Chatham County Purchasing &

Contracting Department 1117 Eisenhower Drive, Suite C, Savannah, Georgia 31406

(912) 790-1618

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

RFP NO. 26-0116-6

ANNUAL CONTRACT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT

POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION SERVICES FOR THE

CHATHAM COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT

PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE: N/A

PROPOSALS DUE: 5:00 P.M., OCTOBER 29, 2026

CHATHAM COUNTY, GEORGIA

OFFICE OF THE PURCHASING DIRECTOR

1117 EISENHOWER DRIVE, SUITE C

SAVANNAH, GEORGIA 31406

(912) 790-1618

DATE: September 28, 2026 RFP NO. 26-0116-6

GENERAL INFORMATION FOR REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

This is an invitation to submit a proposal to supply Chatham County with services as indicated herein. Proposals shall be submitted on-line on the County’s procurement portal https://chathamcountyga.bonfirehub.com/portal up to 5:00 P.M., October 29, 2026. The

Purchasing Director reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and to waive formalities.

Instructions for preparation and submission of a qualification proposal are contained in the Request for Proposal package. Please note that specific forms for submission of a proposal are required.

Any changes to the conditions and specifications must be in the form of a written addendum to be valid; therefore, the Procurement Specialist will issue a written addendum to document approved changes. For good and sufficient reason, up to 24 hours before the advertised deadline, the County may extend the response schedule. An addendum will be issued setting forth the new date and time.

Chatham County has an equal opportunity procurement policy. Chatham County seeks to ensure that all segments of the business community have access to providing services needed by County programs. The County affirmatively works to encourage utilization of disadvantaged and minority business enterprises in our procurement activities. The County provides equal opportunity for all businesses and does not discriminate against any persons or businesses regardless of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, or handicap. The County expects its contractors to make maximum feasible use of minority businesses and qualified minority employees. The terms

"disadvantaged business", "minority business enterprise", and "minority person" are more specifically defined and explained in the Chatham County Purchasing Ordinance.

SECTION I

INSTRUCTIONS TO PROPOSERS

1.1 PURPOSE: The purpose of this document is to provide general and specific information for use in submitting a qualification proposal to supply Chatham County with services as https://chathamcountyga.bonfirehub.com/portal described herein. All proposals are governed by the Code of Chatham County, Chapter 4, Article IV, and the laws of the State of Georgia.

1.2 HOW TO PREPARE PROPOSALS: All proposals shall be:

A. Proposers are encouraged to review carefully all provisions and attachments of this document prior to submission. Each proposal constitutes an offer and may not be withdrawn except as provided herein.

1.3 HOW TO SUBMIT PROPOSALS: All proposals shall be:

A. Submitted on-line on the County’s procurement portal at:

** In submitting their proposal, the proposer certifies that he/she has carefully read all related Request for

Proposal documents and agrees to comply with all provisions.

B. If a proposer is unable to submit their proposal on-line, they should notify the procurement contact for the solicitation at least one week prior to proposals being due to receive instructions. The County is seeking to conduct all solicitations on-line. The phone number for Purchasing and Contracting is 912-790-1618.

1.4 HOW TO SUBMIT AN OBJECTION: Objections from Offerors to this Request for

Proposals and/or these specifications should be brought to the attention of the County

Purchasing Director in the following manner:

A. When a pre-proposal conference is scheduled, the Proposer may object in writing any time prior to or at the pre-proposal conference.

B. When a pre-proposal conference is not scheduled, the Proposer shall object in writing not less than five (5) days prior to the Date for submission.

C. The objections contemplated must pertain to both form and substance of the

Request for Proposal documents. Failure to object in accordance with the above procedure will constitute a waiver on the part of the business to protest this Request for Proposal.

1.5 ERRORS IN PROPOSALS: Proposers or their authorized representatives are expected to fully inform themselves as to the conditions, requirements, and specifications before submitting proposals. Failure to do so will be at the Proposer's own risk.

1.6 STANDARDS FOR ACCEPTANCE OF PROPOSERS FOR CONTRACT AWARD:

The County reserves the right to reject any or all Proposals and to waive any irregularities or technicalities in Proposals received whenever such rejection or waiver is in the best interest of the County. The County reserves the right to reject the Offer of a Proposer who has previously failed to perform properly or complete on time contracts of a similar nature, whom investigation shows is not in a position to perform the contract.

1.7 PROPOSER: Whenever the term "Proposer" is used, it shall encompass the "person", "business", "firm", or other party submitting a proposal to Chatham County in such capacity before a contract has been entered into between such party and the County.

1.8 COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS: The Proposer shall obtain and maintain all licenses, permits, liability insurance, workman's compensation insurance and comply with any and all other standards or regulations required by Federal, State or County statute, ordinances and rules during the performance of any contract between the Proposer and the County.

Any such requirement specifically set forth in any contract document between the Proposer and the County shall be supplementary to this section and not in substitution thereof.

1.9 CONTRACTOR: Contractor or subcontractor means any person, firm, or business having a contract with Chatham County. The Contractor of goods, material, equipment, or services certifies that the firm will follow equal employment opportunity practices in connection with the awarded contract as more fully specified in the contract documents.

