process and timeline for printing and mailing this communication.

XIII. COMPANY OPERATIONS, SCHEDULE AND EQUIPMENT

The following should be identified in the submittal as Tab D; in your proposal, state question and then answer.

1. Service Provider's Key Gwinnett County contact person name, phone number(s), and email address:

2. Emergency Contact info:

3. Service Provider’s Senior Manager for Gwinnett County name, phone number(s) and email address:

Example:

1. Electrical power has been lost to your primary facility, and you have been notified that the outage may last into the next day. Describe the steps your company would take to notify the Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources and ensure that there is no delay in the daily billing.

Response: Provide narrative summaries to the prompts below (use examples, if available):

Example:

14. Describe your company’s physical security program.

Answer/Response: Detail your company’s physical security program.

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Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources must be notified if any of the above names and/or information changes during the contract period.

4. State the average length of service of your company’s technical support staff?

5. State the number of development/programming staff currently working for your company.

6. Does service provider support electronic data transmission with encryption via sFTP or Webservice?

7. What operating system does your system use?

8. What communication transmission capabilities does your system have (RDI, RJE, File Transfer, Internet, dial, etc.)?

9. Does your company’s software have built in recovery/restart print capabilities?

10. Does your company’s system have duplicate bill creation prevention? If so, describe.

11. Describe your company’s print quality control for printing production process.

12. Does your company have a disaster recovery or continuity of business plan? If so, please provide a copy with this proposal.

13. Describe your company’s redundant service capabilities.

a) Are these services supported by company-owned facilities/operations or through sub-contracted or partnership services?

b) Provide the physical location of your company’s redundant operations.

14. Describe your company’s physical security program.

15. Is your software supported?

a) Is your company’s software supported as part of an annual contract?

b) Is your company’s software supported until end-of-life?

c) Is your company’s software upgraded periodically?

16. Is your company’s hardware version supported?

a) Is your company’s hardware supported as part of an annual contract?

b) Is your company’s hardware supported until end-of-life?

c) Is it upgraded periodically?

17. Please provide the monthly overall volume of bill processing transactions for your largest customer.

18. Detail your firm’s experience, including the number of years your company has provided the types of products/services under consideration.

19. What key attributes, qualifications and skills does your company possess?

20. What is your company’s experience with water utility clients?

21. Why should your company be selected over your competitors?

22. Will a dedicated account manager and IT resource be assigned to this account?

23. Provide a relationship management and Information Technology team organizational chart, including roles and responsibilities.

24. Is your company experiencing staffing shortages in critical positions supporting the services described in this request for proposal?

RP030-19 Page 11

25. What is your company’s vacancy rate?

26. What is your company’s turnover rate?

27. Describe the conversion plan for Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources.

a) Include a weekly timetable for a realistic, smooth and successful transition.

b) Provide a RACI for this transition.

28. What methods or tools does your company have in place to ensure Gwinnett County Department of

Water Resources is optimizing costs on an ongoing basis consistent with industry standards?

29. What equipment does your company currently use for printing and distribution? Do you use advanced software to check address accuracy against the USPS files? If so, how are incorrect addresses relayed back to use?

30. Does your company have the ability to pull inaccurate paper bills and e-bills at our request?

31. What is your company’s guaranteed SLA response time for County-initiated changes or requests?

Inquiries?

32. What are your company’s production SLA’s?

33. Confirm your company’s ability to provide historical bill presentment and pdf indexing and storage services for current and historical bills. Please describe your company’s technology.

34. How does your company prioritize customer jobs and requests?

a) Where would Gwinnett County fall in this ranking?

35. Provide an example of the daily reporting that would be available to monitor Gwinnett County

Department of Water Resources job completion?

36. What is your company’s typical production turnaround time (defined as day of receipt of artwork the day of production/mailing) for:

a) Minor programming changes (Example: changing bill text)

b) Onsert and newsletter replacement (monthly)

c) Special (ad hoc) postcard campaigns

d) Special (ad hoc) customer packets

37. Include a sample of the Gwinnett County logo prepared to the color formulation document.

38. Describe your company’s paperless email technology.

a) Would emails be sent from your company domain and server or Gwinnett County’s domain and server?

