RFP19317 Questions and Responses Page 1 of 36

STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES

700 GOVERNORS DRIVE

PIERRE, SD 57501

RFP19317 Temporary Professional Staff Services 2026

Questions and Responses

PROPOSALS ARE DUE NO LATER THAN MARCH 12, 2026, BY 5:00 PM CT

RFP19317 BUYER: State of South Dakota

POC: Kirsten Blachford Kirsten.Blachford@state.sd.us

Scope Question:

1. Please confirm that this RFP is intended to establish a pool of qualified vendors to provide temporary professional staff resources by skill set, with specific scopes, durations, and deliverables defined through individual Work Orders, rather than requiring delivery of fixed, end-to-end project solutions.

2. Can the State confirm whether this RFP is intended for the future release of project-based engagements to be managed by the vendor, or for the provision of qualified professional resources on an as-needed basis?

3. Certain service areas reference federal programs, compliance, or regulatory requirements. Can the State clarify whether demonstrated federal program expertise is required to qualify in those service categories, or whether such experience would only be necessary if a specific work order includes federal program scope?

4. Is this staffing engagement or managed services?

5. Is this solicitation establishing a Master Services Agreement (MSA) with Task/Work Orders (WO) issued on an as needed basis?

6. Is this solicitation intended to establish a staff augmentation contract where DSS will direct assigned personnel, or a professional services contract where the contractor is responsible for delivering defined outcomes under each work order?

Answer: This RFP is intended to establish a pool of qualified vendors to provide temporary professional staff resources by skill set, with specific scopes, durations, and deliverables defined through individual Work Orders.

Question:

1. Work Order Scope: Are work orders expected to request individual roles (e.g., Project Manager, Data Analyst), or could they request complete project teams and full lifecycle delivery?

2. When work orders are issued under this contract, will they typically define specific roles/resources on a Time and Materials basis, or will they be structured as project-based deliverables (fixed-price), or a combination of both?

Answer: This will be dependent on the work order. Work orders can be a combination of time/materials and project based.

Question:

1. Are there specific DSS initiatives or functional areas anticipated to generate the highest volume of work orders during the contract term?

2. What are the specific job titles, number of positions, and required experience levels?

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3. What is the expected duration of each engagement (e.g., 3 months, 12 months, multi-year)?

4. Can you please confirm consultants’ titles for each given work areas under “Exhibit 1:

Areas of work and Rates”?

5. Given that DSS oversees a broad range of programs and services, please clarify which specific programs and service areas are in scope for this solicitation? For example, does the scope include behavioral health, long-term services and supports (LTSS), child and family services, economic assistance programs, and / or professional services across Medicaid waivers / state plans and institutional facilities?

6. For each Areas of Work, which areas of work do you anticipate having the highest need for capacity?

7. Please elaborate on the Medicaid programs that will be in scope (e.g., MA, D-SNP, FFS, etc.).

8. Does DSS require or prefer specific actuarial, financial modeling, or econometric methodologies for rate setting, forecasting, or “what-if” analyses?

9. Are there required or preferred tools for analytics, forecasting, and dashboard creation?

10. For federal regulatory requirement analysis, please confirm what programs are in scope (e.g., Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, Child Support, etc.).

11. Are there specific evidence-based models currently in use (e.g., Home Visiting, Family First, care management models) that vendors must align to?

Answer: There are no set Work Orders currently. They are created on an as needed basis by the Divisions within DSS as are the Scopes of Work. No specific modeling or tools preferred at this time.

Question:

1. Multiple items under Section 3.0 SCOPE OF WORK mention “direct experience” with or related to DSS programs. Please confirm whether this RFP is open to all offerors with experience comparable to DSS programs and systems.

Answer: Yes.

Question:

1. Are there particular federal programs or compliance frameworks (e.g., Medicaid, SNAP, TANF) that DSS expects to be most relevant to upcoming work orders?

Answer: No.

Question:

1. Section 3.0 (Scope of Work) indicates that Offerors may respond to any combination of work areas and sub-categories and must use Exhibit 1: Areas of Work and Rates to indicate proposed services. As this is a Temporary Professional Staff Services contract and Exhibit 1 does not list labor categories:

a. Is the Offeror expected to provide hourly rates for each sub-category listed in Exhibit 1? If so, could the Department provide the anticipated labor categories associated with each category/sub-category?

b. May the Offeror define and propose its own labor categories aligned to the categories/sub-categories it elects to bid?

c. Is the offeror permitted to modify Exhibit 1 to include job titles and corresponding hourly rates aligned to each category and subcategory?

2. Which rate structures should be provided in Exhibit 1 (e.g., onsite, hybrid, and/or remote)?

3. Project Management Tiers: Section 3.7 requires offerors to identify various levels of project management expertise (Project Director, Senior PM, Project Lead). Does the State require a separate hourly rate for each of these specific tiers in the Cost Proposal, or should they be grouped under the general 3.7 Project Management Support rate?

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4. Should pricing in Exhibit 1 include only the sub-categories selected, or must pricing be provided for all sub-categories within a selected main category?

