RFI___DCA_OIS_24-25-006.pdf

Department of Consumer Affairs Office of Information Services

Request for Information - RFI # DCA OIS 24-25-006 Page 1 of 6

CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS

OFFICE OF INFORMATION SERVICES

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION

RFI # DCA OIS 24-25-006

DCA Business Modernization for California State Board of Pharmacy (CSBP)

Release Date: January 28, 2025 Responses must be received: February 28, 2025, by 9:00 a.m. PST

Request for Information - RFI # DCA OIS 24-25-006 Page 2 of 6

Table of Contents

A. INTRODUCTION

B. PURPOSE

C. KEY ACTION DATES

D. DISCLAIMER

E. RFI RESPONSE FORMAT AND CONTENT

F. QUESTIONS

G. CONTACT OFFICIAL

H. BACKGROUND

I. CURRENT SYSTEM

J. ATTACHMENT I: Requirements

K. ATTACHMENT II: Vendor Questionnaire

L. Attachment III: Proposed Solution ROM Estimate

M. Attachment IV: Sample Multi Level Applicant Business Organization Chart

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A. INTRODUCTION

The California Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) is releasing this Request for Information (RFI) to obtain feedback on draft requirements for a proposed Web-Based Application processing Information Technology (IT) system. The proposed system will streamline business processes and serve as a means for applicants and licensees to interact with the board. The proposed system will establish a Digital Ecosystem that focuses on governmental transparency through a robust, configurable online presence that may leverage existing system of records. DCA intends to implement a replacement system at reasonable costs and with low risks by exploring the availability and use of IT solutions.

B. PURPOSE

The primary objective of this RFI is to obtain information about current market conditions and to collect information from respondents related to the availability of goods or services that can meet the needs of the State. Collective information provided by the vendor community may be used to develop alternatives for consideration and may be used to estimate costs related to system acquisition for a proposed solution. The State understands that data provided in this RFI is not sufficient to enable detailed analysis and costing by vendors. Please provide your best advice based on your experience with other organizations and initiatives of this kind. The information obtained from this RFI may be used to develop and finalize requirements, analyze market research, and assist DCA in identifying solutions and alternatives.

Completion of this RFI will be performed at no cost to the State in accordance with State Contract Manual Volume 2, Chapter 1400, Section 1402.2. The intent of this RFI is solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a solicitation. A contract will not be awarded based on this

RFI.

C. KEY ACTION DATES

Listed below are the Key Action Dates and Times by which actions shall be taken or completed. If DCA finds it necessary to change any of these dates, an Addendum to this RFI will be provided to the on the State’s Cal eProcure site:https://caleprocure.ca.gov/pages/index.aspx

Request for Information (RFI) released Monday, January 28, 2025 Last day for Respondents to submit questions1 Friday, February 7, 2025, by 5:00 p.m. PST Release State response to questions Friday, February 14, 2025, by 5:00 p.m. PST Response to RFI due Thursday, February 28, 2025, by 5:00 p.m. PST Solution Demonstration Month of March 2025

D. DISCLAIMER

1. This RFI is issued for information and planning purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation.

A response to this RFI is not an offer and cannot be accepted by DCA to form a binding contract.

2. Respondents are solely responsible for all expenses associated with responding to this RFI.

3. Participants are advised that the responses to this RFI may be subject to the Public Records Act.

Please do not include any proprietary information in response to this RFI.

1 Questions received after the established due date may be addressed at State’s discretion.

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4. Responding to this RFI creates no obligation on the part of any respondent to DCA. Conversely, issuing this RFI and considering the responses creates no obligation on the part of DCA to any respondent.

5. Submitting a response to this RFI will not enhance the review of that respondent’s proposal(s) to any future solicitations. Not submitting a response to this RFI will not prohibit a response to any future solicitation, nor disadvantage the evaluation of a response to any future solicitation. By submitting a response to this RFI a respondent is implicitly agreeing with these conditions.

6. At its discretion, DCA may contact respondents to seek clarification of any inquiry received. DCA may respond to questions directly to the respondent or if deemed necessary, release an addendum or updated RFI.

7. DCA asks respondents to share non-binding budgetary pricing information for each proposed solution by completing Attachment III. Pricing is only for planning purposes. Any pricing provided in a response to this RFI will not be considered a proposal/bid on the part of a respondent.

E. RFI RESPONSE FORMAT AND CONTENT

Responses to this RFI are due by the date and time stated in the KEY ACTION DATES section. Responses shall be submitted via e-mail to the State’s contact identified in the Contact Information section.

A respondent’s response shall contain the following:

1. A cover letter that includes the following elements:

Respondent name, address, telephone number, and e-mail address; and, Contact information including the name, title, address, phone number, and e-mail address of the respondent’s primary contact person for this RFI.

Provide a brief overview of your company including number of years in business, number of employees, nature of business, and description of clients.

Identify any parent corporation and/or subsidiaries, if applicable.

2. Responses to Attachment I: Requirements. This is a listing of initially defined mid-level requirements and does not reflect the level or completeness of requirements should DCA proceed with the issuance of a Request for Proposal.