39. Is your company able to conduct targeted communication campaigns where data file flags direct different onserts or special messaging to be included for different customer subsets?

40. Is there an existing or emerging plan for your company to relocate, consolidate, or sale?

41. Do you have a portal available for your customers to monitor job status, pull incorrect bills from production, and conduct other business relative to print jobs? Describe the available functionality.

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GENERAL CONDITIONS

To Service Provider AGREEMENT

Article

1 Definitions

2 Contract Documents

3 Changes and Extra Work

4 Personnel and Equipment

5 Accuracy of Work

6 Findings Confidential

7 Termination of Agreement for Cause

8 Termination for Convenience of the COUNTY

9 SERVICE PROVIDER to Cooperate with other SERVICE PROVIDERS

10 Indemnification

11 Covenant Against Contingent Fees

12 Insurance

13 Prohibited Interests

14 Subcontracting

15 Assignability

16 Equal Employment Opportunity

17 Anti-Kickback Clause

18 Audits and Inspectors

19 Ownership, Publication, Reproduction and Use

20 Verbal Agreement or Conversation

21 Independent Service provider

22 Notices

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1 DEFINITIONS

Wherever used in this Agreement, whether in the singular or in the plural, the following terms shall have the following meanings:

1.1 COUNTY-means Gwinnett County, Georgia, a political subdivision of the State of Georgia.

1.2 SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT-means a written order to SERVICE PROVIDER signed by

COUNTY and accepted by SERVICE PROVIDER, effecting an addition, deletion or revision in the Work, or an adjustment in the Agreement Price or the Contract Time, issued after execution of this Agreement.

1.3 CONTRACT-means the Agreement Documents specifically identified and incorporated herein by reference in Section 2, CONTRACT DOCUMENTS.

1.4 AGREEMENT EXECUTION-means the date on which SERVICE PROVIDER executes and enters into an Agreement with the COUNTY to perform the Work.

1.5 AGREEMENT PRICE-means the total monies, adjusted in accordance with any provision herein, payable to the SERVICE PROVIDER under this Agreement.

1.6 CONTRACT TIME-means the period of time stated in this Agreement for the completion of the Work.

1.7 SERVICE PROVIDER-means the party or parties contracting directly with the COUNTY to perform Work pursuant to this Agreement.

1.8 DEPARTMENT- means the Director or designee of requesting department(s) named in this solicitation.

1.9 DRAWINGS-means collectively, all the drawings, receipt of which is acknowledged by the

COUNTY, listed in this Agreement, and also such supplementary drawings as the SERVICE PROVIDER may issue from time to time in order to clarify or explain such drawing or to show details which are not shown thereon.

1.10 SPECIFICATIONS-means the written technical provisions including all appendices thereto, both general and specific, which form a part of the Agreement Documents.

1.11 SUBSERVICE PROVIDER-means any person, firm, partnership, joint venture, company, corporation, or entity having a contractual agreement with SERVICE PROVIDER or with any of its subservice providers at any tier to provide a part of the Work called for by this Agreement.

1.12 WORK-means any and all obligations, duties and responsibilities, including furnishing equipment, engineering, design, workmanship, labor and any other services or things necessary to the successful completion of the Project, assigned to or undertaken by SERVICE PROVIDER under this Agreement.

1.13 LIAISON-Representative of the COUNTY who shall act as Liaison between the County and the SERVICE PROVIDER for all matters pertaining to this Agreement, including review of SERVICE PROVIDER'S plans and work.

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2 CONTRACT DOCUMENTS

2.1 LIST OF DOCUMENTS

The Agreement, any required bonds, the General Conditions, the Appendices, the Detailed Scope of Work, the Specifications, the Drawings, the Exhibits, and all Agreement Supplemental Agreements shall constitute the Agreement Documents.

2.2 CONFLICT AND PRECEDENCE

2.2.1 The Agreement Documents are complementary, and what is called for by one is as binding as if called for by all. In the event there are any conflicting provisions or requirements in the component parts of this Agreement, the several Agreement Documents shall take precedence in the following order:

1. Supplemental Agreements

2. Agreement

3. General Conditions

4. Detailed Scope of Work

5. Specifications

6. Drawings

3 CHANGES AND EXTRA WORK

The COUNTY may, at any time, request changes in the work to be performed hereunder. All such changes, including any increase or decrease in the amount of the SERVICE PROVIDER'S compensation, which are mutually agreed upon by and between the COUNTY and the SERVICE PROVIDER, shall be incorporated in written Supplemental Agreements to the Agreement.