Answer: Offerors must submit the hourly rate for each professional resource topic area responded to including the sub-categories. The offeror can define and propose their own labor categories, but they must align with the categories and sub-categories in Exhibit 1.

Exhibit 1 can be modified. One rate structure should be provided encompassing all rates.

Question:

1. Can the Department provide job descriptions and/or expected qualification requirements for the anticipated labor categories?

2. Ownership of Deliverables: Will DSS define and manage project scope, timelines, and deliverables internally, with vendor resources supporting execution, or will the vendor be expected to define scope, manage project execution, and deliver completed work products?

3. For service categories that reference Medicaid, PERM, federal grant compliance, or federal legislation impacts, will vendors be evaluated based on demonstrated prior federal program experience at the time of proposal submission, or only at the work order response stage?

4. If a vendor does not have direct federal program experience but possesses strong technical or analytical expertise, would the vendor still be eligible to provide services within those categories for work orders that do not require federal program interaction?

Answer: Each work order will have its own unique job description and qualification requirements. See https://open.sd.gov/rfp.aspx for past work orders.

Question:

1. Scope of Services: Is the proposer expected to provide staff resources on an as-needed basis only, or will the awarded vendor be responsible for managing and delivering full project engagements as a professional services provider?

Answer: Work orders to acquire professional services will be created on an as needed basis.

Question:

1. Engagement Model: Is this contract intended primarily as a staff augmentation model where resources work under the direction and supervision of DSS management, or will vendors be responsible for end-to-end project delivery, including project management, methodology, and accountability for deliverables?

2. Management and Supervision: Will proposed resources report directly to DSS project managers, or will they remain under the vendor’s project management structure?

3. Please confirm whether services procured under this RFP are intended primarily to be staff augmentation (i.e., Contractor personnel working under the direction of DSS staff), project-based consulting services with Contractor-managed deliverables, or a combination of both depending on the Work Order.

4. To what extent will DSS retain responsibility for day-to-day task direction, prioritization, and supervision of Contractor personnel assigned under individual Work Orders?

Answer: This is a staff augmentation model where resources may work under the direction and supervision of DSS. This will be dependent upon the work order.

Question:

1. Could the State kindly provide examples of potential training required under area of work 3.8.4?

Answer: All previous RFP and contract information can be found at https://open.sd.gov/rfp.aspx.

Question:

1. May vendors propose additional related service offerings aligned with DSS mission needs but not explicitly listed?

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Answer: Additional services may be offered but must be within the scope of areas.

Schedule of Activities Question:

1. Please confirm the exact cutoff time and time zone for submission of offeror questions due on February 19, 2026.

Answer: 5PM CT Question:

1. After requesting the SFTP folder by March 11, 2026, will DSS provide details regarding the SFTP host/URL, authentication method, file size limits, and file naming conventions?

2. Is there a page limit for the Technical Proposal?

3. Is there a maximum file size limitation for SFTP uploads, and will DSS confirm receipt of submitted proposals?

4. Is there a maximum page limit for the Detailed Response section? Are cover page, TOC, abbreviations, and references excluded from page count limitations?

5. Please confirm there is no page limit for this response.

6. Are there any restrictions on the file size that can be submitted?

Answer: Yes. Vendors will receive two emails for the SFTP information - directions and a password. There is not a file size limit or a naming convention required. DSS will confirm receipt if requested.

Question:

1. Would the Department consider extending the proposal submission deadline by one week to allow Offerors to prepare a more comprehensive response?

2. Could State of South Dakota please grant an extension to the due date?

3. In order to effectively respond to the solicitation, can the State please provide a one-week extension once the Q/As are posted?

4. Would the State consider granting an extension to the proposal submission deadline?

Answer: We are unable to extend the timeline.

Question:

1. Will the State please provide a recommended SFTP software for offerors to use?

Answer: Offeror will need to work with their own technical support staff to set up SFTP compatible software on offeror’s end. While the State of South Dakota can answer questions, State of South Dakota is not responsible for the software required.

Question:

1. Will the State please allow an alternative submission method as many offerors do not have experience with SFTP software? This requirement may prevent fully qualified offerors the opportunity to submit a proposal.

Answer: Proposals must be submitted as PDFs via Secured File Transfer Protocol (SFTP).

Question:

1. Will the state please provide step-by-step instructions on obtaining and using the SFTP software required for submission?

Answer: SUBMITTING YOUR PROPOSAL: All proposals must be completed and received by the Department of Social Services as indicated in the Schedule of Activities. Proposals received after the deadline will be late and ineligible for consideration. Proposals must be submitted as PDFs via Secured File Transfer Protocol (SFTP). Offerors must request an SFTP folder no later than the date indicated in the Schedule of Activities by emailing Kirsten

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Blachford at Kirsten.Blachford@state.sd.us. The subject line should read RFP19317 SFTP Request. The email should contain the name and the email of the person who will be responsible for uploading the document(s). Please note, offeror will need to work with their own technical support staff to set up an SFTP compatible software on offeror’s end. While the State of South Dakota can answer questions, State of South Dakota is not responsible for the software required. All proposals may be signed in ink or digitally by an officer of the offeror legally authorized to bind the offeror to the proposal and sealed in the form intended by the respondent. Proposals that are not properly signed may be rejected. No proposal may be accepted from, or any contract or purchase order awarded to any person, firm or corporation that is in arrears upon any obligations to the State of South Dakota, or that otherwise may be deemed irresponsible or unreliable by the State of South Dakota.

