RFP 2025-0500-0038 - Alaska Reads Act External Evaluator.pdf

STATE OF ALASKA

REQUEST FOR

PROPOSALS

OFFERORS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO RETURN THIS FORM.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: IF YOU RECEIVED THIS SOLICITATION FROM THE STATE OF ALASKA’S

“ONLINE PUBLIC NOTICE” WEB SITE, YOU MUST REGISTER WITH THE PROCUREMENT OFFICER

LISTED IN THIS DOCUMENT TO RECEIVE NOTIFICATION OF SUBSEQUENT AMENDMENTS. FAILURE

TO CONTACT THE PROCUREMENT OFFICER MAY RESULT IN THE REJECTION OF YOUR OFFER.

ISSUED BY:

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND EARLY

DEVELOPMENT

DIVISION OF INNOVATION AND

EDUCATION EXCELLENCE

PRIMARY CONTACT:

DISNEY RAMOS

PROCUREMENT OFFICER

DISNEY.RAMOS@ALASKA.GOV

(907) 269-3484

ALASKA READS ACT EXTERNAL EVALUATOR

RFP 2025-0500-0038

ISSUED 7/18/2024

THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND EARLY DEVELOPMENT (DEED) IS SEEKING AN EXTERNAL

EVALUATOR TO ASSIST IN DOCUMENTING AND REPORTING THE PROGRESS OF THE ALASKA READS ACT.

THIS EVALUATOR WILL UTILIZE DIVERSE MEASURES TO ADDRESS KEY EVALUATION QUESTIONS AND ASSESS THE ACT'S IMPLEMENTATION EFFECTIVENESS. THEIR EXPERTISE WILL OFFER COMPREHENSIVE

INSIGHTS TO SUPPORT DEED IN FULFILLING ITS REPORTING OBLIGATIONS AND REFINING PROGRAM

STRATEGIES.

STATE OF ALASKA – REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RFP 2025-0500-0038

2 Rev. 2/24

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION & INSTRUCTIONS

SEC. 1.01 PURPOSE OF THE RFP

SEC. 1.02 BUDGET

SEC. 1.03 DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF PROPOSALS

SEC. 1.04 PRIOR EXPERIENCE

SEC. 1.05 REQUIRED REVIEW

SEC. 1.06 QUESTIONS PRIOR TO DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF PROPOSALS

SEC. 1.07 RETURN INSTRUCTIONS

SEC. 1.08 ASSISTANCE TO OFFERORS WITH A DISABILITY

SEC. 1.09 AMENDMENTS TO PROPOSALS

SEC. 1.10 AMENDMENTS TO THE RFP

SEC. 1.11 RFP SCHEDULE

SEC. 1.12 ALTERNATE PROPOSALS

SEC. 1.13 NEWS RELEASES

SECTION 2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

SEC. 2.01 BACKGROUND INFORMATION

SCOPE OF WORK & CONTRACT INFORMATION

SEC. 2.02 SCOPE OF WORK

SEC. 2.03 CONTRACT TERM AND WORK SCHEDULE

SEC. 2.04 DELIVERABLES

SEC. 2.05 CONTRACT TYPE

SEC. 2.06 PROPOSED PAYMENT PROCEDURES

SEC. 2.07 CONTRACT PAYMENT

SEC. 2.08 LOCATION OF WORK

SEC. 2.09 SUBCONTRACTORS

SEC. 2.10 JOINT VENTURES

SEC. 2.11 RIGHT TO INSPECT PLACE OF BUSINESS

SEC. 2.12 CONTRACT PERSONNEL

SEC. 2.13 INSPECTION & MODIFICATION - REIMBURSEMENT FOR UNACCEPTABLE DELIVERABLES

SEC. 2.14 CONTRACT CHANGES - UNANTICIPATED AMENDMENTS

SEC. 2.15 NONDISCLOSURE AND CONFIDENTIALITY

SEC. 2.16 INDEMNIFICATION

SEC. 2.17 INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

SEC. 2.18 TERMINATION FOR DEFAULT

SECTION 3. PROPOSAL FORMAT AND CONTENT

SEC. 3.01 RFP SUBMITTAL FORMS

SEC. 3.02 SPECIAL FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS

SEC. 3.03 OFFEROR INFORMATION AND CERTIFICATIONS (SUBMITTAL FORM A)

SEC. 3.04 EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS (SUBMITTAL FORM B)

SEC. 3.05 UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROJECT (SUBMITTAL FORM C)

SEC. 3.06 METHODOLOGY USED FOR THE PROJECT (SUBMITTAL FORM D)

SEC. 3.07 MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE PROJECT (SUBMITTAL FORM E)

SEC. 3.08 COST PROPOSAL (SUBMITTAL FORM F)

SECTION 4. EVALUATION CRITERIA AND CONTRACTOR SELECTION

SEC. 4.01 SUMMARY OF EVALUATION PROCESS

SEC. 4.02 EVALUATION CRITERIA

SEC. 4.03 SCORING METHOD AND CALCULATION

SEC. 4.04 EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

SEC. 4.05 UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROJECT

SEC. 4.06 METHODOLOGY USED FOR THE PROJECT

SEC. 4.07 MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE PROJECT

SEC. 4.08 CONTRACT COST (COST PROPOSAL)

SEC. 4.09 ALASKA OFFEROR PREFERENCE

SECTION 5. GENERAL PROCESS AND LEGAL INFORMATION

SEC. 5.01 INFORMAL DEBRIEFING

SEC. 5.02 ALASKA BUSINESS LICENSE AND OTHER REQUIRED LICENSES

SEC. 5.03 SITE INSPECTION

SEC. 5.04 CLARIFICATION OF OFFERS

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SEC. 5.05 DISCUSSIONS WITH OFFERORS