4 PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT

The SERVICE PROVIDER represents that it has secured or will secure, at its own expense, all personnel necessary to complete this Agreement; none of whom shall be employees of, or have any contractual relationship with, the COUNTY. Primary liaison with the COUNTY will be through its designee. All of the services required hereunder will be performed by the SERVICE PROVIDER under its supervision, and all personnel engaged in the work shall be fully qualified and shall be authorized or permitted under law to perform such services.

The SERVICE PROVIDER shall employ only persons duly registered in the appropriate category in responsible charge of supervision and design of the work; and further shall employ only qualified surveyors in responsible charge of any survey work.

The SERVICE PROVIDER shall endorse all reports, contract plans, and survey data. Such endorsements shall be made by a person duly registered in the appropriate category by the Georgia State Board of Registration, being in the full employ of the SERVICE PROVIDER and responsible for the work prescribed by this Agreement.

5 ACCURACY OF WORK

The SERVICE PROVIDER shall be responsible for the accuracy of the work and shall promptly correct errors and omissions in its plans and specifications without additional compensations.

Acceptance of the work by the COUNTY will not relieve the SERVICE PROVIDER of the responsibility for subsequent correction of any errors and the clarification of any ambiguities.

6 FINDINGS CONFIDENTIAL

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The SERVICE PROVIDER agrees that its conclusions and any reports are for the confidential information of the COUNTY and that it will not disclose its conclusions in whole or in part to any persons whatsoever, other than to submit its written documentation to the COUNTY, and will only discuss the same with it or its authorized representatives. Upon completion of this Agreement term, all documents, reports, maps, data and studies prepared by the SERVICE PROVIDER pursuant thereto shall become the property of the COUNTY and be delivered to the DEPARTMENT.

Articles, papers, bulletins, reports, or other materials reporting the plans, progress, analyses, or results and findings of the work conducted under this Agreement shall not be presented publicly or published without prior approval in writing of the COUNTY.

It is further agreed that if any information concerning the PROJECT, its conduct, results, or data gathered or processed should be released by the SERVICE PROVIDER without prior approval from the COUNTY, the release of same shall constitute grounds for termination of this Agreement without indemnity to the SERVICE PROVIDER, but should any such information be released by the COUNTY or by the SERVICE PROVIDER with such prior written approval, the same shall be regarded as public information and no longer subject to the restrictions of this Agreement.

7 TERMINATION OF AGREEMENT FOR CAUSE

If through any cause the SERVICE PROVIDER shall fail to fulfill in a timely and proper manner its obligations under this Agreement, or if the SERVICE PROVIDER shall violate any of the covenants, agreements or stipulations of this Agreement, the COUNTY shall thereupon have the right to terminate this Agreement by giving written notice to the SERVICE PROVIDER of such termination, and specifying the effective date thereof, at least ten (10) days before the effective date of such termination. Failure to maintain the scheduled level of effort as proposed and prescribed, or deviation from the aforesaid scheduler without prior approval of the COUNTY shall constitute cause for termination. In such event, all finished or unfinished documents, maps, data, studies, work papers and reports prepared by the SERVICE PROVIDER under this Agreement shall become the property of the COUNTY, and the SERVICE PROVIDER shall be entitled to receive just and equitable compensation for any satisfactory work completed on such documents, as determined by the COUNTY.

8 TERMINATION FOR CONVENIENCE OF THE COUNTY

The COUNTY may terminate this Agreement for its convenience at any time upon 30 days notice in writing to the SERVICE PROVIDER. If the Agreement is terminated by the COUNTY as provided in this Article 8, the SERVICE PROVIDER will be paid compensation for those services actually performed. Partially completed tasks will be compensated for based on a signed statement of completion to be submitted by the SERVICE PROVIDER which shall itemize each task element and briefly state what work has been completed and what work remains to be done.

All such expenses shall be properly documented and submitted to the COUNTY for processing and payment. The County shall be the final authority in the event of any disputes over authorized costs between the COUNTY and the Service Provider.