1.10 LOCAL PREFERENCE: The Contractor agrees to follow the local preference guidelines as specified in the contract documents, which state “The CONTRACTOR hereby agrees, as part of the consideration to Chatham County for making this Contract, that the CONTRACTOR in the carrying out of this contract will give the citizens of

Chatham County preference for employment to perform all labor required by this contract.

That the rate of wages to be paid shall not be less than legally required; and that in the purchase of materials to be used in the Work of the Project, preference shall be given to sources from within Chatham County to the maximum extent possible. The

CONTRACTOR will cause the forgoing provisions to be inserted in all subcontracts so that provisions will be binding upon each subcontractor.”.

1.11 DEBARRED FIRMS AND PENDING LITIGATION: Any potential proposer/firm listed on the Federal or State of Georgia Excluded Parties Listing (Barred from doing business) will not be considered for contract award. It is the proposer’s responsibility to inform the County should the proposer/firm be placed on the Federal or State of Georgia

Excluded Parties Listing during the proposal process. Proposers shall disclose any record of pending criminal violations (Indictment) and/or convictions, pending lawsuits, etc., and any actions that may be a conflict of interest occurring within the past five (5) years. Any proposer/firm previously defaulting or terminating a contract with the County will not be considered. Successful proposers with whom the County enters into a contract with for goods or services will notify the County if they become debarred during the course of the contract.

** All bidders or proposers are to read and complete the Disclosure of Responsibility

Statement. Failure to do so may result in your solicitation response being rejected as non-responsive.

Bidder acknowledges that in performing contract work for the Board, bidder shall not utilize any firms that have been a party to any of the above actions. If bidder has engaged any firm to work on this contract or project that is later debarred, Bidder shall sever its relationship with that firm with respect to Board contract.

1.12 PERFORMANCE EVALUATION: On April 11, 2008, the Chatham County Board of

Commissioners approved a change to the County Purchasing Ordinance requiring

Contractor/Consultant Performance Evaluations, at a minimum, annually, prior to contract anniversary date.

Should Contractor/Consultant performance be unsatisfactory, the appointed County

Project Manager for the contract may prepare a Contractor/Consultant Complaint Form or a Performance Evaluation to the County Purchasing Director.

SECTION II

PROPOSAL CONDITIONS

2.1 SPECIFICATIONS: Any obvious error or omission in specifications shall not inure to the benefit of the bidder but shall put the Proposer on notice to inquire of or identify the same to the County.

2.2 MULTIPLE PROPOSALS: No Proposer will be allowed to submit more than one offer.

Any alternate proposals must be brought to the Purchasing Director's attention during the

Pre-proposal Conference or submitted in writing at least five (5) days preceding the date for submission of proposals.

2.3 OFFERS TO BE FIRM: The Proposer warrants that terms and conditions quoted in his offer will be firm for acceptance for a period of sixty (60) days from bid date submitted, unless otherwise stated in the proposal. When requested to provide a fee proposal, fees quoted must also be firm for a sixty-day period.

2.4 COMPLETENESS: All information required by the Request for Proposals must be completed and submitted to constitute a proper proposal.

2.5 LIABILITY PROVISIONS: Where Proposers are required to enter or go into Chatham

County property to take measurements or gather other information in order to prepare the proposal as requested by the County, the Proposer shall be liable for any injury, damage or loss occasioned by negligence of the Proposer, his agent, or any person the Proposer has designated to prepare the Offer and shall indemnify and hold harmless Chatham County from any liability arising therefrom. The contract document specifies the liability provisions required of the successful Proposer in order to be awarded a contract with

Chatham County.

2.6 CERTIFICATION OF INDEPENDENT PRICE DETERMINATION: By submission of this Offer, the Proposer certifies, and in the case of a joint offer, each party thereto certifies as to its own organization, that in connection with this procurement:

(1) The prices in this offer have been arrived at independently, without consultation, communication, or agreement, for the purpose of restricting competition, as to any matter relating to such prices with any other competitor;

(2) Unless otherwise required by law, the prices which have been quoted in this offer have not been knowingly disclosed by the Proposer and will not knowingly be disclosed by the Proposer prior to opening, directly or indirectly to any other competitor; and

(3) No attempt has been made or will be made by the Proposer to induce any other person or firm to submit or not submit an offer for the purpose of restricting competition.

2.7 AWARD OF CONTRACT: The contract, if awarded, will be awarded to that responsible

Proposer whose proposal will be most advantageous to Chatham County, price and other factors considered. The Board of Commissioners will make the determination as to which proposal best serves the interest of Chatham County.

2.8 PROCUREMENT PROTESTS: Objections and protests to any portion of the procurement process or actions of the County staff may be filed with the Purchasing

Director for review and resolution. The Chatham County Purchasing Ordinance – Part 9

– Vendor Disputes shall govern the review and resolution of all protests.