SEC. 5.06 EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS

SEC. 5.07 CONTRACT NEGOTIATION

SEC. 5.08 FAILURE TO NEGOTIATE

SEC. 5.09 OFFEROR NOTIFICATION OF SELECTION

SEC. 5.10 PROTEST

SEC. 5.11 APPLICATION OF PREFERENCES

SEC. 5.12 ALASKA BIDDER PREFERENCE

SEC. 5.13 ALASKA VETERAN PREFERENCE

SEC. 5.14 STANDARD CONTRACT PROVISIONS

SEC. 5.15 QUALIFIED OFFERORS

SEC. 5.16 PROPOSAL AS PART OF THE CONTRACT

SEC. 5.17 ADDITIONAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

SEC. 5.18 HUMAN TRAFFICKING

SEC. 5.19 RIGHT OF REJECTION

SEC. 5.20 STATE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR PREPARATION COSTS

SEC. 5.21 DISCLOSURE OF PROPOSAL CONTENTS

SEC. 5.22 ASSIGNMENT

SEC. 5.23 FORCE MAJEURE (IMPOSSIBILITY TO PERFORM)

SEC. 5.24 DISPUTES

SEC. 5.25 SEVERABILITY

SEC. 5.26 SUPPLEMENTAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

SEC. 5.27 SOLICITATION ADVERTISING

SEC. 5.28 FEDERALLY IMPOSED TARIFFS

SECTION 6. ATTACHMENTS

SEC. 6.01 ATTACHMENTS

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INTRODUCTION & INSTRUCTIONS

SEC. 1.01 PURPOSE OF THE RFP

The Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) is seeking an external evaluator to assist in documenting and reporting the progress of the Alaska Reads Act. This evaluator will utilize diverse measures to address key evaluation questions and assess the Act's implementation effectiveness. Their expertise will offer comprehensive insights to support DEED in fulfilling its reporting obligations and refining program strategies.

SEC. 1.02 BUDGET

Department of Education and Early Development, Division of Innovation and Education Excellence, estimates a budget of up-to $750,000 dollars for completion of this project. Proposals priced at more than $750,000 will be considered non-responsive. The total will be divided equally into five (5) possible terms.

Renewals are granted at the discretion of the State of Alaska.

• Term 1: Date of contract award to June 30, 2026

• Optional Term 2: July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2028

• Optional Term 3: July 1, 2028 to June 30,2030

• Optional Term 4: July 1, 2030 to June 30, 2032

• Optional Term 5: July 1, 2032 to June 30, 2034

Approval or continuation of a contract resulting from this RFP is contingent upon legislative appropriation.

SEC. 1.03 DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF PROPOSALS

Proposals must be received no later than 3:00pm prevailing Alaska Standard Time on August 9, 2024, as indicated by postmark or email timestamp and late proposals will not be considered.

SEC. 1.04 PRIOR EXPERIENCE

In order for offers to be considered responsive offerors must meet these minimum prior experience requirements:

1. Five Years in Education Data Analysis: Minimum of five years' experience directly analyzing education data, including reading outcomes for grade 3 students.

2. Report Creation Proficiency: Demonstrated ability to create concise reports on reading outcome progress, both annually and at program completion.

3. Strong Data Analysis Skills: Proficiency in statistical analysis and deriving insights from large datasets.

4. Assessment Score Evaluation: Capability to evaluate assessment scores across diverse student groups to assess program effectiveness.

5. Cost-Effectiveness Analysis: Experience in assessing the cost-effectiveness of education interventions for reading improvement initiatives.

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An offeror's failure to meet these minimum prior experience requirements will cause their proposal to be considered non-responsive and rejected.

SEC. 1.05 REQUIRED REVIEW

Offerors should carefully review this solicitation for defects and questionable or objectionable material.

Comments concerning defects and questionable or objectionable material should be made in writing and received by the procurement officer at least ten days before the deadline for receipt of proposals. This will allow time for the issuance of any necessary amendments. It will also help prevent the opening of a defective proposal and exposure of offeror's proposals upon which award could not be made.

SEC. 1.06 QUESTIONS PRIOR TO DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF

PROPOSALS

All questions must be in writing and directed to the procurement officer at eed.procurement@alaska.gov.

Two types of questions generally arise. One may be answered by directing the questioner to a specific section of the RFP. Other questions may be more complex and may require a written amendment to the RFP. The procurement officer will make that decision. Questions are due no later than 3:00pm prevailing Alaska Standard Time on July 29, 2024.

EMAIL ADDRESS: eed.procurement@alaska.gov

PROCUREMENT OFFICER: Disney Ramos – PHONE (907) 269-3484 - TDD 1-800-770-8973

SEC. 1.07 RETURN INSTRUCTIONS

When submitting a proposal via email, the technical proposal and cost proposal must be saved as separate PDF documents and emailed to eed.procurement@alaska.gov as separate, clearly labeled attachments, such as “Vendor A – Technical Proposal.pdf” and “Vendor A – Cost Proposal.pdf”. The email must contain the RFP number in the subject line, RFP 2025-0500-0038.

The maximum size of a single email (including all text and attachments) that can be received by the state is 20mb (megabytes). If the email containing the proposal exceeds this size, the proposal must be sent in multiple emails that are each less than 20 megabytes and each email must comply with the requirements described above.

Please note that email transmission is not instantaneous. When emailing your proposal, the state recommends sending it with enough time to ensure the email is delivered by the deadline for receipt of proposals.

It is the offeror’s responsibility to contact the issuing agency at (907) 269-3484 to confirm that the proposal has been received. The state is not responsible for unreadable, corrupt, or missing attachments.