Question:

1. The RFP references Exhibit 1: Areas of Work and Rates as part of the cost proposal.

Can the State please confirm whether Exhibit 1 should be included within the Technical Proposal submission, or if it must be submitted separately as part of the Cost Proposal section only?

Answer: The State does not have a preference where Exhibit 1 is within the proposal as long as it is included.

Question:

1. Will the State conduct oral presentations or request best and final offers (BAFOs)?

Answer: If the State deems necessary.

Question:

1. If oral presentations are required, will they be conducted virtually or in person?

Answer: Virtually.

Question:

1. Is prior Medicaid, CMS, HHS, or federal grant experience required or strongly preferred for this category?

2. Does DSS require specific PM certifications or alignment with a State PMO framework or designated PM tools?

3. For grant writing services, may milestone-based or success-based pricing be proposed under individual Work Orders?

4. Will background checks or specific system clearances (e.g., HIPAA, CJIS) be required for personnel under certain Work Orders?

5. Are there established DSS or State branding and communication standards that vendors must adhere to?

Answer: This will depend on the work order.

Question:

1. If possible, please provide the comprehensive set of bidder questions and DSS answers for this solicitation.

Answer: The State will respond to offeror’s inquiries via e-mail. In addition, all inquiries and the State’s responses will be posted on the state’s e-procurement system and the DSS website at http://dss.sd.gov/keyresources/rfp.aspx. Offerors may not rely on any other statements, either of a written or oral nature, that alter any specification or other term or condition of this RFP. Offerors will be notified in the same manner as indicated above regarding any modifications to this RFP.

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5.2… Question:

1. Based on our reading of the RFP, it appears that some of the information requested in Section 5.2.3.3 could reasonably be addressed at a more general level, while other elements may be better suited to a per-area or per-sub-area response. To reduce duplication and improve readability for evaluators, we wanted to confirm whether the following approach would be acceptable:

a. Address Sections 5.2.3.3.1 (Expertise in the Area(s)), 5.2.3.3.2 (General qualifications of possible staff), and 5.2.3.3.5 (Options or alternatives proposed) within each applicable Area of Work / sub-area response under Section 5.2.3.2; and

b. Address Sections 5.2.3.3.3 (Staffing capacity), 5.2.3.3.4 (Geographic presence),

5.2.3.3.6 (Employment qualification assessment), and 5.2.3.3.7 (Background screening) once at an overall level as part of Section 5.2.3.1, given that these items are generally consistent across areas of work.

2. Section 5.2.3.3.5 requests “a clear description of any options or alternatives proposed.”

In some cases, options or alternatives may apply broadly across multiple sub-areas within a given Area of Work. For clarity and readability, would it be acceptable for offerors to describe such options or alternatives once at the Area of Work level, rather than repeating similar language within each individual sub-area response, provided the applicability to the Area of Work level is clearly identified?

Answer: Yes.

Question:

1. In Section 5.2.3.3, it is mentioned, “Company and staff qualifications for each area the offeror proposes to offer services in. This can be included in 5.2.3.2. Specific staff resumes are not required at this time”. Please confirm where the offeror should respond to the requirement.

2. Can you please confirm if we need to submit our Project Manager’s resume within our response? Or do you want just some information as you need for other resources?

3. Should resumes be anonymized or submitted in a specific format?

4. Section 5.2.3.3.2 requests "General qualifications of possible staff." Could the State please clarify if by "possible staff" the State refers to key personnel managing the State's contract?

5. Section 5.2.3.3.2 requests "General qualifications of possible staff." Could the State please clarify if sample summaries of qualifications of potential candidates who will perform the services directly for the State are required?

6. Proposal Evaluation of Personnel: Section 6.3 states that the qualifications of proposed personnel will be subjectively evaluated, and the offeror should submit detailed information regarding experience and training. However, Section 5.2.3.3 says “Specific staff resumes are not required at this time.” Could the State clarify if it prefers representative resumes of potential staff or simply high-level biographical summaries of current team members for the evaluation?

7. Could you please confirm if we need to submit actual candidate resumes? If yes, how many?

8. Do we need to submit the actual resumes for proposed candidates, or can we submit the sample resumes?

9. Do you need any resumes along with the submission. If yes, can it be a sample resumes or actual resumes are required.

10. Related to RFP Section “5.2.3.3.2 General qualifications of possible staff”, are you looking for vendors to include staff member names or general qualifications by labor category?

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Answer: Company and staff qualifications can be included in the specific point by point response. This does not need to call out specific staff or their resumes. Specifics will be required at the work order level.

Question:

1. RFP Page 11, Section 5.2.3.1: Can the State please confirm our response to Section

5.2.3.1 is an overall response to all areas of work and the State is not expecting a response to each area of work within Section 5.2.3.1?

