RFP 104-24 Data Governance Application.docx

7.1.1

MASSACHUSETTS BAY TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

RFP#: 104-24

COMMBUYS # BD- 24-1206-MBTA-MBTA-102244

ENTERPRISE DATA GOVERNANCE APPLICATION

Date Issued: May 1, 2024

Contents

Attn: Bidder/s Request for Proposals (RFP) # 104-24 RFP Description:

Dear Prospective Bidder:

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (“MBTA” or “Authority”), a corporate and a political subdivision of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, existing pursuit to Mass. Gen. Laws, ch 161A (as amended) invites Bidders to participate in the competitive bid 104-24. The Scope of Work is outlined below in Section 2. The MBTA may at its own discretion award contract(s) to one or multiple Bidders. All formal communication with the MBTA during the bidding period shall be only through the MBTA’s designated point of contact.

The MBTA’s designated point of contact for this solicitation will be:

Jimmy Moynihan Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority 10 Park Plaza, Room 2810 Boston, MA 02116 Email: JMoynihan@mbta.com The RFP shall be launched through COMMBUYS and proposals must be submitted electronically no later than 6/4/2024 2:00 PM, in full compliance with this RFP including but not limited to Section 3, Bidders Instructions and Procurement Process. This RFP shall remain in force until the execution of the Contract, or until modified or cancelled by the MBTA.

Respectfully, Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority

RFP #

COMMBUYS Bid # BD-

INTRODUCTION

· Current State:

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (“MBTA” or “Authority”) lacks a comprehensive enterprise-wide which allows business and technical data stakeholders to work collaboratively using accurate consistent data definitions, classifications, and catalogs across the MBTA’s entire data ecosystem.

The MBTA seeks a Contractor to provide a software solution which is capable of administering, monitoring, controlling, and reporting on the entire lifecycle of the data in the MBTA’s disparate data sources. This would range from creation or acquisition through curation ultimately, through the stages of archival and/or deletion of data.

· Objective:

The objective of employing a Data Governance tool at the MBTA is to incorporate a structured framework and set of practices for managing, protecting, and optimizing the use of data throughout the MBTA’s entire data ecosystem. This involves defining policies, roles, responsibilities, and standards to ensure that data is accurate, secure, and effectively utilized to support the goals of the MBTA.

By utilizing one shared platform for data management and stewardship, this enterprise-wide data governance technological tool would act as a vehicle to facilitate business users and IT collaboration to ensure accurate data driven decision making and formation of a data-driven culture. This data governance tool should include data cataloging and discovery, data quality and profiling, data lineage and governance, and data exploration and classification features.

This enterprise-wide data governance technological tool should empower MBTA business units to make meaningful connections with the voluminous amount of data in the numerous data repositories and across the 200+ enterprise applications with the goal of developing contextual insights and improving business decisions. Data governance tools should assist with implementing and enforcing the MBTA’s data related policies and processes for managing and controlling data assets. The selected data governance tool should offer a comprehensive data governance framework and set of features and functionalities to manage the MBTA’s data life cycle.

The Contractor will work with MBTA’s Information Technology Department and other business units to ensure the tool can be incorporated into the MBTA’s data infrastructure. A successful Contractor should have will have the expertise, experience, and capabilities to deliver a tailored data governance solution that meets the specific needs and challenges faced by the MBTA in managing its diverse and complex data assets.

Preferential (but not mandatory) Requirements for a Successful Contractor for RFP for Data Governance Tool for the MBTA include but are not limited to:

1. Experience in Government and/or Transit Industry

· Demonstrated experience working with federal, state, and/or municipal government agencies, transit agencies or similar organizations in the transportation sector.

· Familiarity with the public sector to support MBTA public policies and procurement pertaining to data governance.

· Familiarity with the specific data governance challenges and requirements faced by transit authorities like the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA).

2. Understanding of MBTA’s Data Landscape

· Ability to comprehend the complex data ecosystem within the MBTA, including operational, financial, and customer data.

· Experience in managing scheduling data, fare collection data, geospatial data, and other transit-specific datasets.

3. Expertise in Regulatory Compliance

· Knowledge of regulatory requirements governing transit data, including privacy regulations such as GDPR and CCPA, as well as transit-specific regulations like the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) regulations.

· Experience implementing data governance solutions that ensure compliance with relevant regulations and standards.

4. Integration with Existing Systems

· Capability to integrate the data governance tool with existing systems and databases used by the MBTA, such as enterprise data warehouse and data lakes, document and record managements systems, asset management systems, data loss prevention applications and real-time data feeds.

· Knowledge of relevant systems and technological landscape and ingenuity to identify and implement strategies to maximize revenues, reduce costs and improve systems, policies, and procedures.

· Familiarity with transit industry standards and protocols for data exchange and integration.