SEC. 1.08 ASSISTANCE TO OFFERORS WITH A DISABILITY

Offerors with a disability may receive accommodation regarding the means of communicating this RFP or participating in the procurement process. For more information, contact the procurement officer no later than ten days prior to the deadline for receipt of proposals.

mailto:eed.procurement@alaska.gov mailto:eed.procurement@alaska.gov mailto:eed.procurement@alaska.gov

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SEC. 1.09 AMENDMENTS TO PROPOSALS

Amendments to or withdrawals of proposals will only be allowed if acceptable requests are received prior to the deadline that is set for receipt of proposals. No amendments or withdrawals will be accepted after the deadline unless they are in response to the state's request in accordance with 2 AAC 12.290.

SEC. 1.10 AMENDMENTS TO THE RFP

If an amendment is issued before the deadline for receipt of proposals, the amendment will be posted on the State of Alaska Online Public Notice (OPN) website. The link to the posting of the amendment will be provided to all who were notified of the RFP and to those who have registered with the procurement officer after receiving the RFP from the OPN.

After receipt of proposals, if there is a need for any substantial clarification or material change in the RFP, an amendment will be issued. The amendment will incorporate the clarification or change, and a new date and time established for new or amended proposals. Evaluations may be adjusted as a result of receiving new or amended proposals.

SEC. 1.11 RFP SCHEDULE

RFP schedule set out herein represents the state’s best estimate of the schedule that will be followed. If a component of this schedule, such as the deadline for receipt of proposals, is delayed, the rest of the schedule may be shifted accordingly. All times are Alaska Standard Time.

ACTIVITY TIME DATE

Issue Date / RFP Released 3:00pm 7/18/2024 Pre-proposal Questions Due 3:00pm 7/29/2024 Deadline for Receipt of Proposals 3:00pm 8/9/2024 Proposal Evaluations Complete 3:00pm 8/15/2024 Notice of Intent to Award 5:00pm 8/15/2024 Contract Issued 3:00pm 8/26/2024

This RFP does not, by itself, obligate the state. The state's obligation will commence when the contract is approved by the Commissioner of the Department of Education and Early Development, or the Commissioner's designee. Upon written notice to the contractor, the state may set a different starting date for the contract. The state will not be responsible for any work done by the contractor, even work done in good faith, if it occurs prior to the contract start date set by the state.

SEC. 1.12 ALTERNATE PROPOSALS

Offerors may only submit one proposal for evaluation. In accordance with 2 AAC 12.830 alternate proposals (proposals that offer something different than what is asked for) will be rejected.

SEC. 1.13 NEWS RELEASES

News releases related to this RFP will not be made without prior approval of the project director.

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SECTION 2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

SEC. 2.01 BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Supporting all students to read at grade level by the end of third grade is the top priority identified in Alaska's Education Challenge.

The Department of Education & Early Development is responsible for supporting and training pre-kindergarten through third grade teachers, curriculum specialists, and other educators by providing evidence-based instructional strategies on literacy. In June 2022, Governor Dunleavy signed the Alaska Reads Act into law, creating four components to support early literacy.

The Four Components of the Reads Act:

• District Reading Intervention Program

• Department Reading Program

• Early Education Program

• Alaska Distance Learning Consortium

Several teams were created to manage the planning and implementation of the Alaska Reads Act. In addition to the four main components of the Act listed above, the department needed to address new requirements for Teacher Qualifications and evaluate new data collection requirements.

A Report to the Legislature is required annually. This report will be created in partnership with an external evaluator. Section 50 of the Alaska Reads Act outlines the requirements for this report (page 44).

https://education.alaska.gov/akedchallenge https://education.alaska.gov/akreads/district-reading-intervention https://education.alaska.gov/akreads/department-reading-program https://education.alaska.gov/akreads/early-education-programs2 https://education.alaska.gov/akreads/virtual-education-consortium https://education.alaska.gov/alaska-reading-resources/Teacher-Qualifications https://education.alaska.gov/akreads/20230630%20-%20Fall_SummerOASISDataElementsForDistricts%20FINAL.pdf https://www.akleg.gov/PDF/32/Bills/HB0114Z.PDF

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SCOPE OF WORK & CONTRACT INFORMATION

SEC. 2.02 SCOPE OF WORK

The Alaska Reads Act requires an annual report on the progress of its programs. To fulfill this requirement, the Department of Education and Early Development (DEED) seeks an external evaluator. The evaluator will work closely with DEED to ensure that evaluation activities align with program goals and provide valuable insights.

The evaluator's responsibilities include:

• Clarifying program goals and identifying measures of success in collaboration with DEED.

• Designing evaluation methodologies and creating data collection tools.

• Analyzing data and statistics from program implementations on an annual basis.

• Reporting program outcomes based on multiple measures.

• Compiling an annual report on program progress towards goals.

Evaluation Activities:

• Collecting and analyzing student achievement data, including literacy assessments and English learner progress.

• Collaborating with partners to gather relevant information.

• Conducting annual interviews with DEED staff and surveys with district leadership and educators.

• Reviewing project documentation for additional insights on implementation.

Data Analysis:

• Analyzing both quantitative (e.g., descriptive statistics) and qualitative data (e.g., thematic summaries).

• Providing DEED with an annual report on the evaluation findings.

Data Collection:

• Only adults will be involved in survey and interview procedures, which are voluntary.

• Student-level data will be limited to existing achievement records.

• Stringent procedures will be followed to ensure data security and confidentiality.

Overall, the evaluation aims to assess the Alaska Reads Act's impact while safeguarding participant confidentiality and complying with ethical standards.