2. In Section 5.2.3 and specifically 5.2.3.1, the RFP states that the narrative must include required information “for the areas of work the offeror proposes to offer services in. Should offerors provide separate narratives for each proposed work area, or may a consolidated narrative be submitted that collectively addresses all selected work areas?

3. If proposing in multiple service categories, should experience narratives be separated by category?

4. If responding to multiple categories, should Section 5.2.3.1 (narrative approach) be written as a single consolidated narrative across all categories, or separated by category?

5. Related to RFO Section “5.2.3.1 A complete narrative of the offeror's assessment of the work to be performed, the offeror’s ability and approach, and the resources necessary to fulfill the requirements,” are you looking for vendors to describe their approach for each sub-area listed or our overall approach to supporting each area (e.g., Information Systems)?

Answer: This narrative can encompass all areas of work the offeror is proposing to offer services in.

Question:

1. RFP page 11, Section 5.2.3.2: Can the State please provide details for what content we should include in our response to Section 5.2.3.2 for each area and sub-area?

2. (5.2.3.2) A specific point-by-point response, by order of area and sub-area listed the offeror proposes to offer services in. Are we required to submit the technical approach for each order area and sub-area?

3. Please confirm whether Sections 5.2.3.1 and 5.2.3.2 are intended to be separate sections in the proposal, or whether the narrative requirements in 5.2.3.1 may be incorporated into the point-by-point responses required in 5.2.3.2.

4. Should Offerors submit a single consolidated technical approach covering all selected Areas of Work, or does DSS prefer separate narratives by each Area/Sub-Area?

5. Is Section 5.2.3.1 intended to provide a high-level overall approach across all selected categories, with Section 5.2.3.2 addressing category-specific and sub-category details?

6. If responding to multiple categories, should vendors provide qualifications separately for each category, or may qualifications be consolidated where expertise overlaps?

7. If vendors select only certain sub-categories within a main category, should 5.2.3.3 address staffing capacity specific only to those sub-categories?

8. Related to RFP Section “5.2.3.2 A specific point-by-point response, by order of area and sub-area listed the offeror proposes to offer services in,” please clarify the expectations for vendors’ proposal responses. Specifically, are vendors expected to describe their proposed approach for each listed sub-area?

9. The point by point response refers to responding to each category/subcategory we are bidding, correct?

Answer: 5.2.3.1 – this narrative can encompass all areas of work the offeror is proposing to offer services in. 5.2.3.2 – this is a specific point by point response the offeror is proposing to offer services in.

Question:

1. Please confirm if our understanding is correct that we have to provide a response to each subcategory? For example, if we are bidding for 3.1 Information system, we need to respond to each section under it, through 3.1.1 to 3.1.14, which means point by point.

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Answer: The detailed response should include: A complete narrative of the offerors assessment of the work to be performed encompassing all areas of work the offeror proposes to offer services in. A detailed response by order of area and sub-area. This should include company and staff qualifications. Within this detailed response 5.2.3.3.1 – 5.2.3.3.7 should be included.

Question:

1. Can the State please confirm company and staff qualifications and our response to Sections 5.2.3.3.1 – 5.2.3.3.7 are to be provided at the area level and not sub-area level?

2. When stating the number of employees with applicable skill sets, should vendors provide total enterprise-wide staffing numbers or only those aligned to the selected categories?

3. Are Sections 5.2.3.3.1 and 5.2.3.3.2 to be addressed for each subcategory?

4. Sections 5.2.3.3.3 – 5.2.3.3.6 seem to be more general discussions and not something to be discussed for each subcategory. Is this correct?

Answer: To be provided at the area level.

Question:

1. Is the State expecting documentation of formal HR screening policies, or a high-level narrative description of recruiting and vetting practices?

Answer: The state will accept either.

Question:

1. Is a cover letter, Certificate of Insurance (COI), or certification package required?

2. Must the Certificate of Insurance be submitted with the proposal, or only upon contract award?

Answer: 5.2.5 Certificate of Insurance is required to be submitted with the proposal.

Question:

1. For the point-by-point response, should vendors structure their response strictly following the numbering format (e.g., 3.1, 3.1.1, 3.1.2, etc.) for ease of evaluation?

Answer: Not required.

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Geographic Coverage Question:

1. Are there specific geographic coverage requirements across South Dakota that offerors must demonstrate?

2. Is it mandatory to have a presence in the state of Dakota?

3. To be responsive, is it mandatory to have a physical office in South Dakota? Please confirm.

Answer: No.

Question:

1. Is there any preference or evaluation consideration for firms established within South Dakota?

2. If we don’t have any presence, what would be the impact?

3. Is there any preference for the geographic presence?

4. Does State of South Dakota provide any preference to (STATE) local vendors?

5. Section 6.1 references geographic presence and familiarity with South Dakota. Please clarify whether having a physical office in South Dakota is required, preferred, or simply evaluated as one of multiple factors. Additionally, is there a scoring advantage for in-state vendors?

6. Is there any preference or scoring consideration for in-state personnel?

7. Is there any local preference for this contract?

8. How much weightage (%) will be given to the local vendors?

9. Section 6.1.4 references “Availability to the project locale” as an evaluation criterion.

Can the State clarify whether preference will be given to vendors with a physical presence in South Dakota, and how this factor will be evaluated for non-local vendors?