5. Data Security and Privacy Expertise

· Strong understanding of data security best practices and experience implementing robust security measures to protect sensitive transit data.

· Ability to ensure data privacy and confidentiality while facilitating data sharing and collaboration across departments within the MBTA.

6. Scalability and Performance

· Capability to design and implement a scalable data governance solution that can accommodate the MBTA’s growing data volumes and evolving business needs.

· Experience optimizing performance for large-scale datasets and real-time data processing requirements.

7. Data Classification and Tagging

8. Artificial Intelligence

· Integration of AI-powered anomaly detection algorithms to identify data quality issues, inconsistencies, and anomalies in real-time.

· Implementation of machine learning algorithms to analyze data content and context for accurate classification.

· Utilization of AI-driven data lineage tracking to automatically capture and visualize data lineage across complex data flows and transformations.

9. Training and Support

· Capacity to provide comprehensive training programs and documentation to MBTA staff on using the data governance tool effectively.

· Commitment to providing ongoing support and maintenance services to address any issues or questions that arise post-implementation.

10. References and Past Performance

· Positive references and testimonials from federal, state, and/or municipal government agencies, other transit agencies or similar organizations that have successfully implemented data governance solutions.

· Evidence of successful project delivery, on-time completion, and client satisfaction from previous engagements.

The RFP is comprised of the following documents:

· RFP 16-24, and Form Enclosures including:

· Enclosure 1 – Bid Cover Letter

· Form A – Pre-Award Bidder Evaluation Data Form

· Form B – Bidder Technical Response

· Form C – Small Business Attestation

· Form D – Bidder Price Response

· Attachments

· Exhibit A – MBTA Cloud Computing Terms

· Exhibit B – MBTA Minimum Insurance Requirements

SCOPE OF WORK

The Scope of Work should include the following Functional and Technical requirements.

2.1 Functional Requirements

· Data Quality Management

· Ability to define and enforce data quality standards.

· Real-time monitoring of data quality metrics.

· Alerts and notifications for data quality issues.

· Metadata Management

· Centralized repository for metadata.

· Capture and documentation of data lineage.

· Version control for metadata changes.

· Policy and Compliance Management

· Creation and enforcement of data governance policies.

· Tools for ensuring compliance with industry regulations.

· Auditing and reporting functionalities for policy adherence.

· Data Security and Access Control

· Role-based access control for sensitive data.

· Encryption capabilities to secure sensitive information.

· Logging and monitoring of data access and modifications.

· Data Classification and Sensitivity

· Capability to classify data based on sensitivity.

· Automated tagging of sensitive information.

· Integration with data loss prevention mechanisms.

· Stewardship and Ownership

· Assignment of data stewards and ownership roles.

· Workflow tools for data stewardship activities.

· Collaboration features for effective stewardship.

· Data Lifecycle Management

· Tools for managing data from creation to disposal.

· Automation of data archival and retention policies.

· Secure and compliant data disposal mechanisms.

· Collaboration and Communication

· Centralized communication platform for data-related discussions.

· Notification features for updates and changes.

· Integration with collaboration tools used by MBTA.

2.2 Technical Requirements

· Integration Capabilities

· Compatibility with existing IT infrastructure and systems at MBTA.

· API support for seamless integration with other applications.

· Data connectors for various data sources within the organization.

· Ensure seamless interoperability within MBTA's IT environment.

· Scalability and Performance

· Ability to handle the scale of data generated by MBTA.

· Performance optimization for quick retrieval and processing of data.

· Scalable architecture to accommodate future growth.

· User Interface and User Experience

· Intuitive and user-friendly interface for easy adoption.

· Customizable dashboards and reports for different user roles.

· Mobile accessibility for on-the-go data governance activities.

· Data Storage and Backup

· Robust data storage mechanisms with backup and recovery options.

· Data redundancy and disaster recovery planning.

· Compliance with data storage regulations.

· Audit and Logging Features

· Comprehensive logging of user activities and system changes.

· Audit trail functionality for tracking data modifications.

· Reporting tools for auditing purposes.

· Vendor Support and Updates

· Ongoing vendor support for troubleshooting and assistance.

· Regular updates and patches for software improvements.

· Clear communication channels with the software vendor.

· Training and Documentation

· Comprehensive documentation for software configuration and usage.

· Training programs for MBTA staff on using the data governance tool.

· Access to user guides and support resources.

· Data Security Measures

· Encryption protocols for data at rest and in transit.

· Multi-factor authentication for user access.

· Regular security updates and patches.

· Data Masking and Anonymization

· Capability to mask or anonymize sensitive data for non-production environments.

· Options for dynamic data masking based on user roles and access levels.

· Compliance with privacy regulations related to data masking.

· Authentication Mechanisms

· Multi-factor authentication for user access.

· Support for single sign-on (SSO) integration.

· Regular review and updates of authentication mechanisms.

· Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

· Integration with DLP solutions to prevent unauthorized data disclosure.

· Policies for monitoring and preventing sensitive data leaks.

· Alerts and notifications for potential DLP incidents.

· Incident Response and Recovery

· Defined incident response plan for security breaches.

· Regular testing and updating of incident response procedures.

· Data backup and recovery mechanisms to ensure data availability.

· Compliance Management

· Tools for ensuring compliance with relevant data protection regulations.

· Regular updates to align with changes in compliance requirements.

· Documentation of compliance efforts for auditing purposes.

Term The maximum contract duration shall not exceed 4 years. There will be 3 one-year options exercisable by the MBTA.

Additional Services

Additional, directly related services may be added to this Agreement prior to the start or throughout the duration of this Agreement if agreed to in writing by the Parties.

BIDDERS INSTRUCTIONS AND PROCUREMENT PROCESS

Bidders’ Conference The MBTA will hold a Bidders’ conferences with all Bidders on May 7, 2024 at 12:00pm. Bidders’ conferences will be held by telephonic and electronic means. Bidders can access the meeting by using the following link Join the meeting now or by dialing +1 929-352-1865 and code 594166928#. The Bidders’ conference will permit interactive communication between all Bidders and the MBTA. The MBTA will provide written notice of any Bidders’ conference via the COMMBUYS. If a Bidders’ conference is conducted by telephonic or electronic means, the notice will inform Bidders of the manner of the meeting.

Each Bidder, by submittal of its Response, acknowledges the opportunity to attend any Bidders’ conference, if held, was offered to all Bidders, and waives any right to challenge this procurement based on its attendance at, or failure to attend, a Bidders’ conference.

Each Bidder is encouraged to attend Bidders’ conferences, if held, with appropriate members of its proposed staff, and if requested by the MBTA, senior representatives of proposed team members identified by the MBTA. Nothing stated at any Bidders’ conference or included in a written record or summary of a Bidders conference will modify this RFP or any other part of the RFP unless it is incorporated in an addendum issued.

Procurement Method This RFP is issued pursuant to the following laws and regulations: Mass. Gen Laws, Ch. 161A; 801 CMR 21.00.

Bidder shall be responsible for making itself fully aware of, complying with, and in its Response addressing the impact of and compliance with all applicable laws and regulations.

This RFP will be launched and managed via COMMBUYS. Instructions for log-in and use of COMMBUYS are described in http://www.mass.gov/anf/docs/osd/forms/instructions-for-vendors-responding-to-bids.docx Bidders may also contact the COMMBUYS Helpdesk at COMMBUYS@state.ma.us or the COMMBUYS Helpline at 1-888-MA-STATE. The Helpline is staffed from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday (Eastern Time), except on federal, state, and Suffolk county holidays.

It is the responsibility of Bidders to maintain an active registration in COMMBUYS and to keep current the email address of the Bidder’s Designated Representative and to monitor that email inbox for communications from the MBTA, including responses to Bidder questions. The MBTA and the Commonwealth assume no responsibility if a Bidder’s designated email address is not current, or if technical problems, including those with Bidder’s computer, network, or internet service provider (“ISP”) cause email communications sent to or from Bidder and the MBTA to be lost or rejected by any means including email or spam filtering.

Bidder shall review and study all documents thoroughly and report any discrepancies, omissions, technical queries, or other clarifications via COMMBUYS.

Questions and clarification requests submitted by Bidder will, together with MBTA’s responses, be made available to all Bidders via COMMBUYS.

MBTA DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVE

Unless specifically stated otherwise in this RFP, Bidder must submit changes to Bidder’s designated representative and any other communications in to the MBTA’s Point of Contact via COMMBUYS. The MBTA’s Point of Contact is Jimmy Moynihan, JMoynihan@mbta.com.

IDENTIFICATION OF BIDDER DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVE

When submitting a Bid, the Bidder must identify to the MBTA’s Point of Contact its own Designated Representative to act on behalf of the Bidder relating to this procurement.

RFP Calendar and Delivery Instructions Bidder is required to prepare and submit all required documents to MBTA electronically via COMMBUYS.

The MBTA anticipates carrying out the procurement process in accordance with the schedule noted in the table below. All times are local Boston, Massachusetts, USA, times unless otherwise indicated. The schedule is subject to modification at the sole discretion of the MBTA. Bidders will be notified of any change by an addendum to this RFP.

TABLE: RFP CALENDAR

Dissemination of Confidential Information

Not Applicable Examination of RFP Each Bidder shall be solely responsible for examining, with appropriate care and diligence, the RFP and any addenda and material made available to Bidders by the MBTA, and for informing itself with respect to any and all conditions that may in any way affect the amount or nature of its Response, or the performance of the Contractor’s obligations under the Contract with the MBTA. Failure of the Bidder to so examine and inform itself shall be at its sole risk, and the MBTA will provide no relief for any error or omission.