SEC. 2.03 CONTRACT TERM AND WORK SCHEDULE

The length of the contract will be from the date of award, approximately September 2024, until completion, approximately June 30, 2026.

Unless otherwise provided in this RFP, the State and the successful offeror/contractor agree: (1) that any extension of the contract excluding any exercised renewal options, will be considered as a month-to-month extension, and all other terms and conditions shall remain in full force and effect and (2) the procurement officer will provide notice to the contractor of the intent to cancel such month-to-month extension at least

9 Rev. 2/24

30 days before the desired date of cancellation. A month-to-month extension may only be executed by the procurement officer via a written contract amendment.

SEC. 2.04 DELIVERABLES

The contractor will be required to provide the following deliverables:

1. Annual data collection, analysis, and reporting on program implementation.

2. Annual data collection, analysis, and reporting on program outcomes.

3. Annual evaluation of program cost-effectiveness.

4. Dissemination of program results on an annual basis.

5. Utilization of advanced statistical measures to demonstrate the effectiveness and progress of different aspects of the Alaska Reads Act.

6. Creation of documentation and explanations of statistical analyses for DEED presentations and reports, detailing effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and reading trends in Alaska.

7. Preparation of data and components for an annual progress report towards achieving goals, starting in fall 2024.

The deliverable milestone/timeline for the work is as follows:

Year 1:

• Collaborative clarification of program goals and research questions with DEED.

• Creation of an evaluation plan and data collection instruments, considering existing data collected by DEED.

• Preparation of data and components for the annual progress report towards achieving goals.

Year 2-10:

• Annual evaluation of program progress through data and statistical analysis.

• Ongoing data collection and statistical analysis to fulfill requirements outlined in point #4.

Annually:

• Preparation of a progress report towards the goals outlined in Alaska Reads Act.

SEC. 2.05 CONTRACT TYPE

This contract is a Fixed Price contract.

SEC. 2.06 PROPOSED PAYMENT PROCEDURES

The state will make payments based on a negotiated payment schedule. Each billing must consist of an invoice and progress report. No payment will be made until the progress report and invoice has been approved by the project director.

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SEC. 2.07 CONTRACT PAYMENT

No payment will be made until the contract is approved by the Commissioner of the Department of Education and Early Development or the Commissioner's designee. Under no conditions will the state be liable for the payment of any interest charges associated with the cost of the contract. The state is not responsible for and will not pay local, state, or federal taxes. All costs associated with the contract must be stated in U.S. currency.

Payment for agreements under $500,000 for the undisputed purchase of goods or services provided to a state agency, will be made within 30 days of the receipt of a proper billing or the delivery of the goods or services to the location(s) specified in the agreement, whichever is later. A late payment is subject to 1.5% interest per month on the unpaid balance. Interest will not be paid if there is a dispute or if there is an agreement that establishes a lower interest rate or precludes the charging of interest.

Any single contract payment of $1 million or higher must be accepted by the contractor via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT).

SEC. 2.08 LOCATION OF WORK

The state will not provide workspace for the contractor. The contractor must provide its own workspace.

Travel will be required, and all related expenses shall be included in vendor’s total cost proposal.

By signing their proposal, the offeror certifies that all services provided under this contract by the contractor and all subcontractors shall be performed in the United States.

If the offeror cannot certify that all work will be performed in the United States, the offeror must contact the procurement officer in writing to request a waiver at least 10 days prior to the deadline for receipt of proposals.

The request must include a detailed description of the portion of work that will be performed outside the United States, where, by whom, and the reason the waiver is necessary.

Failure to comply with these requirements may cause the state to reject the proposal as non-responsive or cancel the contract.

SEC. 2.09 SUBCONTRACTORS

Subcontractors will not be allowed.

SEC. 2.10 JOINT VENTURES

Joint ventures will not be allowed.

SEC. 2.11 RIGHT TO INSPECT PLACE OF BUSINESS

At reasonable times, the state may inspect those areas of the contractor's place of business that are related to the performance of a contract. If the state makes such an inspection, the contractor must provide reasonable assistance.

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SEC. 2.12 CONTRACT PERSONNEL

Any change of the project team members or subcontractors named in the proposal must be approved, in advance and in writing, by the project director and the procurement officer. Changes that are not approved by the state may be grounds for the state to terminate the contract.

SEC. 2.13 INSPECTION & MODIFICATION - REIMBURSEMENT FOR

UNACCEPTABLE DELIVERABLES

The contractor is responsible for the completion of all work set out in the contract. All work is subject to inspection, evaluation, and approval by the project director. The state may employ all reasonable means to ensure that the work is progressing and being performed in compliance with the contract. The project director or procurement officer may instruct the contractor to make corrections or modifications if needed in order to accomplish the contract’s intent. The contractor will not unreasonably withhold such changes.

Substantial failure of the contractor to perform the contract may cause the state to terminate the contract.

In this event, the state may require the contractor to reimburse monies paid (based on the identified portion of unacceptable work received) and may seek associated damages.

SEC. 2.14 CONTRACT CHANGES - UNANTICIPATED AMENDMENTS

During the course of this contract, the contractor may be required to perform additional work. That work will be within the general scope of the initial contract. When additional work is required, the project director will provide the contractor a written description of the additional work and request the contractor to submit a firm time schedule for accomplishing the additional work and a firm price for the additional work. Cost and pricing data must be provided to justify the cost of such amendments per AS 36.30.400.

The contractor will not commence additional work until the procurement officer has secured any required state approvals necessary for the amendment and issued a written contract amendment, approved by the Commissioner of the Department of Education and Early Development or the Commissioner's designee.