2.9 QUALIFICATION OF BUSINESS (RESPONSIBLE PROPOSER): A responsible

Proposer is defined as one who meets, or by the date of the acceptance can meet, all requirements for licensing, insurance, and service contained within this Request for

Proposals. Chatham County has the right to require any or all Proposers to submit documentation of the ability to perform the service requested.

Chatham County has the right to disqualify the proposal of any Proposer as being unresponsive or unresponsible whenever such Proposer cannot document the ability to deliver the requested service.

2.10 COUNTY TAX CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENT: A current Chatham County or municipal business license (within the State of Georgia) is required unless otherwise specified. A firm need not have a Chatham County Business License prior to submitting a proposal. However, a license must be obtained by the successful vendor prior to award of contract.

Please contact the Chatham County Department of Building Safety and Regulatory Services at (912) 201-4300 for additional information.

NOTE: No contract shall be awarded unless all real and personal property taxes have been paid by the successful contractor and/or subcontractor as adopted by the Board of

Commissioners on 8 April 1994.

2.11 INSURANCE PROVISIONS, GENERAL: The selected CONTRACTOR shall be required to procure and maintain for the duration of the contract insurance against claims for injuries to persons or damages to property, which may arise from or in connection with the performance of the work, hereunder by the Contractor, his agents, representatives, employees or subcontractor. The cost of such insurance shall be included in the Bid.

It is every Contractor’s responsibility to provide the County Purchasing and Contracting

Department current and up-to-date Certificates of Insurance and Declaration Sheets for multiple year contracts before the end of each term. Failure to do so may be cause for termination of contract.

2.11.1 General Information that shall appear on a Certificate of Insurance:

I. Name of the Producer (Contractor’s insurance Broker/Agent).

II. Companies affording coverage (there may be several).

III. Name and Address of the Insured (this should be the Company or Parent of the firm Chatham County is contracting with).

IV. Summary of all current insurance for the insured (includes effective dates of coverage).

V. A brief description of the operations to be performed, the specific job to be performed, or contract number.

VI. Certificate Holder (This is to always include Chatham County).

Chatham County as an “Additional Insured”: Chatham County invokes the defense of “sovereign immunity.” In order not to jeopardize the use of this defense, the County is not to be included as an “Additional Insured” on insurance contracts.

2.11.2 Minimum Limits of Insurance to be maintained for the duration of the contract:

A. Commercial General Liability: Provides protection against bodily injury and property damage claims arising from operations of a Contractor or

Tenant. This policy coverage includes: premises and operations, use of independent contractor, products/completed operations, personal injury, contractual, broad form property damage, and underground, explosion and collapse hazards. Minimum limits: $1,000,000 bodily injury and property damage per occurrence and annual aggregate.

B. Worker's Compensation and Employer’s Liability: Provides statutory protection against bodily injury, sickness or disease sustained by employees of the Contractor while performing within the scope of their duties.

Employer’s Liability coverage is usually included in Worker’s

Compensation policies, and insures common law claims of injured employees made in lieu of or in addition to a Worker’s Compensation claim.

Minimum limits: $500,000 for each accident, disease policy limit, each employee and Statutory Worker’s Compensation limit.

C. Business Automobile Liability: Coverage insures against liability claims arising out of the Contractor’s use of automobiles. Minimum limit:

$1,000,000 combined single limit per accident for bodily injury and property damage. Coverage should be written on an “Any Auto” basis.

2.11.3 Special Requirements:

Claims-Made Coverage: The limits of liability shall remain the same as the occurrence basis, however, the Retroactive date shall be prior to the coincident with the date of any contract, and the Certificate of Insurance shall state the coverage is claims-made. The Retroactive date shall also be specifically stated on the

Certificate of Insurance.

A. Extended Reporting Periods: The Contractor shall provide the County with a notice of the election to initiate any Supplemental Extended

Reporting Period and the reason(s) for invoking this option.

B. Reporting Provisions: Any failure to comply with reporting provisions of the policies shall not affect coverage provided in relation to this request.

C. Cancellation: Each insurance policy that applies to this request shall be endorsed to state that it shall not be suspended, voided, or canceled, except after thirty (30) days prior to written notice by certified mail, return receipt requested, has been given to the County.

D. Proof of Insurance: Chatham County shall be furnished with certificates of insurance and with original endorsements affecting coverage required by this request. The certificates and endorsements are to be signed by a person authorized by the insurer to bind coverage on its behalf. All certificates of insurance are to be submitted prior to, and approved by, the County before services are rendered. The Contractor must ensure Certificate of Insurance are updated for the entire term of the County.

E. Insurer Acceptability: Insurance is to be placed with an insurer having an

A.M. Best’s rating of A and a five (5) year average financial rating of not less than V. If an insurer does not qualify for averaging on a five (5) year basis, the current total Best’s rating will be used to evaluate insurer acceptability.

F. Lapse in Coverage: A lapse in coverage shall constitute grounds for contract termination by the Chatham County Board of Commissioners.

G. Deductibles and Self-Insured Retention: Any deductibles or self-insured retention must be declared to, and approved by, the County. At the option of the County, either: the insurer shall reduce or eliminate such deductibles or self-insured retention as related to the County, its officials, officers, employees, and volunteers; or the Contractor shall procure a bond guaranteeing payment of related suits, losses, claims, and related investigation, claim administration and defense expenses.