The submission of a Response shall be considered prima facie evidence that the Bidder has made the above-described examination and is satisfied as to the conditions to be encountered in performing the Work and as to the requirements of the Contract.

Rules of Contact Starting on the date the RFP is issued and ending on the earliest of (a) the award and execution of the Contract, (b) rejection of all Responses by the MBTA, or (c) cancellation of the procurement, the following rules of contact shall apply. These rules are designed to promote a fair and unbiased procurement process. Contact includes face-to-face, telephone, email, or formal written communication.

The specific rules of contact are as follows:

1. No Bidder, or any of its team members, may communicate with another Bidder or its team members with regard to this RFP or either team’s Response, except that subcontractors that are shared between two or more Bidder teams may communicate with their respective team members so long as those Bidders establish a protocol to ensure that the subcontractor will not act as a conduit of information between the teams. This prohibition does not apply to public discussions regarding the RFP at any MBTA sponsored Bidders’ conferences.

1. No Bidder or representative thereof shall have any ex parte communications regarding the RFP, the Contract, or the procurement described herein with any member of the MBTA’s Board of Directors, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (“MassDOT”) Board of Directors, or with any MassDOT or MBTA staff, advisors, contractors, or consultants involved with the procurement, except for communications expressly permitted by the RFP or except as approved in advance at the MBTA’s Point of Contact’s sole discretion. The foregoing restriction shall not, however, preclude or restrict communications with regard to matters unrelated to the RFP, Contract, or procurement or from participation in public meetings of the MBTA or MassDOT Boards of Directors or any public or Bidder workshop related to this RFP.

1. Any communications determined by the MBTA, in its sole discretion, to be improper may result in disqualification.

1. Any official information regarding this RFP will be disseminated from the MBTA’s Point of Contact via COMMBUYS.

1. The MBTA will not be responsible for or bound by any oral exchange or any other information or exchange that occurs outside the official process specified herein.

1. The MBTA will not be bound by, and Bidders should not rely on, any oral communications regarding the RFP. Use of any information gathered or received from other agencies or entities shall be at the Bidder’s own risk.

Clarifications of Specifications, Questions and Answers Bidders shall review the RFP and any addenda issued by the MBTA prior to the Response Date, and request written clarification or interpretation of any perceived discrepancy, deficiency, ambiguity, error, or omission contained therein, or of any provision which the Bidder fails to understand or to which the Bidder is suggesting a change. Failure of the Bidder to so examine and inform itself shall be at its sole risk, and no relief for error or omission will be provided by the MBTA. Bidders shall submit, and the MBTA will respond to, questions and requests for written clarification in accordance with this Section 3.7.

Questions and clarification requests shall be minimized or aggregated to the extent possible. All questions and clarification requests shall be made by Bidder through the “Bid Q&A” tab in COMMBUYS. Such comments and questions may be submitted at any time prior to the applicable date specified in Section 3.3 or such later date as may be specified in any addendum and shall: (i) identify the document; (ii) identify the relevant section number and page number) or, if it is a general question, indicate so; and (iii) not identify the Bidder in the body of the question or contain proprietary or confidential information. Questions submitted in any other format or method than that described above will not be considered.

Responses to requests for clarification or questions will be provided in writing and issued by the MBTA’s Point of Contact via the COMMBUYS. In addition, the MBTA reserves the right to, in its sole discretion, not answer all questions submitted by Bidders.

It is the Bidder’s responsibility to verify the MBTA’s receipt of questions and clarification requests.

RFP Addendum The MBTA reserves the right to issue addenda to the RFP after initial publication.

It is each Bidder’s responsibility to monitor COMMBUYS for any addenda and any Bid Q&A records related to this RFP. The MBTA and the Commonwealth accept no responsibility and will provide no accommodation to Bidders who submit their Response based on an out-of-date RFP or on information received from a source other than COMMBUYS.

The Bidder shall acknowledge in its Technical Proposal Cover Letter (see Enclosure 1) receipt of all addenda and question and answer responses. Failure to acknowledge such receipt may cause the Response to be deemed non-responsive and be rejected.

MBTA Standard Contract and Terms & Conditions The MBTA does not encourage attempts to negotiate the Section 8.0 Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Standard Contract Terms & Conditions. Many of these provisions are required by law; others are longstanding MBTA policy / practice. Accordingly, Bidders / proposers should only redline or object to provisions that they find absolutely unacceptable. Any rejection or modification of these provisions may disqualify a Bid / proposal as being non-responsive or non-compliant.