SEC. 2.15 NONDISCLOSURE AND CONFIDENTIALITY

Contractor agrees that all confidential information shall be used only for purposes of providing the deliverables and performing the services specified herein and shall not disseminate or allow dissemination of confidential information except as provided for in this section. The contractor shall hold as confidential and will use reasonable care (including both facility physical security and electronic security) to prevent unauthorized access by, storage, disclosure, publication, dissemination to and/or use by third parties of, the confidential information. “Reasonable care” means compliance by the contractor with all applicable federal and state law, including the Social Security Act and HIPAA. The contractor must promptly notify the state in writing if it becomes aware of any storage, disclosure, loss, unauthorized access to or use of the confidential information.

Confidential information, as used herein, means any data, files, software, information or materials (whether prepared by the state or its agents or advisors) in oral, electronic, tangible or intangible form and however stored, compiled or memorialized that is classified confidential as defined by State of Alaska classification and categorization guidelines provided by the state to the contractor or a contractor agent or otherwise made available to the contractor or a contractor agent in connection with this contract, or

12 Rev. 2/24 acquired, obtained or learned by the contractor or a contractor agent in the performance of this contract.

Examples of confidential information include, but are not limited to: technology infrastructure, architecture, financial data, trade secrets, equipment specifications, user lists, passwords, research data, and technology data (infrastructure, architecture, operating systems, security tools, IP addresses, etc).

If confidential information is requested to be disclosed by the contractor pursuant to a request received by a third party and such disclosure of the confidential information is required under applicable state or federal law, regulation, governmental or regulatory authority, the contractor may disclose the confidential information after providing the state with written notice of the requested disclosure ( to the extent such notice to the state is permitted by applicable law) and giving the state opportunity to review the request.

If the contractor receives no objection from the state, it may release the confidential information within 30 days. Notice of the requested disclosure of confidential information by the contractor must be provided to the state within a reasonable time after the contractor’s receipt of notice of the requested disclosure and, upon request of the state, shall seek to obtain legal protection from the release of the confidential information.

The following information shall not be considered confidential information: information previously known to be public information when received from the other party; information freely available to the general public; information which now is or hereafter becomes publicly known by other than a breach of confidentiality hereof; or information which is disclosed by a party pursuant to subpoena or other legal process and which as a result becomes lawfully obtainable by the general public.

SEC. 2.16 INDEMNIFICATION

The contractor shall indemnify, hold harmless, and defend the contracting agency from and against any claim of, or liability for error, omission, or negligent act of the contractor under this agreement. The contractor shall not be required to indemnify the contracting agency for a claim of, or liability for, the independent negligence of the contracting agency. If there is a claim of, or liability for, the joint negligent error or omission of the contractor and the independent negligence of the contracting agency, the indemnification and hold harmless obligation shall be apportioned on a comparative fault basis.

“Contractor” and “contracting agency”, as used within this and the following article, include the employees, agents and other contractors who are directly responsible, respectively, to each. The term “independent negligence” is negligence other than in the contracting agency’s selection, administration, monitoring, or controlling of the contractor and in approving or accepting the contractor’s work.

SEC. 2.17 INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS

Without limiting contractor's indemnification, it is agreed that contractor shall purchase at its own expense and maintain in force at all times during the performance of services under this agreement the following policies of insurance. Where specific limits are shown, it is understood that they shall be the minimum acceptable limits. If the contractor's policy contains higher limits, the state shall be entitled to coverage to the extent of such higher limits.

Certificates of Insurance must be furnished to the procurement officer prior to beginning work and must provide for a notice of cancellation, non-renewal, or material change of conditions in accordance with policy provisions. Failure to furnish satisfactory evidence of insurance or lapse of the policy is a material

13 Rev. 2/24 breach of this contract and shall be grounds for termination of the contractor's services. All insurance policies shall comply with and be issued by insurers licensed to transact the business of insurance under

AS 21.

Workers' Compensation Insurance: The contractor shall provide and maintain, for all employees engaged in work under this contract, coverage as required by AS 23.30.045, and where applicable, any other statutory obligations including but not limited to Federal U.S.L. & H. and Jones Act requirements. The policy must waive subrogation against the State.

Commercial General Liability Insurance: covering all business premises and operations used by the Contractor in the performance of services under this agreement with minimum coverage limits of $300,000 combined single limit per claim.

Commercial Automobile Liability Insurance: covering all vehicles used by the contractor in the performance of services under this agreement with minimum coverage limits of $300,000 combined single limit per claim.

SEC. 2.18 TERMINATION FOR DEFAULT

a. If the Project Director or Procurement Officer determines that the contractor has refused to perform the work or has failed to perform the work with such diligence as to ensure its timely and accurate completion, the state may, by providing written notice to the contractor, terminate the contractor's right to proceed with part or all the remaining work.

b. The Procurement Officer may also, by written notice, terminate this contract under Administrative Order 352 if the contractor supports or participates in a boycott of the State of Israel.

This clause does not restrict the state's termination rights under the contract provisions of Appendix A, attached in SECTION 7. ATTACHMENTS.

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SECTION 3. PROPOSAL FORMAT AND CONTENT

SEC. 3.01 RFP SUBMITTAL FORMS

This RFP contains Submittal Forms, which must be completed by the offeror and submitted as part of their proposal. An electronic copy of the forms is posted along with this RFP.

Unless otherwise specified in this RFP, the Submittal Forms shall be the offeror’s entire proposal. Do not include any marketing information in the proposal.

Any proposal that does not follow these requirements may be deemed non-responsive.

SEC. 3.02 SPECIAL FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS

The offeror must ensure that their proposal meets all special formatting requirements identified in this section.