9 SERVICE PROVIDERS TO COOPERATE WITH OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS

If the COUNTY undertakes or awards other contracts for additional related work, the SERVICE PROVIDER shall fully cooperate with such other SERVICE PROVIDERS and the COUNTY employees or appointed committee(s), and carefully fit its own work to such additional work as may be directed by the COUNTY. The SERVICE PROVIDER shall not commit or permit any act which will interfere with the performance of work by any other SERVICE PROVIDER or COUNTY employees.

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10 INDEMNIFICATION

SERVICE PROVIDER agrees to protect, defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the COUNTY, its commissioners, officers, agents and employees from and against any and all liability, damages, claims, suits, liens, and judgments, for whatever nature, including claims for contribution and/or indemnification, for injuries to or death of any person or persons, or damage to the property or other rights of any person or persons to the extent arising out of and attributed to the negligent acts, errors or omissions of the SERVICE PROVIDER. SERVICE PROVIDER'S obligation to protect, defend, indemnify, and hold harmless, as set forth herein above shall include any matter arising out of any patent, trademark, copyright, or service mark, or any actual or alleged unfair competition disparagement of product or service, or other business tort of any type whatsoever, or any actual or alleged violation of trade regulations.

SERVICE PROVIDER further agrees to protect, defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the COUNTY, its commissioners, officers, agents, and employees from and against any and all claims or liability for compensation under the Worker's Compensation Act arising out of injuries sustained by any employee of the SERVICE PROVIDER.

11 COVENANT AGAINST CONTINGENT FEES

The SERVICE PROVIDER warrants that no person or selling agency has been employed or retained to solicit or secure this Agreement upon an agreement or understanding for a commission, percentage, brokerage, or contingent fee, excepting bona fide employees or bona fide established commercial or selling agencies maintained by SERVICE PROVIDER for the purpose of securing business and that the SERVICE PROVIDER has not received any non-COUNTY fee related to this Agreement without the prior written consent of the COUNTY. For breach or violation of this warranty, the COUNTY shall have the right to annul this Agreement without liability or at its discretion to deduct from the Agreement Price of consideration the full amount of such commission, percentage, brokerage or contingent fee.

12 INSURANCE

The SERVICE PROVIDER shall, at all times that this Agreement is in effect, cause to be maintained in force and effect an insurance policy (s) that will ensure and indemnify both GWINNETT COUNTY and SERVICE PROVIDER against liability or financial loss resulting from injuries occurring to persons or property or occurring as a result of any negligent error, act, or omission of the SERVICE PROVIDER during the term of this Agreement. The liability under such insurance policy shall be not less than as stated in the Bid Proposal.

The SERVICE PROVIDER shall provide, at all times that this Agreement is in effect, Worker's Compensation insurance in accordance with the laws of the State of Georgia.

The SERVICE PROVIDER shall provide, at all times that this Agreement is in effect, Professional Liability Insurance with a limit of not less than that as stated in the Bid Proposal.

Additionally, SERVICE PROVIDER shall provide, at all times that this Agreement is in effect, automobile liability insurance with a limit of not less than that as stated in the Bid Proposal.

The policies shall be written by a responsible company(s), to be approved by the COUNTY, and shall be non-cancelable except on thirty-(30) days' written notice to the COUNTY. Such policies shall name the COUNTY as additional insured, except for worker's compensation and professional liability policies, and a copy of such policy or a certificate of insurance shall be filed with the Director at the time of the execution of this Agreement.

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13 PROHIBITED INTERESTS

13.1 Conflict of Interest: The SERVICE PROVIDER agrees that it presently has no interest and shall acquire no interest, direct or indirect, that would conflict in any manner or degree with the performance of its services hereunder.

13.2 Interest of Public Officials: No member, officer, or employee of the COUNTY during his tenure or for one year thereafter, shall have any interest, direct or indirect, in this Agreement or the proceeds thereof.

14 SUBCONTRACTING

The SERVICE PROVIDER shall not subcontract any part of the work covered by this Agreement or permit subcontracted work to be further subcontracted without the DEPARTMENT's prior written approval of the subservice provider, except as may have been specifically stated in the SERVICE PROVIDER'S…