Confidentiality / Public Information Act Disclosure Requests Disclosure Waiver Each Bidder, by submitting a Response to the MBTA in response to the RFP, consents to the disclosures described in this RFP, including this Section and all other disclosures required by law, and expressly waives any right to contest, impede, prevent, or delay such disclosure, or to initiate any proceeding that may have the effect of impeding, preventing, or delaying such disclosure, under Mass. Gen. Laws, ch. 66 (the Massachusetts Public Records Law or “Public Records Law”) or any other law relating to the confidentiality or disclosure of information. Under no circumstances will the MBTA be responsible or liable to a Bidder or any other party as a result of disclosing any such materials. Each Bidder hereby further agrees to assist the MBTA in complying with these disclosure requirements.

Public Disclosure of Response Documents Subject to applicable law, after execution of the Contract, or in the event that the procurement is cancelled by the MBTA, the MBTA shall have the right to publicly disclose any and all portions of all Responses. The MBTA will not disclose material deemed confidential by the MBTA in accordance with Section 3.10.3, unless otherwise required by law.

Disclosure Process for Requests Under the Public Records Law All written correspondence, exhibits, reports, printed material, photographs, tapes, electronic disks, and other graphic and visual aids submitted to the MBTA during this procurement process, including as part of the response to this RFP, become the property of the MBTA upon their receipt by the MBTA and will not be returned to the submitting parties. Except as provided by applicable law, all materials submitted to the MBTA are subject to release as public records. Bidders shall familiarize themselves with the provisions of applicable law (including the Public Records Law) pertaining to disclosure of information in the MBTA’s possession. In no event shall the MBTA, or any of its agents, representatives, consultants, directors, officers, or employees, be liable to a Bidder or Bidder team member for the disclosure of all or a portion of a Response or related information submitted during this procurement.

If a Bidder has special concerns about information which it desires to make available to the MBTA but which it believes constitutes a trade secret, proprietary information, or other information excepted from disclosure, such responding Bidder shall specifically and conspicuously designate that information by placing “TRADE SECRET - PROPRIETARY” in the header or footer of each such page affected and by identifying such trade secret, proprietary information in the Technical Proposal Cover Letter (see Enclosure 1). Nothing contained in this provision shall modify or amend requirements and obligations imposed on the MBTA by the Public Records Law or other applicable law. The provisions applicable law, including the Public Records Law, shall control in the event of a conflict between the procedures described above and the applicable law.

If the MBTA receives a request for public disclosure of all or any portion of a Response or its related information that is designated as ”Trade Secret - Proprietary,” the MBTA will endeavor to use reasonable efforts to notify the applicable Bidder of the request. The Bidder can assert, in writing and at its sole expense, a claimed exception under the Public Records Law or other applicable law, within the time period specified in the notice issued by the MBTA and allowed under the Public Records Law. The Bidder can choose to defend any action seeking release of the records it believes to be confidential information. The Bidder shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the MBTA and its agents and employees in connection with the Bidder’s opposition to a public records request, and such indemnification shall include all damages, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorney’s fees) the MBTA incurs because of or arising out of the Bidder’s opposition to any public records request. This indemnification survives the MBTA’s cancellation or termination of this procurement or award and subsequent execution of a Contract. In submitting a Response, the Bidder agrees that this indemnification survives as long as any information submitted by the Bidder is in the possession of the MBTA.

The MBTA shall not under any circumstance be responsible for securing a protective order or other relief enjoining the release of information marked “Trade Secret – Proprietary” in any Response, nor shall the MBTA be in any way financially responsible for any costs associated with securing any such order or for any loss associated with the release of information marked “Trade Secret – Proprietary” or otherwise.

Business Conduct All Responses submitted by a Bidder to the MBTA shall be made without collusion with any other Bidder(s) submitting a Response to this RFP.

Bidder shall not directly or indirectly, in relation to this RFP, give, promise, attempt to give, or approve or authorize the giving of anything of value, including by transferring all or part of the remuneration payable under any Contract, to:

1. any person employed or representing the MBTA;

1. any other person, including any public official;

1. a political party or a labor union controlled by any governmental authority or political party; or

1. a charitable or other organization, or an officer, director, or employee thereof, or any person acting directly or indirectly on behalf of the same for the purpose of (i) securing any improper advantage for either Bidder or the MBTA; (ii) inducing or influencing a public official improperly to take any action or refrain from taking any action in order for either Bidder or the MBTA to obtain or retain business, or to secure the direction of business to either Bidder or the MBTA, or (iii) inducing or influencing a public official to use his or her influence with any governmental authority or public international organization for any such purpose.

Collusion By the submission of a Bid in response to the RFP, the Bidder represents and certifies that its Bid is made without collusion with any other Bidder submitting a Bid on the same commodity / service and is in all respects fair and without fraud.

Prices Each Bid must contain the unit price(s) / rate(s) or lump sum price, extended price(s), and the grand total of the Bid. Bidders shall submit their pricing using Form D: Requested RFP Pricing Form. The unit price / rate shall prevail in case of an error in price extension. Prices submitted shall be valid throughout the Acceptance Period.