Documents and Text: All attachment documents must be written in the English language, be single sided, and be single spaced with a minimum font size of 10. Pictures or graphics may be used if the offeror feels it is necessary to communicate their information, however, be aware of the below requirements for page limits.

Page Limits: Some Submittal Forms listed below have maximum page limit requirements. Offerors must not exceed the maximum page limits. Note, the page limit applies to the front side of a page only (for example, ‘1 Page’ implies that the offeror can only provide a response on one side of a piece of paper). Any pages exceeding the maximum page limit will be discarded and will not be included in the evaluations (for example, the maximum page limit is 3 pages, but the Offeror submits 5 pages for that submittal form. Only pages 1-3 will be evaluated. Pages 4 and 5 would be discarded by the Procurement Officer before sending to the proposal evaluation committee for evaluation.).

Submittal Form Maximum Page Limits

Submittal Form A – Offeror Information and Certifications N/A Submittal Form B – Experience and Qualifications 5 Submittal Form C – Understanding of the Project 5 Submittal Form D – Methodology Used for the Project 5 Submittal Form E – Management Plan for the Project 5 Submittal Form F – Cost Proposal 1

Any Submittal Form submitted as part of a proposal that is not compliant with the instructions above may be a basis for finding the proposal non-responsive and thus rejected.

SEC. 3.03 OFFEROR INFORMATION AND CERTIFICATIONS (SUBMITTAL

FORM A)

The offeror must complete and submit this Submittal Form. The form must be signed by an individual authorized to bind the offeror to the provisions of the RFP.

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By signature on the form, the offeror certifies they comply with the following:

a) the laws of the State of Alaska;

b) the applicable portion of the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964;

c) the Equal Employment Opportunity Act and the regulations issued thereunder by the federal government;

d) the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the regulations issued thereunder by the federal government;

e) all terms and conditions set out in this RFP;

f) a condition that the proposal submitted was independently arrived at, without collusion, under penalty of perjury; and

g) that the offers will remain open and valid for at least 90 days.

If any offeror fails to comply with [a] through [g] of this paragraph, the state reserves the right to disregard the proposal, terminate the contract, or consider the contractor in default.

The Submittal Form also requests the following information:

a) The complete name and address of offeror’s firm along with the offeror’s Tax ID.

b) Information on the person the state should contact regarding the proposal.

c) Names of critical team members/personnel.

d) Addenda acknowledgement.

e) Conflict of interest statement.

f) Federal requirements.

g) Alaska preference qualifications.

An offeror's failure to address/respond/include these items may cause the proposal to be determined to be non-responsive and the proposal may be rejected.

SEC. 3.04 EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS (SUBMITTAL FORM B)

Offerors must provide detail on how they meet or exceed the minimum qualifications as listed in Section 1.04.

Offerors must provide detail on the personnel assigned to accomplish the work called for in this RFP;

illustrate the lines of authority; designate the individual responsible and accountable for the completion of each component and deliverable of the RFP.

Offerors must provide a narrative description of the organization of the project team and a personnel roster that identifies each person who will work on the contract along with their titles and location(s) where work will be performed.

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Offerors must also provide reference names and phone numbers for similar projects the offeror’s firm has completed.

The offeror shall not disclose their costs in this Submittal Form. Submission forms shall not exceed the page limit (as described in Section 4.02).

SEC. 3.05 UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROJECT (SUBMITTAL FORM C)

Offerors must provide comprehensive narrative statements that illustrate their understanding of the requirements of the project and the project schedule.

Offerors must provide a demonstrated understanding of the deliverables and time schedule the State is expecting.

Offerors must identify pertinent issues and potential problems related to the project and provide possible solutions for consideration.

The offeror shall not disclose their costs in this Submittal Form. Submission forms shall not exceed the page limit (as described in Section 4.02).

SEC. 3.06 METHODOLOGY USED FOR THE PROJECT (SUBMITTAL FORM

D)

Offerors must provide comprehensive narrative statements that set out the methodology they intend to employ and illustrate how the methodology will serve to accomplish the work and meet the state’s project schedule.

Offerors must propose a facilitation methodology that will align to the size and scope of the project.

Offerors must provide a timeline and coordination plan for ensuring timely completion of deliverables.

The offeror shall not disclose their costs in this Submittal Form. Submission forms shall not exceed the page limit (as described in Section 4.02).

SEC. 3.07 MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE PROJECT (SUBMITTAL FORM

E)

Offerors must provide comprehensive narrative statements that set out the management plan they intend to follow and illustrate how the plan will serve to accomplish the work and meet the state's project schedule.

Offerors must provide a clearly organized project team with defined accountability and lines of communication and authority.

Offerors must describe to what extent they have the hardware, software, equipment, and licenses necessary to perform the contract.

The offeror shall not disclose their costs in this Submittal Form. Submission forms shall not exceed the page limit (as described in Section 4.02).

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SEC. 3.08 COST PROPOSAL (SUBMITTAL FORM F)

Offerors must complete and submit this Submittal Form. Proposed costs must include all direct and indirect costs associated with the performance of the contract, including, but not limited to, total number of hours at various hourly rates, direct expenses, payroll, supplies, overhead assigned to each person working on the project, percentage of each person's time devoted to the project, and profit. The costs identified on the cost proposal are the total amount of costs to be paid by the state. No additional charges shall be allowed.

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SECTION 4. EVALUATION CRITERIA AND CONTRACTOR

SELECTION

SEC. 4.01 SUMMARY OF EVALUATION PROCESS

The state will use the following steps to evaluate and prioritize proposals:

1) Proposals will be assessed for overall responsiveness. Proposals deemed non-responsive will be eliminated from further consideration.

