Response to Offeror Questions Document.doc

Q&A Document

Date: 03/22/24 Subject: Questions & Answers, RFP#24RFP9840 In accordance with the subject Request for Proposal (RFP), the following are answers to questions which have been submitted prior to 5PM, March 8, 2024. These questions are for informational purposes only; they do not alter the requirements specified within the RFP. Any changes to the RFP will be accomplished by the Office of Procurement Management through an addendum.

*The State's response will be in red font following the Vendor's question.

1. Is ADA compliance a day one requirement or can it be phased in?

The system must be accessible by Section 508 standards and recommendations upon implementation of the system.

2. How will ADA compliance be measured?

Please review https://doe.sd.gov/Accessibility.aspx.

3. Where can we view the documents/forms used in the current process for each module?

Forms and documents available can be found under Accountability Process https://doe.sd.gov/sped/accountability.aspx or https://doe.sd.gov/sped/ under Data Collection: Child Count and State Performance Plan.

4. Is there a documented process map of the complete current process for each module, or is it expected that the contractor will lead the effort to map the current and/or the "to Be" process?

For each module program staff have documented procedures for data collection and reporting processes that will be used to assist the developer incorporating into the system.

Technological mapping: Systems for Indicator 11, 12, 14 and child count were developed independently by the State and may have limited mapping available. Accountability, Results Driven Accountability, Indicator 13, and Dispute will be newly developed systems, therefore there is no previous system. The vendor selected will work with the state to develop updated and new business process flows.

5. Where can we view a set of the current required reports?

There are minimal reports available at https://doe.sd.gov/sped/ . The majority of reports are used internally for federal reporting and are not accessible to the public. Reports needed are compiled based on the data collected in the system and the output for the reports is based on certain criteria from that data collection.

6. How many interfaces are anticipated with the existing state data systems? What are the data formats of these interfaces?

The vendor will help detail the interfaces when doing the business process flows and joint application design sessions. There needs to be coordination on interfacing with SD-STARS Longitudinal Data System and the Student Information System as these applications are planned to migrate from on-prem to cloud solutions.

7. Can we get the specifications for these interfaces?

The existing interfaces could be provided upon contract. Others will need to be created during the business process flow and joint application design sessions.

8. What are the required formats (csv?) for the LEAS to upload data to the new system?

CVS, Excel, PDF

9. What is the desired go Live date?

Child count must be tested and live by December 1st, 2025. Indicators 4, 11, 12, and 14 need to go live by July 1, 2025. Accountability, Results Driven Accountability, Indicator 13, and dispute resolution will have flexibility to be phased in.

10. Is there opportunity for a phased in approach where some modules are live before others? If so, what is the priority for the modules?

Child count must be tested and live by December 1st, 2025. Indicators 4, 11, 12, and 14 need to go live by July 1, 2025. Accountability, Results Driven Accountability, Indicator 13, and dispute resolution will have flexibility to be phased in.

11. 2.14.13: Our application uses DKIM and SPF to manage email processes. Does this meet the requirement?

As long as the vendor is supplying the SMTP relay, the state can support the DKIM and SPF.

12. 2.14.14 What measures are desired here, and what are the criteria for determining the "health" of the system?

There are no specific requirements for this. The vendor should propose a tool/dashboard that contains information to allow the State to monitor and assist in troubleshooting their solution.

13. Accountability Module:

- How will special education trend data imported from other systems be expected to be utilized? What format(s) will that data be imported in? Currently CSV or Excel file are available.

14. Accountability Process Requirements:

- How much data will be imported for existing child records? The entirety of the history for active students, a smaller subset, or will there be data for inactive students as well?

School districts are monitored on 5-year cycle and a sample of child records and documents from those districts will be uploaded at that time. The 5-year cycle can be found at https://doe.sd.gov/sped/accountability.aspx. Information may be stored for up to five years.

15. During Accountability Reviews:

- What is the real-time technical assistance for the case manager expected to consist of?

State staff and contractors will conduct on-site and desk audit file reviews while using the system live. The reviews may be done independently or in collaboration with school district staff.

16. Indicator 11 Data Entry

Does the 25-school day timeline need to account for snow days?

Yes

17. Indicator 11 System

How will the username assignment be expected to function since, to our understanding, usernames cannot be changed except by BIT? Are there going to be user accounts managed only in the system and not via the SSO? If there will be user accounts not managed by the BIT SSO, will those be provided to be imported along with their requisite permissions?

All State user and partner accounts are managed by SSO. SSO provides only the authentication. The application will need to provide authorization.

How does the 25-school day timeline work if there are less than 25 days left in the school year when the consent form is signed?

Based on each school districts individual calendars and may have to use 2 different calendar years as some time in the summer may not be counted toward the 25 school days.

18. Section 2.4 – Indicator 11 – “System would incorporate LEA school calendars from the Student Information Management System (SIMS)…” (p. 12): Is there an API into the SIMS to be able to retrieve the school calendar?

We hope that the system developed can be developed to accommodate this need, however it is negotiable. Currently a PDF of the school calendars is uploaded into the current system and days are counted manually. SEP would like to automate this process and have the system count the school days.

19. Is your intention to have the school collect the post-school data, or are you first looking for the student/parent to be able to answer the questions via a web link?

Indicator 14: Post-School Outcome survey can be answered by a variety of methods. The initial process would be to send out a link to student or family member to complete the responses. The state would also need for the system to be able to allow district or contractors to follow up personally with respondents to complete maximum number of returned surveys.

20. Section 2.8 – Suspension/Expulsion System (p. 19):

Are you only looking to collect aggregate data for this piece in the system? If that is the case, it would make it hard in the future to extract any other types of reports without having detailed data.

LEAs collect the individual student data internally and submits aggregated data to the state. State will only collect from the LEA aggregate data. Reports extracted from that data are set from criteria we are required to report on by the federal Office of Special Education Programs.

21. Technology Requirements – “Automated data incorporated from other systems such as South Dakota’s student information system and South Dakota longitudinal data system and internal developed systems.” (p. 7): Will this data be available via a programmatic interface, or will an import process need to be created?

Application programming interface (API) would be preferrable, but import processes are acceptable.

22. Technology Requirements – “Training and support on system use: … Contractor training” (p. 7):

What roles do the contractors perform and in which areas would they need training?

Contractors will need similar training to state and district users. Contractors assist in the collecting and utilizing student and district information, they need to understand how the system operates.

23. Whether companies from Outside USA can apply for this? (like,from India or Canada) Please reference Exhibit E, Section XLVII.

24. Whether we need to come over there for meetings?

It is expected that the contractor be available for face to face and virtual meetings depending on the needs. Face to Face when starting contract and initial training of the modules.

25. Can we perform the tasks (related to RFP) outside USA? (like, from India or Canada) It is up to the Consultant to determine if they can perform all of the tasks outside the USA.

26. Can we submit the proposals via email?

According to Section 3.1, an original and two copies shall be submitted along with 1 copy of the entire proposal including all attachments, in Microsoft Word or PDF electronic format. Consultants shall enclose the electronic copy with their mailed response and may not send the electronically copy of their proposal via email.