Acceptance Period From and after the Response Due Date identified in Section 3.3 (as amended) the MBTA shall have one hundred and eighty (180) calendar days to award a Contract based on this RFP. Such 180-day period is the “Acceptance Period.” The Bidder’s Bid is irrevocable and shall remain open and available for acceptance by the MBTA during the entirety of the Acceptance Period. The MBTA reserves the right to extend the Acceptance Period with respect to any or all Bidders upon obtaining the applicable Bidder’s written consent to such extension.

Eligible Entities Any contract resulting from this Bid will be available for use by all MassDOT divisions and departments.

Pre-Contractual Expenses The MBTA shall not be liable for any pre-contractual expenses incurred by the Bidder in connection with this RFP. The Bidder shall not include any such expenses as part of its proposal. Pre-contractual expenses include all expenses the Bidder incurs prior to the date the MBTA enters into a Contract with any Bidder (or prior to the MBTA’s withdrawal or cancellation of the RFP, as the case may be), such as, but not limited to, expenses the Bidder incurs in preparing its Bid, submitting its Bid to the MBTA, negotiating with the MBTA any matter related to this RFP, and inspection, testing, shipping, and return shipping of proposed goods or samples.

Tax Exemption The MBTA is exempt from Federal Excise Tax, including Transportation Tax, and will furnish properly executed tax exemption certificates upon request. The MBTA is also exempt from Massachusetts State Sales Tax — Exemption Number E-042-323-989. Such taxes should not be included in Bid prices.

The Bidder alone shall be responsible for payment of all federal, state and local taxes of all types and kinds applicable to any Agreement it enters into with the MBTA and/or to the compensation it receives from the MBTA or any other party in connection with such Agreement.

Insurance The insurance policies that the successful bidder shall carry are outlined in the attached Minimum Insurance Requirements document with this solicitation. The successful bidder shall submit proof of insurance for the requirements detailed at the time of submitting their bid. If proof of insurance is not available at the time the Bidder submits its Bid, the successful bidder certifies that it will carry such insurance policies and all costs associated with the insurance requirements are included in its Bid pricing. The successful bidder shall provide proof of all required insurance within three business days of conditional notice of award.

SUBMISSION OF RESPONSE

Response Submissions Responses shall be submitted via COMMBUYS.

Each Response shall be submitted in the following two parts:

1. Technical Response including:

· Bid Cover Letter

· Power of Attorney (as described in Section 4.2 of this RFP)

· Form A: Pre-Award Bidder Evaluation Data Form

· Form B: Technical Response

· Form C: Small Business Program Attestation Form

· Other items as applicable

1. Price Response as a separate document, including:

· Form D: Price Response

The specific requirements for submission of the Technical Response are set forth in Form B. The specific requirements for submission of the Price Response are set forth in Form D.

If a Bidder is a team, whether or not legally formed, the Bid Cover Letter shall be signed by all parties to the Bidder so that the Response is legally binding upon each member of the Bidder.

Any interlineations, erasures or overwriting in the Response will only be valid if they are initialed by the Authorized Signatories.

Bidders shall submit Responses including all forms and schedules and shall not remove pages from the provided forms. The Technical Response and Price Response shall be completely separate documents. Bidder Financials shall be included in Technical Proposal only.

Any Response which materially fails to meet the Response requirements of the RFP will be found non-responsive without further evaluation unless the evaluation team, at its discretion, determines that the non-compliance is insubstantial and can be corrected. In these cases, the evaluation team may allow the Bidder to make minor corrections to the Response.

Power of Attorney Bidder shall enclose a power of attorney in its own form, duly signed by a legally authorized officer of the Bidder authorizing the Authorized Signatories to sign the Response and bind the Bidder to the Response.

Acceptance of Response The Response constitutes a binding offer by the Bidder to enter into the Contract, and the MBTA shall have the right to accept or reject such offer and/or any conditions proposed in full or in part. If the Response is accepted, the Bidder shall conclude the Contract with the MBTA based on the RFP, any addenda, the Response and any agreed amendments or modifications thereto. Until the formal Contract is signed, Bidder has no authority to proceed with the Scope of Services or to incur any costs for which MBTA may be held liable. The MBTA shall have no obligations to Bidder until a formal contract has been entered into.

Incomplete Response If Bidder does not fully comply with this RFP, or if the Response is incomplete or vague, the Response may not be considered, unless the MBTA in its absolute discretion decides otherwise.

MBTA POLICIES

Small, Minority, Women, and Other Disadvantaged Businesses It is the policy of the Commonwealth and the MBTA to ensure non-discrimination in the Procurement of goods and services by continually modernizing systems and processes to include diversity criteria within state-funded RFPs greater than $250k. All awarded prime vendors that commit to partnerships with diverse subcontractors will be responsible for submitting a Supplier Diversity Affidavit detailing any spend with subcontractors monthly. Direct spend with subcontractors will be prioritized over indirect spend.