2.12 INDEMNIFICATION: The PROPOSER agrees to protect, defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Chatham County, Georgia, its commissioners, officers, agents, and employees from and against any and all liability, damages, claims, suits, liens, and judgments, of whatever nature, including claims for contribution and/or indemnification, for injuries to or death of any person or persons, or damage to the property or other rights of any person or persons caused by the PROPOSER or its subproposers. The PROPOSER’s obligation to protect, defend, indemnify, and hold harmless, as set forth herein above shall include, but not be limited to, any matter arising out of any actual or alleged infringement of any patent, trademark, copyright, or service mark, or any actual or alleged unfair competition, disparagement of product or service, or other business tort of any type whatsoever, or any actual or alleged violation of trade regulations. PROPOSER further agrees to investigate, handle, respond to, provide defense for, and to protect, defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Chatham County, Georgia, at his sole expense, and agrees to bear all other costs and expenses related thereto, even if such claims, suits, etc., are groundless, false, or fraudulent, including any and all claims or liability for compensation under the Worker's

Compensation Act arising out of injuries sustained by any employee of the PROPOSER or his subcontractor or anyone directly or indirectly employed by any of them.

The PROPOSER’s obligation to indemnify Chatham County under this Section shall not be limited in any way by the agreed-upon contract price, or to the scope and amount of coverage provided by any insurance maintained by the PROPOSER.

2.13 COMPLIANCE WITH SPECIFICATION - TERMS AND CONDITIONS: The

Request for Proposals, Legal Advertisement, General Conditions and Instructions to

Proposers, Specifications, Special Conditions, Proposers Offer, Addendum, and/or any other pertinent documents form a part of the Offeror's proposal and by reference are made a part hereof.

2.14 SIGNED RESPONSE CONSIDERED AN OFFER: The submitted Response shall be considered an offer on the part of the Proposer, which offer shall be deemed accepted upon approval by the Chatham County Board of Commissioners, Purchasing Director or his designee. In case of a default on the part of the Proponent after such acceptance, Chatham

County may take such action, as it deems appropriate, including legal action for damages or lack of required performance.

2.15 NOTICE TO PROCEED: The successful proposer shall not commence work under this

Request for Proposal until a written contract is awarded and the Purchasing Director or his designee issues a Notice to Proceed. If the successful Proposer does commence any work or deliver items prior to receiving official notification, he does so at his own risk.

2.16 PAYMENT TO CONTRACTOR: Instructions for invoicing the County for service delivered to the County are specified in the contract document.

A. Questions regarding payment may be directed to the Finance Department at (912)

652-7905 or the County’s Project Manager as specified in the contract documents.

B. Contractor will be paid the agreed upon compensation upon satisfactory progress or completion of the work as more fully described in the contract document.

C. Upon completion of the work, the Contractor will provide the County with an affidavit certifying all suppliers, persons or businesses employed by the Contractor for the work performed for the County have been paid in full.

D. Chatham County is a tax-exempt entity. Every contractor, vendor, business or person under contract with Chatham County is required by Georgia law to pay State sales or use taxes for products purchased in Georgia or transported into Georgia and sold to Chatham County by contract. Please consult the State of Georgia, Department of Revenue, Sales and Use Tax Unit in Atlanta (404) 656-4065 for additional information.

2.17 LICENSES, PERMITS, AND TAXES: The price or prices for the service shall include full compensation for all fees that the proponent is or may be required to pay. Chatham

County is Tax Exempt. The Purchasing & Contracting Office upon request (912) 790-1618 will provide a Tax Exemption Certificate.

2.18 MINORITY – WOMEN BUSINESS ENTERPRISE PARTICIPATION: It is the desire of the County Board of Commissioners to increase the participation of minority

(MBE) and women-owned (WBE) business in its contracting and procurement programs.

The County is committed to a policy of equitable participation for these firms by setting goals for each contract. Bidder/proposers are requested to include in their proposals a narrative describing their past accomplishments and intended actions in this area. If bidder/proposers are considering minority or women owned enterprise participation in their proposal, those firms, and their specific duties must be identified in their proposal along with the percentage(s) and dollar amount awarded to the MBE/WBE firm. Proposers may also provide demographic information regarding their employees to show their commitment to equal opportunity. If a bidder/proposer is considered for award, he/she will be asked to meet with the County Staff so that the intended MBE/WBE participation goals can be formalized and included in the subsequent contract.

If the awarded contractor is claiming minority status, the contractor shall apply for certification by Chatham County, Georgia to the Office of Minority Business Coordinator.