2) A proposal evaluation committee (PEC), made up of at least three state employees or public officials, will evaluate the Technical portion of all responsive proposals.

3) The Submittal Forms, from each responsive proposal, will be sent to the PEC. No cost information will be shared or provided to the PEC.

4) The PEC will independently evaluate and score the documents based on the degree to which they meet the stated evaluation criteria.

5) After independent scoring, the PEC will have a meeting, chaired by the procurement officer, where the PEC may have a group discussion prior to finalizing their scores.

6) The evaluators will submit their final individual scores to the procurement officer, who will then compile the scores and calculate awarded points as set out in Section 5.03.

7) The procurement officer will calculate scores for cost proposals as set out in Section 5.08 and add those scores to the awarded points along with factoring in any Alaska preferences.

8) The procurement officer may ask for best and final offers from offerors susceptible for award and revise the cost scores accordingly.

9) The state will then conduct any necessary negotiations with the highest scoring offeror and award a contract if the negotiations are successful.

SEC. 4.02 EVALUATION CRITERIA

Proposals will be evaluated based on their overall value to state, considering both cost and non-cost factors as described below. Note: An evaluation may not be based on discrimination due to the race, religion, color, national origin, sex, age, marital status, pregnancy, parenthood, disability, or political affiliation of the offeror.

Overall Criteria Weight Responsiveness Pass/Fail

Qualifications Criteria Weight Experience and Qualifications (Submittal Form B) 125 Understanding of the Project (Submittal Form C) 125 Methodology Used for the Project (Submittal Form D) 125 Management Plan for the Project (Submittal Form E) 125

Total 500

Cost Criteria Weight

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Cost Proposal (Submittal Form F) 400 Total 400

Preference Criteria Weight Alaska Offeror Preference (if applicable) 100 Total 100

TOTAL EVALUATION POINTS AVAILABLE: 1000

SEC. 4.03 SCORING METHOD AND CALCULATION

Each Proposal Evaluation Committee (PEC) member will individually evaluate and score each responsive proposal using the criteria set out in Sections 5.04 through 5.07 and assign a single score of 1 through 10, with 10 representing the highest score and 1 representing the lowest score. Using only whole numbers, PEC members should start with a score of 5 on each section. The score may either increase or decrease depending on the offeror’s response to each question for that section. As an example, if the Offeror provided responses over and above the evaluation questions in a section, they would receive a higher score. However, if the Offeror’s response fails to address all questions of a section or demonstrates some lack of understanding or competency as it relates to a question for that section, the Offeror would then receive a lower score.

After the PEC has scored, the scores for each section will be totaled and the following formula will be used to calculate the total amount of points awarded for each section:

Offeror Total Score x Max Points = Points Awarded Highest Total Score Possible

Example (Max Points for the Section = 100):

PEC

Member 1

Score

PEC

Member 2

Score

PEC

Member 3

Score

PEC

Member 4

Score Combined Total Score

Points

Awarded Offeror

1 10 5 5 10 30 75

Offeror 2 5 5 5 5 20 50

Offeror

10 10 10 10 40 100

Offeror 1 was awarded 75 points:

Offeror Total Score (30) x Max Points (100) = Points Awarded (75)

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Highest Total Score Possible (40)

Offeror 2 was awarded 50 points:

Offeror Total Score (20) x Max Points (100) = Points Awarded (50) Highest Total Score Possible (40)

Offeror 3 was awarded 100 points:

Offeror Total Score (40) x Max Points (100) = Points Awarded (100) Highest Total Score Possible (40)

SEC. 4.04 EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

This portion of the offeror’s proposal will be evaluated against the following questions:

1) Did the offeror provide a comprehensive narrative on how they meet or exceed the minimum requirements as indicated in Sec. 1.04 PRIOR EXPERIENCE.

An offeror's failure to meet these minimum prior experience requirements will cause their proposal to be considered non-responsive and rejected.

2) Did the offeror provide detail on the personnel assigned to accomplish the work called for in this RFP; illustrate the lines of authority; designate the individual responsible and accountable for the completion of each component and deliverable of the RFP?

3) How well did the offeror describe the organization of the project team and a personnel roster that identifies each person who will work on the contract along with their titles and location(s) where work will be performed?

4) Did the offeror provide reference names and phone numbers for similar projects the offeror’s firm has completed?

SEC. 4.05 UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROJECT

This portion of the offeror’s proposal will be evaluated against the following questions:

1) How well has the offeror demonstrated a thorough understanding of the purpose and scope of the project?

2) To what degree has the offeror demonstrated an understanding of the deliverables the state expects it to provide?

3) How well has the offeror identified pertinent issues and potential problems related to the project?

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SEC. 4.06 METHODOLOGY USED FOR THE PROJECT

This portion of the offeror’s proposal will be evaluated against the following questions:

1) How comprehensive is the methodology and does it depict a logical approach to fulfilling the requirements of the RFP?

2) How well does the offeror propose a facilitation methodology aligned to the size and scope of the project?

3) Did the offeror provide a timeline and coordination plan for ensuring timely completion of deliverables?

SEC. 4.07 MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE PROJECT

This portion of the offeror’s proposal will be evaluated against the following questions:

1) How well does the management plan support all the project requirements and logically lead to the deliverables required in the RFP?

2) How well is accountability completely and clearly defined?

3) To what extent does the offeror already have the hardware, software, equipment, and licenses necessary to perform the contract?

4) Does it appear that the offeror can meet the schedule set out in the RFP?