10. Do you have any local preferences that we should be aware of?

11. Is there a preference or scoring consideration for vendors with an in-state (South Dakota) presence?

12. Is geographic presence evaluated as a scored criterion, or informational only?

Answer: No/None

Presentations Question:

1. If oral presentations are requested, will DSS provide an agenda and evaluation focus areas, and will they be conducted virtually or in person?

Answer: This will depend on the nature of the oral presentation requested.

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Proposal Question:

1. What is the required mode of submission (email, procurement portal, or physical)?

Answer: 1.5 Submitting Your Proposal: All proposals must be completed and received by the Department of Social Services as indicated in the Schedule of Activities. Proposals received after the deadline will be late and ineligible for consideration. Proposals must be submitted as PDFs via Secured File Transfer Protocol (SFTP). Offerors must request an SFTP folder no later than the date indicated in the Schedule of Activities by emailing Kirsten Blachford at Kirsten.Blachford@state.sd.us. The subject line should read RFP19317 SFTP Request. The email should contain the name and the email of the person who will be responsible for uploading the document(s). Please note, offeror will need to work with their own technical support staff to set up an SFTP compatible software on offeror’s end. While the State of South Dakota can answer questions, State of South Dakota is not responsible for the software required. All proposals may be signed in ink or digitally by an officer of the offeror legally authorized to bind the offeror to the proposal and sealed in the form intended by the respondent. Proposals that are not properly signed may be rejected. No proposal may be accepted from, or any contract or purchase order awarded to any person, firm or corporation that is in arrears upon any obligations to the State of South Dakota, or that otherwise may be deemed irresponsible or unreliable by the State of South Dakota.

Question:

1. Does DSS prefer one combined PDF submission or separate PDFs (e.g., Technical Proposal, Cost Proposal, Exhibit 1, Redacted Copy)?

2. Do we need to submit one response document, including a cost Proposal?

3. Can we submit an additional redacted version of our response to hide the confidential information?

4. Please confirm whether we need to provide a single submission (technical and Exhibit 1)? Or do we need to submit two files?

5. Given that the Cost Proposal will be evaluated separately, should bidder submit Exhibit 1 as the final page of their overall proposal/in a single document or should bidders break out Exhibit 1 and submit pricing and rates separately?

Answer: Separate PDFs would be preferred.

Question:

1. The RFP allows digital signatures—can you confirm whether a standard PDF digital signature is acceptable?

2. Are digitally signed documents acceptable, or are original ink signatures required for the signature sheet and other documents

Answer: Yes, a standard digital signature is acceptable.

Question:

1. Personnel Qualification Submission: In Section 6.3, it states that the offeror should submit detailed information related to the experience and qualifications, including education and training, of proposed personnel. At the proposal stage, should we provide specific named candidate resumes, or are general qualifications and representative/sample resumes sufficient?

2. Personnel Submission: In Section 6.3, it states that the offeror should submit detailed information related to the experience and qualifications of proposed personnel. At the proposal stage, should we provide specific named candidate resumes, or are representative/sample resumes and general qualification profiles sufficient?

Answer: Please submit general qualifications of possible staff.

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1. RFP Page 10, Section 4.6: Can the State please clarify where in our proposal outline we should respond to Sections 6.1.3 (record of past performance) and 6.1.7 (handling special project constraints)?

Answer: These can be added within the detailed response.

Question:

1. Would bidders who bid on each area be favored if they bid on only some areas?

2. Will an offeror’s decision to propose services for only select work areas and sub-categories impact the evaluation of its proposal?

Answer: No.

Question:

1. Could you please clarify whether it is mandatory to bid on each sub-task area mentioned under a particular task area? Can we bid on partial sub-task areas?

2. May vendors respond to selected sub-categories within a main category, or must vendors respond to all sub-categories under a selected category?

Answer: Any combination of areas and sub-areas can be bid. Not all areas and sub-areas are required to be bid on.

Question:

1. Can you please confirm, except for the RFP Form and Exhibit 1, what are the other attachments or forms the State wants us to submit within the response?

Answer: Certificate of Insurance and References.

Question:

1. Can you please explain what 6.1.6 Familiarity with the project locale means? Where should we address that in our response?

2. Section 6.1.6 references “Familiarity with the project locale.” Please clarify what specific criteria will be used to evaluate this factor?

Answer: This question is meant to help define how well the offeror knows our culture and population and could be included in the summary or detailed response.

Question:

1. Please confirm, shall we write NA for those categories that we are not planning to bid on?

Answer: All sections must be marked with a Y or N. See Exhibit 1.

Question:

1. In Exhibit 1: Areas of Work and Rates, it is mentioned The offeror does not have to offer in every type. For example, you may choose not to provide any services in area 3.6. Or in area 3.1 provide only in areas A-E, G, I, and L-N. Can you please clarify what areas A-E, G, I, and L-N mean?

Answer: Replace areas A-E, G, I…. with sections 3.1.1 – 3.1.14. The naming convention was changed for this RFP.