The Minority Business Coordinator will provide documentation of application status once approved or disapproved by Chatham County. Certification by any other government entity is acceptable if current copy of the certification is provided with this solicitation. For information on the program or MBE/WBE contractors/vendors please contact the County’s

Minority and Women Business Office 1117 Eisenhower Drive, Suite 101, Savannah, Georgia 31406, (912) 652-7860.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

SECTION III

GENERAL CONDITIONS

3.1 DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES: Chatham County is requesting proposals from qualified firms to provide law enforcement polygraph examination services for the

Chatham County Police Department. The purpose of this Request for Proposals is to establish an annual contract with a qualified provider capable of delivering timely, professional, confidential, and legally compliant polygraph examination services in support of criminal investigations, internal administrative investigations, pre-employment screening, and other authorized law-enforcement purposes.

3.2 METHODOLOGY: The procurement described herein may be conducted in a two-step process.

STEP ONE- ACCEPTANCE AND EVALUATION OF QUALIFICATION

PROPOSALS: All technical requirements, unless otherwise specified, must be met by the proponent or such proposal may be disqualified as being non-responsive. Proposals that are deemed incomplete as to substance and content may be returned without consideration. A shortlist of qualified firms will be developed and ranked.

STEP TWO-INTERVIEWS: The evaluation committee may request an interview with short-listed firms. If interviews are conducted, they will be scored. It will be at the discretion of the evaluation committee on the number of firms that will interview/present.

3.3 CONFIDENTIALITY OF DOCUMENTS: Upon receipt of a proposal by the County, the proposal shall become the property of the County without compensation to the proponent, for disposition or usage by the County at its discretion (except for as provided by Georgia law for proprietary information). The details of the proposal documents will remain confidential until final award or rejection of proposals and/or protected under the restraints of law. Only final points and ranking of proposals will be openly disclosed prior to approval by the Board of Commissioners. Proponent shall have no contact with any

Department Representative or Evaluation Committee Member during and after the evaluation process. Any information contained in the proposal that is considered by the

Proponent as “proprietary” to remain confidential shall be clearly identified and justified.

3.4 CONE OF SILENCE: Lobbying of Procurement Evaluation Committee members, County Government employees, and elected officials regarding this product or service solicitation, Invitation to Bid (ITB) or Request for Proposal (RFP) or contract by any member of a proposer’s staff, or those people employed by any legal entity affiliated with an organization that is responding to the solicitation is strictly prohibited. Negative campaigning through the mass media about the current service delivery is strictly prohibited. Such actions may cause your proposal to be rejected.

3.5 COMPENSATION: The County has attempted in SECTION V to provide as much information about the project as possible to enable firms to structure their offer.

3.6 REJECTING PROPOSALS: The County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and is not bound to accept any proposal if that proposal is contrary to the best interest of Chatham County. Similarly, the County is not bound to accept the lowest dollar proposal if the offer is not considered in the County's best interest.

3.7 COST TO PREPARE RESPONSES: The County assumes no responsibility or obligation to the respondents and will make no payment for any costs associated with the preparation or submission of the proposal.

3.8 INQUIRIES: Direct any questions related to this RFP to Mr. Joshua Brodlieb, Procurement Specialist, and submit all questions through the County’s procurement portal https://chathamcountyga.bonfirehub.com/portal Messages - Vendor Discussion section.

Include the RFP number, page, and paragraph number as a reference to each question.

DEADLINE FOR ALL QUESTIONS is noted on the procurement portal under Project

Details.

THE ONLY OFFICIAL ANSWER OR POSITION OF CHATHAM COUNTY WILL BE

THE ONE STATED IN WRITING.

3.9 METHOD OF SOURCE SELECTION: Chatham County is using the Competitive

Sealed Proposal method of source selection, as authorized by Part 3 of the Chatham County

Purchasing Ordinance for this procurement.

An award, if made, will be made to the responsible offeror whose proposal is most advantageous to Chatham County, taking into consideration price and other factors set forth in this Request for Proposal (RFP). The County will not use any other factors or criteria in the evaluation of the proposals received.

3.10 EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: During the performance of this contract, the COMPANY agrees as follows:

The COMPANY will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, creed, color, sex, age, national origin, place of birth, physical handicap, or marital status.

SECTION IV

SPECIAL CONDITIONS

4.1 PENDING LITIGATION: Proposals will not be accepted from any company, firm, person, or party, parent subsidiary, against which Chatham County has an outstanding claim, or a financial dispute relating to prior contract performance. If the County, at any time, discovers such a dispute during any point of evaluation, the proposal will not be considered further.

4.2 EVALUATION FACTORS: Factors such as proponents’ overall capability, specialized experience, reputation, past performance on similar projects, technical competence, financial stability, ability to meet program goals, delivery under the contract terms, and fee schedule will be considered in the award recommendation. Commitment in the level of MBE/WBE firms, contractor and employees will also be considered in the evaluation of proposals.

4.3 SELECTION PROCESS: Proposals will be evaluated initially on the basis of the written document. Thus, the proposal must be complete, concise, and clear as to the intent of the respondent. Further evaluation may include an oral presentation, which will be scheduled after receipt of the written proposal and approval of the shortlist.

4.4 CONTRACT: The successful respondent will be expected to execute a contract within

30 days of notice of award.