SEC. 4.08 CONTRACT COST (COST PROPOSAL)

Overall, a minimum of 40% of the total evaluation points will be assigned to cost. After the procurement officer applies any applicable preferences, the offeror with the lowest total cost will receive the maximum number of points allocated to cost per 2 AAC 12.260(c). The point allocations for cost on the other proposals will be determined using the following formula:

[(Price of Lowest Cost Proposal) x (Maximum Points for Cost)] ÷ (Cost of Each Higher Priced Proposal)

Example (Max Points for Contract Cost = 400):

Step 1 List all proposal prices, adjusted where appropriate by the application of applicable preferences claimed by the offeror.

Offeror #1 $40,000 Offeror #2 $42,750 Offeror #3 $47,500

Step 2

In this example, the RFP allotted 40% of the available 1,000 points to cost. This means that the lowest cost will receive the maximum number of points.

Offeror #1 receives 400 points.

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The reason they receive that amount is because the lowest cost proposal, in this case $40,000, receives the maximum number of points allocated to cost, 400 points.

Offeror #2 receives 374.3 points.

$40,000 lowest cost x 400 maximum points for cost = 16,000,000 ÷ $42,750 cost of Offeror #2’s proposal = 374.3

Offeror #3 receives 336.8 points.

$40,000 lowest cost x 400 maximum points for cost = 16,000,000 ÷ $47,500 cost of Offeror #3’s proposal = 336.8

SEC. 4.09 ALASKA OFFEROR PREFERENCE

Per 2 AAC 12.260, if an offeror qualifies for the Alaska Bidder Preference, the offeror will receive an Alaska Offeror Preference. The preference will be 10% of the total available points, which will be added to the offeror’s overall evaluation score.

Example:

Step 1

Determine the number of points available to qualifying offerors under this preference:

1000 Total Points Available in RFP x 10% Alaska Offeror preference = 100 Points for the preference

Step 2

Determine which offerors qualify as Alaska bidders and thus, are eligible for the Alaska Offeror preference. For the purpose of this example, presume that all proposals have been completely evaluated based on the evaluation criteria in the RFP. The scores at this point are:

Offeror #1 830 points No Preference 0 points Offeror #2 740 points Alaska Offeror Preference 100 points Offeror #3 800 points Alaska Offeror Preference 100 points

Step 3

Add the applicable Alaska Offeror preference amounts to the offerors’ scores:

Offeror #1 830 points Offeror #2 840 points (740 points + 100 points) Offeror #3 900 points (800 points + 100 points)

Offeror #3 is the highest scoring offeror and would get the award, provided their proposal is responsive and responsible.

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SECTION 5. GENERAL PROCESS AND LEGAL INFORMATION

SEC. 5.01 INFORMAL DEBRIEFING

When the contract is completed, an informal debriefing may be performed at the discretion of the project director or procurement officer. If performed, the scope of the debriefing will be limited to the work performed by the contractor.

SEC. 5.02 ALASKA BUSINESS LICENSE AND OTHER REQUIRED

LICENSES

Prior to the award of a contract, an offeror must hold a valid Alaska business license. However, in order to receive the Alaska Bidder Preference and other related preferences, such as the Alaska Veteran Preference and Alaska Offeror Preference, an offeror must hold a valid Alaska business license prior to the deadline for receipt of proposals. Offerors should contact the Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development, Division of Corporations, Business, and Professional Licensing, PO Box 110806, Juneau, Alaska 99811-0806 for information on these licenses. Acceptable evidence that the offeror possesses a valid Alaska business license may consist of any one of the following:

• copy of an Alaska business license;

• certification on the proposal that the offeror has a valid Alaska business license and has included the license number in the proposal;

• a canceled check for the Alaska business license fee;

• a copy of the Alaska business license application with a receipt stamp from the state's occupational licensing office; or

• a sworn and notarized statement that the offeror has applied and paid for the Alaska business license.

You are not required to hold a valid Alaska business license at the time proposals are opened if you possess one of the following licenses and are offering services or supplies under that specific line of business:

• fisheries business licenses issued by Alaska Department of Revenue or Alaska Department of Fish and Game,

• liquor licenses issued by Alaska Department of Revenue for alcohol sales only,

• insurance licenses issued by Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development, Division of Insurance, or

• Mining licenses issued by Alaska Department of Revenue.

Prior the deadline for receipt of proposals, all offerors must hold any other necessary applicable professional licenses required by Alaska Statute.

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SEC. 5.03 SITE INSPECTION

The state may conduct on-site visits to evaluate the offeror's capacity to perform the contract. An offeror must agree, at risk of being found non-responsive and having its proposal rejected, to provide the state reasonable access to relevant portions of its work sites. Individuals designated by the procurement officer at the state’s expense will make site inspection.

SEC. 5.04 CLARIFICATION OF OFFERS

In order to determine if a proposal is reasonably susceptible for award, communications by the procurement officer or the proposal evaluation committee (PEC) are permitted with an offeror to clarify uncertainties or eliminate confusion concerning the contents of a proposal. Clarifications may not result in a material or substantive change to the proposal. The evaluation by the procurement officer or the PEC may be adjusted as a result of a clarification under this section.

SEC. 5.05 DISCUSSIONS WITH OFFERORS

The state may conduct discussions with offerors in accordance with AS 36.30.240 and 2 AAC 12.290.

The purpose of these discussions will be to ensure full understanding of the requirements of the RFP and proposal. Discussions will be limited to specific sections of the RFP or proposal identified by the procurement officer. Discussions will only be held with offerors who have submitted a proposal deemed reasonably susceptible for award by the procurement officer. Discussions, if held, will be after initial evaluation of proposals by the procurement officer or the PEC. If modifications are made as a result of these discussions, they will be put in writing. Following discussions, the procurement officer may set a time for best and final proposal submissions from those offerors with whom discussions were held.

Proposals may be reevaluated after receipt of best and final proposal…