Question:

1. If a vendor marks “Yes” for a primary Area (e.g., Information Systems), must pricing be provided for every sub-category, or may vendors selectively support sub-areas?

Answer: The vendor may selectively support sub-areas.

Question:

1. Will vendors be eligible for Work Orders only in the Areas/Sub-Areas marked “Yes” in Exhibit 1?

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Answer: Yes.

Question:

1. Can you please explain in detail, what type of Qualification State of Dakota is expecting from the proposed resources?

2. This section states” Record of past performance, including price and cost data from previous projects, quality of work, ability to meet schedules, cost control, and contract administration.” We assume this is referring to the three referenced projects. Is this correct?

What information do you want for cost control and contract administration?

Answer: The State is looking for the offeror to submit relevant information to show they can perform the requirements of work orders to include record of past performance, including price and cost data from previous projects, quality of work, ability to meet schedules, cost control, and contract administration.

Question:

1. Can you advise on how confidential/proprietary information should be labeled in the Executive Summary?

Answer: 1.13 Proprietary Information: The proposal of the successful offeror(s) becomes public information. Proprietary information can be protected under limited circumstances such as client lists and non-public financial statements. An entire proposal may not be marked as proprietary. Offerors must clearly identify in the Executive Summary and mark in the body of the proposal any specific proprietary information they are requesting to be protected. The Executive Summary must contain specific justification explaining why the information is to be protected. Proposals may be reviewed and evaluated by any person at the discretion of the State. All materials submitted become the property of the State of South Dakota and may be returned only at the State's option.

Question:

1. Should vendors submit both redacted and unredacted versions of the proposal at the time of submission?

2. The requirement states that Vendors “may” submit a redacted copy with the full response. Is this to be interpreted as a requirement?

Answer: Vendors can submit both a redacted and unredacted version of the proposal at submission. This would be preferred but not required.

Question:

1. Please confirm if Offerors should include their completed “Exhibit 1” under Proposal Tab

5.2.6 or submit it as a separate attachment to the Proposal Response?

Answer: Either or is fine.

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Cost Proposal Question:

1. Is there a preferred pricing format for Exhibit 1—single not-to-exceed hourly rates or minimum/maximum rate ranges? Or whether DSS expects consistency with historical DSS staffing vehicles?

2. Are there specified hourly bill/pay rates or rate card expectations?

3. Are there mark-up limits for vendors?

4. The pricing structure appears to emphasize professional services by requesting rates for a range of services rather than hourly rates by specific job titles. Could the State please clarify whether temporary staffing personnel services are permitted under this solicitation, and if so, how such services should be priced within the provided format?

5. Exhibit 1 lists sub-areas for pricing; however, no specific labor categories are identified under each sub-area. Since delivery of services under each sub-area may require multiple labor categories, please clarify how Offerors should structure pricing?

6. Are vendors permitted to propose blended rates for certain categories?

7. If the intent is to provide qualified resources, can the State clarify the rationale for requesting Not-to-Exceed (NTE) rates by deliverables rather than by defined resource roles or labor categories?

8. Do we need to provide the candidate hourly rate, or the services rate?

9. Should hourly rates be fully burdened inclusive of overhead, G&A, and profit?

10. Exhibit 1 identifies hourly rate or rate range by SOW category. Please confirm whether respondents are also required to include rates by labor category (e.g., Consultant, Managing Consultant, etc.)?

11. Should the “not to exceed hourly rate or rate range” reflect fully burdened blended rates or role specific rates?

12. Is there a required rate card format beyond Exhibit 1?

Answer: Offerors must submit the hourly rate for each professional resource topic area responded to. These rates can be shown as a maximum hourly rate per category, or a minimum – maximum range per category.

Question:

1. The RFP indicates pricing is fixed — please confirm whether any adjustment mechanisms exist consistent with State contracting practices.

2. Is pricing negotiable or fixed?

3. Could the State please clarify if a yearly rate adjustment (COLA adjustment) will be allowed?

4. Rate Adjustments: Section 7.1.2 states that pricing is “fixed during length of contract” (until May 31, 2029). Does the State allow for annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) or rate increases based on changes to federal or state statutory requirements during this three-year period?

5. Since rates are fixed through May 31, 2029, will there be any opportunity for rate adjustment due to market changes?

6. Please confirm whether the hourly rates submitted in Exhibit 1 are fixed for the full contract term (June 1, 2026, through May 31, 2029), with no escalation.

7. Is there flexibility to adjust proposed hourly bill rates during the contract term (e.g., annual escalation or periodic renegotiation)?

8. Are any rate adjustments or escalations permitted over the contract term, or are rates strictly fixed for all three years?

Answer: The pricing provided at proposal submission is what will be used for the duration of the contract.

Question:

1. Can DSS confirm whether per diem is reimbursed in accordance with State travel rates and whether travel requires pre-approval?