4.5 PROPOSALS MUST BE RESPONSIVE TO:

4.5.1 INTRODUCTION/COVER LETTER: You should provide no more than a two

(2) page letter of introduction. The letter should highlight or summarize whatever information you deem appropriate as a cover letter, as a minimum, this section should include the name, address, email address, and telephone number of one (1) contact to whom any correspondence should be directed. This section should include a clear statement of the Proposer’s understanding of this Request for

Proposal and the contract requirements, and how the Proposer intends to meet the requirements of this Request for Proposal. This section should also demonstrate the proposer’s understanding of the County’s goals as outlined in Section V- Scope of

Services.

4.5.2 EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS - TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS: 25

A. Provide a summary of your firm’s organization including size, location of the corporate office, years in business, number of personnel, and qualifications to perform the requested services.

B. Identify each polygraph examiner proposed for the contract and provide the examiner’s role, resume, relevant training, certifications, licensure, professional affiliations, and years of law-enforcement polygraph experience.

C. Describe the firm’s experience during the past five (5) years providing polygraph examination services to law-enforcement agencies or other comparable governmental entities. Include client name, service type, approximate volume, and contract duration.

D. Describe experience conducting examinations for criminal investigations, internal or administrative investigations, pre-employment screening, and other law-enforcement-related matters.

E. State whether the firm or any proposed examiner has operated under another name during the past ten (10) years and provide the prior name, if applicable.

F. Provide a general description of the firm’s financial condition and identify any circumstance, including bankruptcy, pending litigation, planned office closure, merger, or staffing limitation, that may affect the ability to perform the contract.

4.5.3 TECHNICAL APPROACH AND SERVICE CAPABILITIES – TOTAL

POSSIBLE POINTS: 25

A. Describe the proposed approach for receiving referrals, scheduling examinations, conducting pre-test interviews, administering examinations, conducting post-test interviews, and delivering reports to the County.

B. Describe the testing methodologies and quality-control procedures the proposer will use. Explain how examinations, scoring, opinions, reports, and associated documentation will be prepared and maintained.

C. Describe how the proposer will ensure examiner impartiality, professional conduct, confidentiality, chain-of-custody integrity for records, and protection of sensitive criminal-justice information.

D. Describe the proposer’s ability to provide timely services, including standard turnaround times, urgent or priority examinations, scheduling availability, backup examiner coverage, and continuity of operations.

E. Identify all proposed examination locations. State whether the proposer can perform services at County-designated locations, at the proposer’s facility, or through another approved arrangement. Describe any minimum site, privacy, security, or equipment requirements.

F. Describe procedures for secure transmission, storage, retention, release, and destruction of examination records, recordings, charts, notes, reports, and related materials.

G. Describe the proposer’s experience and availability to provide consultation, affidavits, depositions, or courtroom testimony when requested by the County.

Identify any separate rates for these services.

4.5.4 COMPLIANCE, CONFIDENTIALITY, AND QUALITY ASSURANCE –

TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS: 15

A. Describe the proposer’s policies and procedures for complying with the applicable federal, state, and local laws; professional standards; and County policies governing polygraph examination services.

B. Confirm that each proposed examiner holds all required licenses, certifications, and credentials necessary to lawfully perform the services in Georgia. Provide copies of current credentials or explain how they will be supplied before award.

C. Describe the proposer’s continuing education, peer review, quality assurance, and professional-development practices.

D. Describe procedures for identifying, disclosing, and managing actual or potential conflicts of interest.

E. Describe how the proposer will safeguard confidential and sensitive information, including criminal investigative information and personally identifiable information, and how it will report any suspected unauthorized disclosure or security incident to the County.

4.5.5 MBE/WBE PARTICIPATION - TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS: 15:

Commitment in the level of local MBE/WBE business/firms, subcontractors, contractors, and employees. Approach to meeting and exceeding the MBE/WBE requirements. History of Minority-owned, Women-owned business utilization in the past.

4.5.6 COST PROPOSAL – TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS: 15:

Proposers shall submit a detailed cost proposal using the County-provided cost proposal form, if provided. At a minimum, identify:

• Unit price per polygraph examination, including all standard pre-test, examination, post-test, scoring, report-writing, and administrative activities.

• Separate prices, if any, for criminal-investigation examinations, internal or administrative examinations, pre-employment examinations, and specialized examinations

• Hourly or daily rates for consultation, travel, depositions, court testimony, and other nonstandard services.

• Travel, mileage, lodging, equipment, after-hours, urgent-request, cancellation, rescheduling, or other fees, if applicable.

• Any volume discount, minimum-order requirement, or other pricing condition.

The County reserves the right to request cost and scope clarification at any time throughout the selection and negotiation process.

4.5.7 REFERENCES: TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS: 5: Please provide a minimum of three (3) references for comparable law-enforcement polygraph examination services. References should be able to attest to the proposer’s knowledge, quality of work, timeliness, diligence, confidentiality, professionalism, working relationship, and flexibility. For each reference, provide client name, address, telephone number, contact person, services provided, and length of the client relationship.

4.5.8 REQUIRED ATTACHMENTS:

To establish a complete and competitive proposal, include the following documents:

• Current licenses, certifications, and relevant professional credentials for each proposed examiner.