3. Responses to Attachment II: Vendor Questionnaire. Responses should be concise and straightforward. Respondents should provide narrative, diagrams, screenshots, pictures, and any other available means to convey their comments or answer to each specification or question, and any additional recommendations that the respondent might find relevant to this RFI. Respondents are encouraged to provide sample screenshots as often as possible when responding to questions.

4. Responses to Attachment III: Proposed Solution Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) Estimate is non-binding budgetary pricing information for each proposed solution. Pricing is only for planning purposes. Any pricing provided in a response to this RFI will not be considered a proposal/bid on the part of a respondent

5. Any additional information not specifically requested that the respondent might find relevant to the RFI.

6. DCA recognizes that not all respondents may be able or willing to respond to all issues addressed in the attachments. Please respond to issues which are applicable to your company’s scope of work and indicate N/A where necessary. While not required, respondents are encouraged to answer all questions.

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7. Identify any products or services in your RFI response available on a Federal GSA or State of CA LPA. Please identify the contract type, name and number.

8. Electronic format responses must be Microsoft Word or PDF. All text, tables, and drawings must use the Microsoft Office Suite (2015 or later) and be provided in readable formats.

F. QUESTIONS

Respondents requiring clarification of the intent or content of this RFI and applicable documents or on procedural matters regarding the process may request clarification by submitting questions to the Contact Official listed below. To ensure a response, questions must be received in writing by the scheduled dates given in the Key Action Dates section above. Questions and answers sets will be provided to all Respondents without identifying the submitters. At the sole discretion of the state, questions may be paraphrased by the state for clarity. Responses to questions will be posted to the State’s Cal eProcure site at https://caleprocure.ca.gov/pages/index.aspx

What to include in an inquiry:

1. Include in the subject line of the E-mail: “RFI # DCA OIS 24-25-006”

2. Vendor name and contact, telephone number, E-mail address.

3. A description of the subject, or issue in question, or discrepancy found.

4. RFI Section, page number, or other information useful in identifying the specific problem or issue stated in the question.

G. CONTACT OFFICIAL

All correspondence and questions related to this RFI shall be directed to DCA’s Administrative Contact:

Administrative Contact Department of Consumer Affairs Attn: Monique Walker 1625 N. Market Blvd., Ste. S-100 Sacramento, CA 95834 Phone: (279) 278-5872 E-mail: Monique.Walker@dca.ca.gov

All the technical questions related to this RFI shall be directed to DCA’s Technical Contact:

Technical Contact Department of Consumer Affairs Attn: Purvi Chauhan 1625 N. Market Blvd., Ste. S-300 Sacramento, CA 95834 Phone: (916) 574-8061 E-mail: Purvi.Chauhan@dca.ca.gov

H. BACKGROUND

DCA is the umbrella department for 36 business, professional, and occupational licensing programs.

These programs operate under two distinct structures within DCA, known as boards and bureaus.

Collectively, these programs have issued over 3,400,000 licenses, registrations, certifications, and permits in approximately 280 license categories. These licenses include both individual and business-based licenses. To fulfill DCA’s responsibility to protect and serve California consumers while ensuring a competent and fair marketplace, DCA’s boards and bureaus help set minimum qualifications for licensure, enforce these standards and act against unlicensed practitioners.

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DCA’s California State Board of Pharmacy (CSBP) is pursuing business modernization initiatives to improve the level of service they provide to the applicants and licensees. This includes but is not limited to the following business opportunities:

1. An online application portal where current and potential licensees can submit applications to the board, pay associated fees, receive communications from the board regarding application deficiencies, and submit remediation of those deficiencies.

2. An online portal for licensees to view and submit required continuing education.

3. An online portal for external users to renew the license

4. An online portal for the external users to submit change notices.

The proposed solution will need to support interaction with legacy licensing database system: The Consumer Affairs System (CAS). CAS is a NATURAL/ADABAS mainframe application.

I. CURRENT SYSTEM

The CSBP currently depends upon the DCA legacy Applicant Tracking System (ATS), Consumer Affairs System (CAS), and numerous tracking systems for the day-to-day operations of processing applications and ongoing licensure. ATS tracks and monitors activities for cashiering and initial license applications.

CAS is a licensing and enforcement system that tracks license related activities such as licenses, renewals, complaints, investigations, and enforcement.

The CSBP has identified the need for a more robust system to help reduce business inefficiencies, expand technology features, and improve the quality of public services. Current business processes are time consuming, and paper driven consisting of distributed spreadsheets, local databases, and paper records. The lack of functionality and deficiencies in automation and configuration, and the deficiencies in the processing capacity to meet the growing needs of the CSBP as mandated by new laws and regulations, have created a need for an updated solution.

Due to current system limitations, applicants seeking licensure do not have the ability to apply online.

All applications and numerous renewals must be mailed to the board with a check or money order.

Licensees must either contact the CSBP via telephone or send hard copies and payments, requiring staff to manually process applications and enter information into one or multiple systems. The current system does not provide licensees with the capability to create/edit their account online and lacks the capability to accept online payments.

J. ATTACHMENT I: Requirements

K. ATTACHMENT II: Vendor Questionnaire

L. Attachment III: Proposed Solution ROM Estimate

M. Attachment IV: Sample Multi Level Applicant Business Organization Chart This attachment is a sample depicting ownership hierarchy for a license type for Board of Pharmacy.