The MBTA is dedicated to promoting more equitable opportunities in state contracting, and to that end, encourages full participation of the Commonwealth’s Supplier Diversity Office’s recognized certifications, which include small business, Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), Women Business Enterprises (WBEs), Veterans Business Enterprises (VBEs), Service-Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises (SDVOBEs), Disability-Owned Business Enterprises (DOBEs), and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Business Enterprises (LGBTBEs) and Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs). The MBTA also acknowledges certifications by third-party certifying organizations including the Greater New England Minority Supplier Development Council (GNEMSDC), Center for Women & Enterprise (CWE) (New England - WBENC), City of Boston, VetBiz/U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, NGLCC - National LGBT Chamber of Commerce, Disability: IN (formerly The US Business Leadership Network-USBLN). More on how to certify through the Supplier Diversity Office can be found here: https://www.mass.gov/certification-program-for-sdo.

SELECTION PROCESS AND EVALUATION

Response Opening and Confidentiality Subject to applicable law, prior to Contract execution, the MBTA intends to treat all information received from each Bidder as confidential information to be used for the purpose of evaluating the Response.

Responsiveness Review and Basis of Award The MBTA reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to determine if a Bid is responsive and the Bidder is responsible. In determining whether a Bidder has the ability to perform successfully under the terms and conditions of the proposed procurement, the MBTA will consider such matters as the Bidder’s integrity, compliance with public policy (e.g., EEO record, attainment of DBE goal, debarment status, etc.), record of past performance, and financial and technical resources. Bidder is required to complete Form A: Pre-Award Bidder Evaluation Data Form.

Upon receipt, the Technical Responses will be reviewed for responsiveness to the RFP requirements. The Technical Responses will be reviewed for (i) deficiencies and minor informalities, irregularities, and apparent clerical mistakes which are unrelated to the substantive content of the Response; (ii) conformance to the RFP instructions regarding organization and format; and (iii) the responsiveness of the Bidder to the requirements set forth in this RFP. The MBTA may request Bidder clarification of any minor informalities, irregularities, and apparent clerical mistakes, after which the MBTA may evaluate the Response, at the MBTA’s sole discretion.

Those Technical Responses not responsive to this RFP may at the MBTA’s sole discretion be excluded from further consideration and the Bidder will be so advised.

After completion of the evaluation of the remaining Technical Responses, the remaining Price Responses will be reviewed for responsiveness to the RFP requirements. The Price Responses will be reviewed for (i) deficiencies and minor informalities, irregularities, and apparent clerical mistakes which are unrelated to the substantive content of the Response; (ii) conformance to the RFP instructions regarding organization and format; and (iii) the responsiveness of the Bidder to the requirements set forth in this RFP. The MBTA may request Bidder clarification of any minor informalities, irregularities, and apparent clerical mistakes after which the MBTA may evaluate the Response, at the MBTA’s sole discretion.

Those Price Responses not responsive to this RFP may at the MBTA’s sole discretion be excluded from further consideration and the Bidder will be so advised.

The MBTA may also exclude from consideration any Bidder whose Response contains a material misrepresentation.

Evaluation and Notification The MBTA will evaluate each Response and seek clarifications as necessary through requests for clarification or in meetings to be arranged at MBTA discretion. The MBTA will evaluate Responses based on a combination of Pass/Fail Criteria, Technical Evaluation Criteria, and Price Responses. The process may, at the MBTA’s sole discretion, include (i) requests for additional written information or clarification from any Bidder; (ii) requests for oral interviews; (iii) requests for best and final offers (”BAFOs”); and/or (iv) a negotiations phase.

Pass/Fail Evaluation The Proposal will be evaluated based on the Pass/Fail Evaluation Criteria identified below. Each Bidder must obtain a “pass” on all Pass/Fail Evaluation Criteria in order for its Response to be eligible for selection. The MBTA may request Bidder clarification on a Pass/Fail Evaluation Criteria, after which MBTA may re-evaluate the Response, at MBTA’s sole discretion.

Technical Response and Supplier Diversity Evaluation Criteria Each criterion will be evaluated considering all of the information included in the Technical Proposal related to the criterion, as well as other information gathered from references, presentations, and on-site visits.

In addition to the Technical Response and Evaluation Criteria below, responses will also be evaluated based on the Supplier Diversity Criteria which, will account for 25% of the overall technical scoring. The MBTA seeks Proposals that incorporate participation by M/WBE’s, minority individuals, and women in as many aspects of the services as possible. MBTA’s goal is to select a Contractor who uses creativity to incorporate participation in this contract and is committed to an exceptional and comprehensive program for achieving the diversity and inclusion goals of this RFP as further described.