• Resumes for each proposed examiner.

• Sample redacted polygraph examination report or report format.

• Sample confidentiality, records-retention, and quality-assurance policies, if available.

• Completed Disclosure of Responsibility Statement.

• Evidence of required insurance or a statement confirming the proposer’s ability to meet the insurance requirements before contract execution.

4.5.9 INTERVIEWS/PRESENTATIONS (IF REQUIRED) – TOTAL POSSIBLE

POINTS: 30

The evaluation committee may request interviews or presentations from shortlisted firms. If conducted, interviews or presentations will be evaluated using criteria provided by the County.

4.6 ASSIGNMENT: The PROPOSER shall not assign or transfer any interest of the contract without prior written consent of the County.

4.7 CONTRACT AWARD:

A. The successful proposer will be asked to submit contractual issues for consideration in the Chatham County contract. The proposal may become part of the contract.

B. No work shall be performed until a contract has been fully executed by both parties and

Chatham County has issued a Notice to Proceed.

SECTION V

SCOPE OF SERVICES

ANNUAL CONTRACT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION

SERVICES FOR THE CHATHAM COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT

5.1 GENERAL BACKGROUND:

The Chatham County Police Department requires qualified, independent polygraph examination services to support authorized law-enforcement functions. The County seeks to establish an annual contract with one or more qualified providers that can deliver professional, timely, objective, and confidential polygraph examinations and related services as requested by the Chatham County Police Department.

Services may be required in connection with criminal investigations, internal, or administrative investigations, pre-employment screening, and other authorized matters.

The actual volume of examinations is unknown, and no minimum number of examinations is guaranteed. The County may request services on an as-needed basis during the contract term.

5.2 OBJECTIVES:

The objectives of this solicitation are to:

• Obtain reliable access to qualified law-enforcement polygraph examiners.

• Support investigative and administrative decision-making with professionally conducted examinations and clear documentation.

• Ensure timely scheduling, examination, reporting, and availability for urgent needs when practicable.

• Protect the confidentiality and integrity of sensitive County, law-enforcement, investigative, and personally identifiable information.

• Obtain transparent and competitive pricing for routine and specialized services.

• Establish service expectations, quality controls, and accountability for contract performance.

5.3 REQUIRED SERVICES:

The contractor shall provide polygraph examination services on an as-needed basis at the request of the Chatham County Police Department. Required services may include, but are not limited to:

A. Criminal investigation examinations.

B. Internal affairs, administrative, and personnel-related examinations when authorized by the County.

C. Pre-employment screening examinations when authorized and requested by the

County.

D. Sexual-offense, theft, narcotics, violent-crime, and other specialized examinations within the examiner’s lawful qualifications and professional competence.

E. Pre-test interviews, examination administration, post-test interviews, scoring, professional opinion, and written reporting.

F. Consultation with designated County personnel regarding examination planning, question formulation, scheduling, and interpretation of reports, as appropriate.

G. Testimony, depositions, affidavits, or other litigation support when specifically requested by the County.

H. Secure handling, retention, production, and destruction of examination records and related materials in accordance with the contract, applicable law, and County direction.

5.4 EXAMINER QUALIFICATIONS:

Each examiner assigned to perform services under the contract shall:

• Be legally authorized and properly credentialed to perform the requested services in the State of Georgia.

• Possess documented training and experience in law-enforcement polygraph examinations.

• Maintain all required professional licenses, certifications, continuing education, and credentials throughout the contract term.

• Have no conflict of interest that would impair independence, objectivity, or the appearance of impartiality in a county matter.

• Be capable of meeting applicable background, security, confidentiality, and access requirements established by the County.

• Conduct examinations within the examiner’s professional competence and in compliance with applicable legal and ethical obligations.

The County reserves the right to approve or reject any examiner proposed to perform work under this contract and to require replacement of an examiner whose credentials lapse, whose performance is unsatisfactory, or whose continued participation is not in the

County’s best interest.

5.5 SERVICE DELIVERY REQUIREMENTS:

The contractor shall:

• Accept referrals and scheduling requests from designated County personnel.

• Coordinate examination dates, times, locations, and reasonable accommodation needs with the County.

• Provide a private, secure, professional, and suitable testing environment, whether at a County-designated site or contractor location.

• Conduct examinations in a professional manner that preserves the dignity and rights of examinees.

• Use equipment that is properly maintained, calibrated, and suitable for the services being performed.

• Provide written examination reports to the County within the turnaround time proposed by the contractor and agreed to by the County.

• Promptly notify the designated County contact of scheduling obstacles, potential conflicts, inability to meet a requested deadline, or issues affecting service delivery.

• Maintain backup staffing or other continuity arrangements sufficient to reduce disruptions in service.

5.6 REPORTS AND RECORDS:

For each completed examination, the contractor shall provide a written report or other

County-approved documentation that, at a minimum, identifies the matter or case reference provided by the County, date and location of examination, examiner identity, examination type, relevant testing information, findings or professional opinion, and any limitations or material circumstances affecting the examination.