RFP19317 Questions and Responses Page 14 of 36

2. Can DSS clarify what qualifies as reimbursable travel versus non-reimbursable expenses?

3. What existing systems are currently in scope (e.g., MMIS, eligibility systems, EHR, case management, etc.)

Answer: Lodging, mileage, and meals will be reimbursed at state rates. See below link:

https://sdsos.gov/about-the-office/board-of-finance/bof-docs/Travel%20Reimbursement%20FY2026.pdf

Question:

1. Will there be rate caps established by category, or should offerors propose market-based rates?

2. May vendors submit multiple rate tiers within a category (e.g., Junior/Senior/Specialist), or is DSS requesting a single maximum rate per category? Are rate ranges acceptable across all categories, or does DSS prefer fixed ceiling rates?

3. What weighting (if any) is applied to cost versus technical evaluation?

4. With respect to Exhibit 1: Areas of Work and Rates, can the State please clarify how vendors should provide rates for each subcategory?

5. Should vendors submit a single fully loaded hourly rate for each subcategory listed in Exhibit 1?

6. Does the State prefer that vendors provide a rate range for each subcategory rather than a fixed hourly rate?

7. Will evaluation criteria in Section 6.1 be weighted? If so, can scoring weights be shared?

8. If vendors respond to only selected sub-categories, should rates reflect only those skill areas, or must vendors maintain pricing coverage across the broader category definition?

9. Please confirm whether there is a specific score assigned to each subsection, or if all sections of the response are weighted equally in the evaluation of both the technical scope of work and the cost proposal.

10. For Exhibit 1 and Section 7.1, may offerors submit hourly rate ranges by role and experience level within each category, or does DSS expect a single not-to-exceed hourly rate per category regardless of role differentiation

Answer: Offerors must submit the hourly rate for each professional resource topic area responded to. These rates can be shown as a maximum hourly rate per category, or a minimum – maximum range per category. Pricing is fixed during the length of the contract.

Evaluators will use subjective judgement in conducting a comparative assessment of the proposals by considering 6.1.1 – 6.1.8. (6.1.8 is the cost proposal) Question:

1. Could the State please clarify whether, in the event that temporary staffing services are required (including sourcing, recruiting, screening, and vetting resources from the open market), suppliers would be permitted to propose pricing based on job roles and corresponding hourly rates by area of work instead of using the format outlined in Exhibit 1?

2. If vendors are required to submit rates for resources, will the State provide a structured rate template or labor category framework, or may vendors submit their own structured rate model?

Answer: Exhibit 1 is the preferred format but can be modified to show vendors specific pricing.

Question:

1. May vendors submit multiple rate tiers within a single subcategory (e.g., junior, mid-level, senior)?

2. Does the State permit vendors to submit multiple tiered hourly rates within a single subcategory (e.g., junior, mid-level, senior levels)?

RFP19317 Questions and Responses Page 15 of 36

1. Without having a detailed scope of work for each category at this stage, can the State provide guidance on how vendors are expected to determine appropriate Not-to-Exceed (NTE) rates?

Answer: This RFP and subsequent contracts are meant to create a prequalified pool of vendors for possible work orders. Work orders are created on an as needed basis. DSS does not have a projected number of work order at this time or what they will entail.

Question:

1. Is it mandatory to submit resumes for all three experience levels for each position?

Answer: No.

RFP19317 Questions and Responses Page 16 of 36

References Question:

1. Are commercial past performance references acceptable? Would a government reference be favored over them?

2. Are vendor or candidate references required? If so, how many and are government references mandatory?

3. Can firms provide commercial references?

4. Would you be accepting references from commercial entities?

Answer: Both are acceptable with no preference.

Question:

1. Is it mandatory to submit three references per category?

2. If we are bidding on 3-4 categories, can we use the same references for those categories as long as they cover the scope of work?

3. May the same references be used across multiple topic areas, or must separate references be provided for each?

4. If responding to multiple categories, are three total references sufficient, or are three references required per category?

5. May the same reference be used across multiple categories if the work performed covered multiple service areas?

6. Must references align directly to each category proposed, or can broader enterprise-level references be provided?

Answer: Three references per area is not required. References should encompass all areas the offeror is proposing to provide services in.

Question:

1. Can we use the subcontractor’s references to demonstrate the experience?

Answer: References should be for the offerors company, not subcontractors references.

Question:

1. Are vendors allowed to include references from South Dakota Department of Social Services or other South Dakota State agencies?

Answer: Yes.

Question:

1. Will DSS be contacting references and notify offerors in advance before contacting submitted references?

Answer: DSS will contact offerors references but will not notify offerors in advance.

RFP19317 Questions and Responses Page 17 of 36

Scoring Question:

1. For individual work orders, what selection method is anticipated (e.g., best value among pool, lowest rate, mini-RFP, or direct selection)?

2. What evaluation criteria will be used at the Work Order level?

Answer: Direct selection.

Question:

1. If available, can DSS provide additional detail regarding relative weighting or scoring methodology for evaluation criteria?

2. Are there scores for the evaluation criteria?

Answer: See RFP section 6.1.

Question:

1. If a vendor responds to only certain sub-categories within a main category, will evaluation be limited strictly to those selected sub-categories?

Answer: Yes.

Question:

1. If we don’t have a Project locale, what would be the outcome in the evaluation criteria?

Answer: 6.1.6 references familiarity with the project locale. This question is meant to help define how well the offeror knows our culture and population.

Question:

1. Is there a minimum technical score required to be eligible for award?

Answer: Responses to work orders for vendors not selected and the evaluation criteria and scoring for all proposals are not public.

Question:

1. Will evaluation and ranking occur separately by category, or will vendors receive a single overall ranking across all categories submitted?

Answer: Vendors will receive a single overall ranking.

RFP19317 Questions and Responses Page 18 of 36

Resources/Staff/Employees/On-Site/Remote/Hybrid Question:

1. Please confirm if the resources will be engaged on an as-needed basis through Work Orders or the suppliers are required to commit named resources at the time of submission?

Answer: Resources will be engaged on an as-needed basis through work orders. Specific names of resources are not required until submission of a work order.

Question:

1. Are firms required to provide health benefits? If so, will firms be reimbursed for this expense?

2. Are firms required to pay Holidays, PTO, Sick Leaves, etc., to the consultants placed? If so, will firms be reimbursed for this expense?

Answer: 19. Independent Consultant: While performing services hereunder, Consultant is an independent Consultant and not an officer, agent, or employee of the State of South Dakota.

Question:

1. Is the State looking for firms to source, vet, screen, and recruit the requested positions from the market or for firms to provide their inhouse personnel to perform the services?

Answer: The State does not have a preference.

Question:

1. Please confirm whether remote or hybrid work arrangements may be permitted for certain roles, subject to Work Order requirements, or if on-site presence within South Dakota is generally expected.

2. What are the expected work modalities for this effort? On-site, remote, or hybrid?

3. Can DSS clarify expectations related to onsite vs. remote work, and whether in-state presence is required or preferred?

4. For roles emphasizing “familiarity with the project locale,” can remote resources support most work orders with periodic onsite presence?

5. Are resources generally expected to work onsite, remotely, or in a hybrid arrangement?

If on-site, could the Department specify the primary work location(s)?

6. Will the roles be fully onsite, remote, or hybrid?

7. Are there any travel requirements for assigned personnel?

8. Are candidates permitted to work from outside the local city or state?

9. Does State of South Dakota accept remote staff within USA?

10. Are remote resources acceptable for most service categories, or are certain areas expected to require onsite presence?

11. If onsite resources are required, are there defined primary locations within South Dakota?

12. On-Site vs. Remote Expectations: Section 3.0 mentions that Work Orders may or may not require staff to be on-site. For the purpose of providing competitive “not to exceed” hourly rates in Exhibit 1, should offerors assume a predominantly remote delivery model, or will the State provide a baseline percentage of expected on-site work for Pierre, SD?

13. Will selected personnel be required to work on-site, hybrid, or fully remote?

14. Will assignments primarily be remote, on-site in Pierre, SD, or hybrid?

15. Is the default work mode expected to be onsite, hybrid, or remote?

16. Are there any roles that are strictly onsite only?

17. Is remote work acceptable unless a Work Order explicitly requires on-site presence? If on-site is required, what are the primary locations?

18. Will remote participation be encouraged to minimize reimbursable travel costs?

19. Does the state anticipate that any of the work performed under this contract vehicle will require onsite work?

RFP19317 Questions and Responses Page 19 of 36

Answer: Work orders may or may not require staff of the qualified vendor(s) selected to be on-site. This will be noted in each Work Order sent, though most work orders do not require on-site. Primary work locations would likely be Pierre or Sioux Falls, SD.

Question:

1. Please confirm if this is an on-site or offshore requirement?

2. Does State of South Dakota accept remote & offshore staff?

3. For the Communication Services roles, are offshore resources allowed, if they can work during U.S. hours?

4. Is offshore support permitted for this engagement?

Answer: Work orders may or may not require staff of the qualified vendor(s) selected to be on-site. This will be noted in each Work Order sent. The Vendor must provide its services to the State as well as storage of State Data solely from data centers located in the continental United States. The Vendor will not provide access to State Data to any entity or person(s) located outside the continental United States that are not named in this Agreement without prior written permission from the State. This restriction also applies to disaster recovery; any disaster recovery plan must provide for data storage entirely within the continental United States.

Question:

1. Is US citizenship or permanent residency mandatory for candidates?

Answer: Candidates must be legally able to work in the United States.

RFP19317 Questions and Responses Page 20 of 36

Contract Question:

1. The umbrella contract stage, does DSS prefer named key personnel, or are role-based staffing pools sufficient with resumes provided at the work-order level?

Answer: Role-based staffing pools sufficient with resumes provided at the Work Order level.

Question:

1. In the RFP, Attachment A – Agreement with the state notes that it does not need to be signed at this time. Does this form need to be submitted, with our proposal, nonetheless?

Answer: It does not. This is a copy of our standard contract.

Question:

1. Is the execution of Attachment B (Business Associate Agreement) required for all work orders or only those involving PHI?

2. Does DSS anticipate that some roles or service categories under this RFP will not require access to PHI or other sensitive data?

Answer: The execution of the Business Associate Agreement will be within the Master Contract. Work orders awarded will follow the Master Contract terms. There may not be PHI in every work order.

Question:

1. Will this contract continue to operate under a multi-vendor…