The MBTA may at its own expense and upon reasonable notice, visit and inspect current operations of the Bidder and/or any proposed subcontractors, including the premises, facilities, equipment, personnel and other resources, and carry out related appraisals as part of the Response evaluation prior to entering into any Contract.

The Technical Evaluation Criteria are identified and detailed below.

Technical Response Evaluation Criteria Company History & Relevant Prior Experience Metadata Management, Core Functionality and Features Scalability and Performance Ease of Use and User Interface Data Integration and Connectivity Data Governance Capabilities Data Quality and Compliance Security and Privacy Systems Integration: Document & Records Management software Interface capabilities.

Vendor Technical Support, Training, and User Experience Accessibility Supplier Diversity

The Technical Evaluation Criteria and the Supplier Diversity Criteria will be rated using a numerical rating approach. This will be based on the following scoring scale.

Excellent (5 Points Awarded): The Bidder has presented and supported an approach that is considered to significantly exceed stated criteria in a way that is beneficial to the MBTA. This rating indicates a consistently outstanding level of quality, with very little or no risk that this Bidder would fail to meet the requirements of the solicitation. There are no weaknesses.

Good (4 Points Awarded): The Bidder has presented and supported an approach that is considered to meet the stated criteria. This rating indicates a generally better than acceptable quality, with little risk that this Bidder would fail to meet the requirements of the solicitation. Weaknesses, if any, are very minor and not material to the Response. Correction of the weaknesses would not be necessary before the Response would be considered further.

Satisfactory (3 Points Awarded): The Bidder has presented and supported an approach that is considered to possibly meet the stated criteria. This rating indicates a level of risk to the MBTA. Weaknesses exist but may be corrected through requests for clarification.

Fair (2 Point Awarded): The Bidder has presented and supported an approach that fails to meet stated criteria and would pose a clear risk to the MBTA. The issues may be susceptible to correction through major and lengthy discussions. Such a response is considered marginal in terms of the basic content or amount of information provided for evaluation.

Poor (1 Points Awarded): The Bidder has presented and supported an approach that indicates significant weaknesses or unacceptable quality or fails to include evidence that it can provide the services requested. The Response fails to meet the stated criteria or lacks essential information. There is no reasonable likelihood of success; weaknesses are so major or extensive that a major revision to the Response would be necessary.

Bidders must obtain a minimum average score of 3 from the Selection Committee on each Technical Evaluation Criterion and rank among the top three highest Technical Proposal Scores in order to qualify for an on-site visit.

The Bidders, which maintain a minimum average score of 3 from the Selection Committee on each Technical Evaluation Criterion after the on-visit re-evaluation and rank among the top three highest Technical Proposal Scores will progress to Price Proposal Evaluation.

Price Response Evaluation Price will be evaluated in combination with the Technical Evaluation Criteria and the Supplier Diversity Criteria listed above. While the MBTA seeks to minimize costs, the selection of a winning Proposal will be made on a best-value basis.

Basis of Award: Best – Value Proposal Bidder is advised that the MBTA shall not be bound to accept the lowest priced Response or the Response with the highest Technical Response Score. The selection will be made on a best-value basis, evaluating price along with other factors. For purposes of this procurement, all evaluation factors other than price, when combined, are more important than the lowest price. Therefore, the MBTA may decline to select the lowest-priced, technically acceptable Proposal, if the MBTA determines that another, higher-priced Proposal demonstrates sufficient additional technical merit to justify the additional cost. Similarly, price will be an important factor in differentiating between Proposals of comparable technical merit.

In order to make a selection, the MBTA will determine whether the Responses are responsive and evaluate the Pass/Fail Evaluation Criteria, Technical Evaluation and the Supplier Diversity Criteria, and assign an overall Technical Proposal Score. After the determination of the Technical Proposal Score, the MBTA will evaluate the Price Responses of the remaining Bidders. If applicable, the MBTA will determine the best value by analyzing whether the perceived benefits of the higher priced Response merit the additional cost.

The MBTA will not select any Bidder that receives a rating of fail on any Pass/Fail Evaluation Criteria or less than an average of 2 on any Technical Evaluation Criteria and the . The MBTA will not select any Bidder that the MBTA determines has submitted a non-responsive Technical or Price Response or to have submitted any pricing information that is not reasonable. The MBTA reserves the right to accept or reject, at its sole discretion, any or all Responses in full or in part.

Successful Bidder The successful Bidder will be posted in COMMBUYS. If applicable, all unsuccessful Bidders shall immediately return all confidential information to the MBTA.

MBTA Reserved

In connection with this RFP, the MBTA reserves to itself all rights (which rights shall be exercisable by the MBTA in its sole discretion) available to it under applicable laws, including without limitation, with or without cause and with or without notice, the right to:

a) Modify the RFP process in its sole discretion to address applicable law and/or the best interests of the MBTA.

b) Develop the work to be performed under the Contract in any manner that it, in its sole discretion, deems necessary.