The contractor shall maintain complete, accurate, and secure records associated with services performed, including reports, notes, charts, recordings, consent documents, and related materials, as required by applicable law, professional standards, the contract, and

County direction.

The County retains ownership rights in records and work product generated for the

County to the extent provided by law and contract. The contractor shall provide records to the County promptly upon request, subject to applicable legal and professional requirements.

5.7 CONFIDENTIALITY AND DATA SECURITY:

The contractor shall treat all information received from or developed for the County as confidential. The contractor shall not disclose, use, reproduce, or release County information except as necessary to perform the contract, as authorized in writing by the

County, or as required by law.

The contractor shall implement reasonable administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect sensitive information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or loss. At a minimum, safeguards shall address secure storage, controlled access, secure transmission, records retention, and secure destruction.

The contractor shall notify the County immediately upon discovery of a suspected or actual unauthorized disclosure, loss, or security incident involving County information and shall cooperate fully with the County’s investigation and response.

5.8 SCHEDULING AND RESPONSE TIMES:

The contractor shall state in its proposal:

• Normal business hours and primary contact methods.

• Standard scheduling lead time.

• Typical report turnaround time after a completed examination.

• Availability for urgent, priority, evening, weekend, or holiday requests, if offered.

• Geographic service area and ability to provide services within Chatham County or at County-designated locations.

The County may request priority services when operational circumstances require. The contractor shall use reasonable efforts to accommodate such requests; however, the

County does not guarantee a minimum volume of work.

5.9 CONTRACT TERM:

Annual Contract with renewal options for four (4) additional one (1) year terms if all parties agree.

5.10 PRICING:

The contractor shall provide firm unit pricing for the contract term. Pricing shall include all ordinary costs necessary to provide the required services unless a separate charge is specifically identified in the approved fee schedule.

No travel, cancellation, after-hours, testimony, consultation, or other fee may be charged unless it is expressly included in the contractor’s proposal and accepted by the County in the contract or subsequent written authorization.

5.11 COUNTY RESPONSIBILITIES:

The County will designate authorized personnel to request services, provide available case or administrative information necessary for scheduling and examination planning, coordinate access to County facilities when applicable, and review invoices and deliverables for compliance with the contract.

The County reserves the right to determine whether, when, and for what purpose services will be requested under the contract.

5.12 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS:

The contractor’s performance will be evaluated based on factors including:

• Timeliness of scheduling and report delivery.

• Quality, completeness, clarity, and professionalism of reports and work product.

• Compliance with confidentiality, security, legal, and contractual obligations.

• Examiner qualifications and continuity of properly credentialed personnel.

• Responsiveness to County staff and ability to accommodate operational needs.

• Accuracy of billing and adherence to the approved fee schedule.

Unsatisfactory performance may result in corrective action, suspension of assignments, nonrenewal, or termination in accordance with the contract and applicable law.

SECTION VI

EVALUATION AND AWARD

6.1 EVALUATION: Each response to this RFP shall be subject to the same review and assessment process. Proposals will be evaluated and ranked on the basis of points awarded by a technical review panel. A description of the factors that will be analyzed, and the relative weight accorded each factor, follows.

STEP 1: PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL (TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS: 100).

Evaluating Factor: Points Possible:

Experience & Qualifications 25

Polygraph Examination Service Capabilities & Approach 25

Quality Assurance, Confidentiality & Compliance 15

MBE/WBE Participation 15

Cost Proposal 15

References 5

STEP 2- INTERVIEWS/PRESENTATIONS-IF REQUIRED (TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS:30)

Interviews or presentations will be conducted at the discretion of the Evaluation Committee and will be scored based on the proposer’s clarity, responsiveness, relevant law-enforcement polygraph experience, understanding of the County’s needs, service-delivery approach, and ability to meet the requirements of this RFP.

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

RFP NO. 26-0116-6

COST PROPOSAL FORM

I have read and understand the requirements of Request for Proposal No. 26-0116-6 and agree to provide the required services in accordance with this proposal and all attachments, exhibits, and addenda. I understand that the County will not be responsible for reimbursement of any costs not specifically set forth in this proposal.

Service Unit of Measure Unit Price

Standard law-enforcement polygraph examination, including pre-test interview, examination, post-test interview, scoring, and written report.

Per examination $

Criminal investigation polygraph examination, if priced separately Per examination $

Internal affairs or administrative polygraph examination, if priced separately Per examination $

Pre-employment polygraph examination, if priced separately Per examination $

Urgent or priority examination service, if applicable Per examination $

Consultation Per hour $

Deposition or courtroom testimony Per hour $

Travel, mileage, or other approved travel-related charge, if applicable Specify unit $

Cancellation or rescheduling charge, if applicable Per occurrence $

Maximum cap for future-year increase, if applicable and subject to County approval: %

All pricing shall include all ordinary costs necessary to provide the services unless a separate charge is expressly identified above and accepted by the County.

FIRM NAME:

PROPOSER:

SIGNATURE:

ADDRESS:

CITY/STATE/ZIP:

TELEPHONE:

FAX NUMBER:

E-MAIL: