RFP-_DoIT_Client_Services_RFP-FINAL.pdf

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STATE OF MARYLAND

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (DOIT)

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

DOIT CLIENT SERVICES

RFP NUMBER: FC-193-26

ISSUE DATE: JUNE 1, 2026

A Prospective Offeror that has received this document from a source other than eMarylandMarketplace

Advantage (eMMA) https://procurement.maryland.gov should register on eMMA https://emma.maryland.gov/

MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISES ARE ENCOURAGED TO RESPOND TO THIS

SOLICITATION.

https://procurement.maryland.gov/ https://emma.maryland.gov/

DoIT Client Services

Solicitation #: FC-193-26 RFP Document

RFP for the Department of Information Technology (DoIT) Page 2 of 123

STATE OF MARYLAND

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (DOIT)

KEY INFORMATION SUMMARY SHEET

Request for Proposals IT - DoIT Client Services

Solicitation Number: FC-193-26

RFP Issue Date: June 1, 2026

RFP Issuing Office: Maryland Department of Information Technology (DoIT or the

“Department”)

Procurement Officer: Keisha Clarke

Email:

Phone Number:

Keisha.Clarke@maryland.gov

(410) 697-9736

Proposals are to be sent to:

Submit on emma.maryland.gov under Solicitation Number: FC-193-26

To submit a proposal, offerors must first register on emma.maryland.gov.

We recommend registering in advance to become acquainted with the site.

No Bid/Proposal Notice

Feedback Form

*If you are not submitting a proposal for this solicitation, submit

Attachment 1 with your reasons why.

Pre-Proposal

Conference:

See Section 4.3 for additional details.

June 8, 2026 12:00PM

Held Virtually

Pre Proposal Conference-RFP DoIT Client Services

Monday, June 8, 2026 12:00 – 1:00pm

Google Meet joining info

Video call link: https://meet.google.com/gdg-bcxm-yuz

Or dial: 9119-324-(US) +1 929 PIN: 708 083 402#

Scheduled Site Visit No Site Visit will be Scheduled.

Questions Due Date and

Time:

June 15, 2026 5:00PM Local Time mailto:Keisha.Clarke@maryland.gov https://meet.google.com/gdg-bcxm-yuz

RFP for the Department of Information Technology (DoIT) Page 3 of 123

Proposal Due (Closing)

Date and Time:

July 14, 2026 12:00PM Local Time

Offerors are reminded that a completed Feedback Form is requested if a no-bid/proposal decision is made (see Attachment 1 - No Bid

Notice/Vendor Feedback Form).

MBE Subcontracting

Goal:

20%

VSBE Subcontracting

Goal:

2%

Procurement Method: A Contract will be awarded in accordance with the Competitive Sealed

Proposals method under COMAR 21.05.03.

Multiple or Alternate

Bids:

Multiple or alternate Proposals will not be accepted.

Contract Type: Firm Fixed Price (COMAR 21.06.03.02) with Indefinite Quantity Work

Orders with firm fixed unit prices (COMAR 21.06.03.06A)

Contract Duration: Five (5) Year Base Period with Two (2), One-Year Option Periods

Primary Place of

Performance:

The Contractor’s Location and

Maryland Department of Information Technology

100 Community Place

Crownsville, MD 21032

And other State of Maryland offices as needed.

SBR Designation: No

Federal Funding: No

RFP for the Department of Information Technology (DoIT) Page 4 of 123

TABLE OF CONTENTS – RFP

1 Minimum Qualifications

1.1 Offeror Minimum Qualifications

2 Contractor Requirements: Scope of Work

2.1 Summary Statement

2.2 Background and Purpose

2.3 Contractor Responsibilities and Tasks

2.4 Experience and Personnel

2.5 Substitution of Personnel

2.6 Deliverables

2.7 Service Level Agreement (SLA)

2.8 Supplemental Category of Work Requirements and Responsibilities

2.9 SOC 2 Type 2 Audit Report

2.10 Nonvisual Access

2.11 Mercury and Products That Contain Mercury

2.12 Location of the Performance of Services Disclosure

2.13 HIPAA - Business Associate Agreement

2.14 Additional Clauses

2.15 Custom Software

3 Standard Terms and Conditions

3.1 Contract Initiation Requirements

3.2 End of Contract Transition

3.3 Invoicing

3.4 Liquidated Damages

3.5 Problem Escalation Procedure

3.6 Work Orders

3.7 Payments by Electronic Funds Transfer

3.8 Prompt Payment Policy

3.9 Federal Funding Acknowledgement

3.10 Conflict of Interest Affidavit and Disclosure

3.11 Non-Disclosure Agreement

3.12 Maryland Healthy Working Families Act Requirements

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3.13 The State of Maryland’s Commitment to Purchasing Environmentally Preferred Products and

Services (EPPs)

3.14 Insurance Requirements

3.15 Non-Compete Clause Prohibition

4 Proposal Submission Information and Instructions

4.1 eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA)

4.2 Electronic Means

4.3 Pre-Proposal Conference

4.4 Questions

4.5 Proposal Due (Closing) Date and Time

4.6 Economy of Preparation

4.7 Public Information Act Notice

4.8 Oral Presentation

4.9 Duration of Proposals

4.10 Revisions to the RFP

4.11 Cancellations

4.12 Incurred Expenses

4.13 Protest/Disputes

4.14 Offeror Responsibilities

4.15 Acceptance of Terms and Conditions

4.16 Compliance with Laws/Arrearages

4.17 Verification of Registration and Tax Payment

4.18 False Statements

5 Proposal Format

5.1 Two Part Submission

5.2 Proposal Delivery and Packaging

5.3 Volume I - Technical Proposal

5.4 Volume II – Financial Proposal

6 Evaluation and Selection Process

6.1 Evaluation Committee

6.2 Technical Proposal Evaluation Criteria

6.3 Financial Proposal Evaluation Criteria

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6.4 Reciprocal Preference

6.5 Selection Procedures

6.6 Documents Required upon Notice of Recommendation for Contract Award RFP Attachments

(Table B)

7 RFP Appendices and Exhibits

7.1 Appendices (Table C) ................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

7.2 Exhibits (Table D)

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1 Minimum Qualifications

1.1 Offeror Minimum Qualifications

Offerors that cannot provide evidence of the following active certifications will be deemed not susceptible for award. Substitute certifications will not be accepted. Offerors should include evidence of both of the following ISO certifications in their technical proposal:

A. ISO 20000-1 IT Service Management

B. ISO 27001 Information Security Management

THE REMAINDER OF THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK.

RFP for the Department of Information Technology (DoIT) Page 8 of 123

2 Contractor Requirements: Scope of Work

2.1 Summary Statement

The Department of Information Technology (“DoIT” or the "Department") is issuing this RFP to acquire contractual services from a single Contractor to implement, operate and manage the below listed services (described more fully in Section 2.2 below):

A. A Service Desk to respond to, solve, and coordinate inbound and outbound IT service and support requests from State of Maryland residents and State agency staff, as well as users external to the State of Maryland.

B. A Desktop Support team to respond to, solve, and coordinate inbound and outbound IT service and support requests from State of Maryland agency end users, as well as any IT support requests escalated by the DoIT Service Desk.

C. An IT Asset Management team to respond to, solve, and coordinate inbound and outbound service and support requests related to State issued IT hardware and software assets, for

State of Maryland agency end users

It is the State’s intention to obtain goods and services, as specified in this RFP, from a contract between the selected Offeror and the State.

The State intends to make a single award. See RFP Section 6.5 Selection Procedures for more Contract award information.

The purpose of this solicitation is to procure a state-of-the-art, currently commercially available cloud based 24x7x365 Contact Center As A Service (CCaaS). An example is

Genesys Cloud CX, or other similar cloud solution, with native Artificial Intelligence (AI) functionality, live operators (Service Desk Agents), Quality Assurance and Quality

Management Staff (QA/QM), integration with ServiceNow Virtual Agent [Intelligent Virtual

Assistant (IVA)], Interactive Voice Response (IVR) capabilities and services for receiving and responding to support requests via an Automated Call Distribution (ACD) system which is directly integrated with the Department’s instance of ServiceNow. The CCaaS must include an out-of-the-box tracking and reporting capability and be able to generate reports about the types of customer contacts received and resolved on behalf of the Department, including, but not limited to, agent availability, phone call and ACD metrics, electronic email sourced support request metrics (volume of requests received and resolved via email). The

CCaaS must also include chatbot integrations, automation capabilities via SMS text, as well as automated Artificial Intelligence (AI) and integration capabilities.

In addition to the CCaaS system and live operators for the Service Desk, this solicitation also is to procure staff augmentation services for the Department of Information Technology’s

Client Services program Desktop Support and IT Asset Management (ITAM) teams.

A Contract award does not ensure a Contractor will receive all or any State business under the

Contract.

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2.2 Background and Purpose

A. Service Desk Services

The Department’s Service Desk is a 24x7x365 operation (including State Holidays) and is the

State’s primary and first point of contact for IT incidents and service requests. The Service

Desk also receives inbound phone, email, and self-service inquiries from the public. DoIT supports several agency IT operations and statewide applications through an existing outsourced, managed IT Service Desk remotely out of Ohio. This Service Desk, on average, handles over 60,000 phone-sourced support requests and over 60,000 email-sourced support requests per year.

The Service Desk receives incidents, problems, and service requests surrounding management of commodity hardware (desktops, laptops, monitors, printers, etc.), productivity applications

(e.g., Microsoft Office 365, Google Workspace), wide-area network services delivered by networkMaryland™ (the statewide high-speed network for public sector use), and statewide applications (e.g., Google Apps for Government, FMIS, and SharePoint).

The Service Desk leverages ServiceNow to manage incidents, problems, and service requests using ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) aligned processes. The Service

Desk is currently manned by technical, remote, out-of-state resources.

B. Desktop Support Services

The Desktop Support Services team is responsible for supporting one or more State agencies with their end user technology needs. This includes, but is not limited to, maintenance, support, and upkeep of desktop computers, laptops, tablets, mobile devices, printers, and related hardware and software which is specific to each agency’s needs. State agencies managed by DoIT, such as public safety agencies, that have a 24x7x365 business operation, will require full-time, on-site, dedicated Desktop Support staff. These agencies are Charlotte

Hall Veterans Home, under the Department of Veterans and Military Families, DVMF, Maryland Department of Emergency Management, Executive Office of the Governor, and the

Maryland Cannabis Administration.

The Desktop Support Services team is responsible for supporting all Windows based operating systems (including current and legacy versions), State issued iOS and Android devices, and, at the discretion of the Department, support for State issued macOS endpoints.

This team is responsible for supporting standard productivity software as determined by DoIT and the agencies DoIT supports, including but not limited to Microsoft Office, Google Suite, and Adobe. While Google Chrome is the State’s preferred web browser, familiarity with other browsers is expected. This team is also expected to support video conference tools such as

Zoom, WebEx, Cisco Jabber, GoToMeeting, Teams, and Google Meet. In conjunction to working with the IT Asset Management team, this Team also encompasses deployment, installation, repair, and replacement of end user endpoints such as desktops, laptops, tablets, docking stations, and monitors in connection with equipment refresh cycles per fiscal year.

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The Desktop Support team receives incidents, problems, and service requests surrounding management of commodity hardware (e.g., desktops, laptops, monitors, printers, etc.), productivity applications (e.g., Microsoft Office 365, Google Workspace), wide-area network services delivered by networkMaryland™ (the statewide high-speed network for public sector use), statewide applications (e.g., Google Apps for Government, FMIS, and SharePoint), and various other end user related service requests and IT incidents. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, circumstances may dictate the need to support other locations or agencies. When assigned work at other locations, the use of a personal vehicle may be necessary. Standard mileage allowance will not be paid by the State for use of a privately owned vehicle.

The Desktop Support team leverages ServiceNow to manage incidents, problems, and service requests using ITIL (Information Technology Infrastructure Library) aligned processes.

C. IT Asset Management Services

The IT Asset Management team is responsible for supporting one or more State agencies with equipment refresh support and IT asset inventory validation, capture, and upkeep. The IT

Asset Management team supports State agency users with the replacement/refresh of desktop computers, laptops, tablets, and related hardware and software. Requirements for the ITAM team staff will include completed background checks, knowledge and understanding of the tasks being assigned, and availability to be assigned, as needed, to various State of Maryland agency locations supported by DoIT. The IT Asset Management team members’ main responsibility is to provide support for the Department of Information Technology’s computer lifecycle refresh and support State agency IT asset inventory workflows and perform asset inventory

The duties include the imaging of devices with DoIT’s latest Windows 10/Windows 11 Gold

Image; the setup and installation of computers; migration of data; removal of legacy devices;

installation of end-user productivity software and applications; IT asset inventory capture;

validation; and recording, inclusive of pertinent user information such as email, site/location address, room/office/cube number, equipment asset tag, service tag, and any other pertinent serial numbers. Responsibilities include providing support to DoIT’s IT asset inventory capture and validation requirements as part of the IT Asset Management (ITAM) department and function. The ITAM team member is key in managing and maintaining accurate records of the organization's IT assets. This position involves tracking hardware inventory, supporting inventory audits, and ensuring compliance with State asset management and inventory policies. The ITAM team members also collaborate with IT teams to optimize asset utilization and contribute to overall IT efficiency. Duties include, but are not limited to, in-person capture, recording, and validation of IT assets, including equipment asset tags, service tags, any other pertinent serial numbers, make, and model of equipment across the State of

Maryland at DoIT supported State agencies and field offices.

These duties will be performed for all DoIT managed agency customers across approximately

44 (and growing) State agencies.

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2.2.1 Project Goals

The Department has established the following goals for the project:

A. Decrease call-wait time, improve speed of response to customer support requests, improve customer access to the Department, ticket information, ticket status updates, and self-service knowledge base to improve the overall customer experience in the most effective and efficient way possible.

B. Improve response and escalation times to critical system and service outages for

State of Maryland public safety agencies.

C. Reduce the amount of time the Service Desk staff spends on troubleshooting and resolving routine tasks through effective, automated, and faster responses to customer inquiries.

D. Provide customer centric, quality technical support and services with effective, efficient, and timely customer interactions, responses, resolutions, and ticket assignments.

E. Provide white glove and expedited service, issue response and resolution, to State

Executives and VIP staff.

F. Increase customer satisfaction and improve end user experience through an enhanced, world class Service Desk, Desktop Support services, and IT Asset

Management services.

G. Improve delivery and availability of guidance and knowledge bases for end users to submit requests for service and support, inclusive of self-service tools and capabilities, and improved and/or automated assistance in navigating and/or routing support requests to other support groups.

H. Incorporate, adopt, and employ innovative methodologies, technologies, techniques, practices, cost sharing and other services aimed at improving customer services and enhancing the end user experience.

I. Improve early identification of major incidents by correlating incident tickets and taking appropriate actions to relate incidents, create problem tickets, make incident and problem ticket data easily and readily available to the Department and State agencies, increase and improve collaboration with Department support groups and track the tickets through to resolution.

J. Complete end user equipment refresh of laptops, desktops, and tablets respective to the Fiscal Year in which the equipment has been identified as due for refresh.

2.2.2 State Staff and Roles

In addition to the Procurement Officer and Contract Monitor, the State project team consists of the following:

A. State Project Manager

The State Project Manager will be responsible for tracking and monitoring the project timelines, resources, and task deliverables the Contractor is responsible for.

B. Representatives from the DoIT Platform and Client Services Service Group.

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2.3 Contractor Responsibilities and Tasks

2.3.1 Overview

A. The Contractor will be provided access to the Department’s existing telephone number for the Service Desk. The number will not be transferred to the Contractor.

The Contractor implemented and managed CCaaS, inclusive of IVR and ACD functionality, is required to be integrated with the Department’s existing telephone number for the Service Desk and with the Department’s instance of ServiceNow.

B. The initial point of contact for all inbound telephone inquiries will be via the

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) with integration with Service Now Intelligent

Virtual Assistant (IVA).

C. The Contractor will work with DoIT in understanding, developing, and implementing appropriate call tree structures, scripts, hunt groups, streamlined workflows, customized interactions, and any needed automation.

D. The Contractor will work with DoIT in understanding, developing, and implementing Desktop Support and IT Asset Management related standard operating procedures (SOP’s), SOP repositories, streamlined workflows, workflow automation, service catalogs, and service delivery expectations.

E. The IVR and IVA will include automated services to enable the State to deliver unattended services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year (366 days for leap year), in accordance with DoIT approved scripts and routing paths; input options via telephone touch-tone pad and voice commands to access pre-recorded information; as well as speech recognition (speech-to- text and text-to-speech) technologies to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the DoIT Service Desk technology driven capabilities and improve the end user experience.

F. DoIT will have full control, access, and management oversight of the CCaaS and integrated IVR and ACD systems, with the ability to modify/change/alter the IVR and/or IVA configuration seamlessly and directly via the CCaaS platform, or some other approved methodology agreed upon by DoIT and the Contractor.

2.3.2 General Requirements

The Contractor must:

A. Provide and support a Single Point of Contact (SPOC) ITIL based Service Desk platform solution such as Genesys Cloud CX, and other similar cloud solutions with native Artificial Intelligence (AI) functionality that will support calls, emails, and chats submitted to the Service Desk by State of Maryland employees, contractors, and other system users.

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B. Implement and manage a cloud based CCaaS platform such as Genesys Cloud CX and other similar cloud solutions with native Artificial Intelligence (AI) functionality to provide a Service Desk operation and handle inbound support requests and outbound support follow ups which incorporate IVR and ACD integrated with ServiceNow.

C. Prioritize immediate response and support on critical outages to State of Maryland public safety agencies, the State of Maryland Executive office of the Governor, and other State of Maryland agencies and offices.

D. Provide exceptional customer service and assistance on support inquiries.

E. Provide technical and management staff to implement, manage, and operate the

Service Desk, Desktop Support, and IT Asset Management operations to satisfactorily meet the requirements as set forth in this solicitation.

F. Provide technical and administrative support and resolutions for customer inquiries varying in complexity, inclusive of warm transfers to other DoIT and State support groups for resolution of escalations and/or elevations.

G. Provide the necessary staffing to satisfactorily meet the requirements set forth in this solicitation.

H. Maintain staffing levels and availability of staff to appropriately respond to customer support requests and needs during normal business hours, peak hours, periods of heavy call volume, inclusive of State Holidays and inclement weather-related or emergency closures as declared by the Governor and/or approved by the

Department.

I. Evaluate and have the capability to ramp up staff and/or leverage technology driven automation techniques to accommodate increases in call and email volume.

J. Handle spikes in call and email support request volume, as well as service ticket volume and fluctuations, and meet and adhere to Service Level Agreements as established in this solicitation.

K. Use Department approved applications (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Google Meet) for collaboration and communication with customers and Department stakeholders.

L. Respond and record efforts and attempts to resolve support requests received via phone and email from State of Maryland employees and contractors, as well as any other non-State agency persons or entities seeking information or assistance from the Department, inclusive of the general public.

M. Provide and maintain a customer service centric and professional environment for the Service Desk, Desktop Support, and IT Asset Management to ensure high quality and respectful interactions with customers.

N. Troubleshoot and attempt to resolve items on the first call/first contact support for incidents and service requests related to desktops, laptops, tablets, software applications, ticket status requests, programs, and systems.

O. Implement a quality assurance process that leverages ServiceNow Performance

Analytics reporting and dashboards that monitor the effectiveness, efficiency, and productivity of Service Desk, Desktop Support, and IT Asset Management technicians and processes, to include:

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1. Call Monitoring & Call Records (accessible by DoIT),

2. Incident and Service Request Ticket handling and management (85% of total volume of inbound support requests),

3. Service Desk, Desktop Support, and IT Asset Management staff feedback and coaching,

4. Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) Surveys and Reporting, and

5. SLA metrics, audits, and reporting.

P. Adhere to the Department’s policies and procedures on Change, Incident, and

Problem Management processes.

Q. Comply with all applicable laws, regulations, policies, standards, and guidelines affecting Information Technology projects, which may be created or changed periodically.

R. Ensure adherence to and remain abreast of new or revised laws, regulations, policies, standards, and guidelines concerning project execution and success.

These include, but are not limited to:

1. The State of Maryland Information Technology Security

Policy and Standards at: https://doit.maryland.gov/policies/Pages/default.aspx

2. The State of Maryland Information Technology Non-Visual Standards at:

http://doit.maryland.gov/policies/Pages/ContractPolicies.aspx

2.3.3 Overview of the Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS)

The proposed CCaaS must include:

A. A cloud based solution such as Genesys Cloud CX or other similar cloud solutions with native Artificial Intelligence (AI) functionality that integrates with the

Department’s ServiceNow platform, including, but not limited to the ServiceNow

Virtual Agent, ServiceNow Agent Workspace and ServiceNow Performance

Analytics.

B. An Automated Call Distribution (ACD) system, with on-demand and real-time

Service Desk operations dashboard and controls capability which the Department shall have full and complete access to for any needed real-time changes and adjustments

C. An Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system, which the Department shall have full and complete access to for any real-time changes and adjustments needed.

D. A Short Messaging Service (SMS), Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven Chatbot, and

Virtual Agent to assist Customers across multiple platforms and be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365/366 days a year, including State Holidays. The

Department shall be able to update or change the information provided by the

SMS, the Chatbot, and or the Virtual Agent at any time.

E. A phone survey capability.

https://doit.maryland.gov/policies/Pages/default.aspx http://doit.maryland.gov/policies/Pages/ContractPolicies.aspx

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F. A skills-based routing capability to send calls to higher skilled Service Desk staff.

G. A native (out of the box), configurable, and customizable on-demand end user chat

(chatbot) interaction capabilities, inclusive of queuing multiple call-to-chat (virtual agent, digital assistant, etc.) interactions, to assist customers across multiple platforms and be available 24/7/365/366, inclusive of weekends and State holidays.

H. All minimum requirements outlined in the State of Maryland - Department of

Information Technology Functional Requirements Matrix – Service Desk document found in Appendix 9.

I. An administrative console to manage the IVR features. The Administrative

Console shall include, at a minimum:

1. Dynamic ad-hoc reporting capabilities on customer call data,

2. Real-time, ad-hoc reporting capabilities on Service Desk agent metrics, including KPI metrics,

3. Configuration of the call tree without going through the Contractor or a third party,

4. The capability to add ad-hoc messages to the customer greeting, and

5. The capability to add and modify messages played while the customer is on hold.

J. Real time and on-demand statistics and metric data. Reporting data shall include, but not be limited to:

1. Contact type,

2. Customer category,

3. Wait time,

4. Hold time,

5. Call back feature wait time,

6. Abandonment rate,

7. Call volume,

8. Call handling time,

9. Agent availability,

10. Areas of call,

11. Reason for the call,

12. Resolution, and

13. Call disposition (sorted by group, agent, etc.).

2.3.4 Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Specifications

The initial point of contact for all telephone inquiries shall be through the Contractor provided traditional and dynamic/conversational Interactive Voice Response system. The call tree shall allow option selection through voice, button press, and tele-typewriter

(TTY), as well as Telecommunications Relay Services (TRS). The IVR shall:

A. Be able to record and transcribe calls, B. Translate spoken customer statements and questions into text, C. Translate text responses into spoken responses to the customer, and

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D. Parse customer statements and questions to generate text responses using predictive

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and natural language models, E. Provide professional voice recording of IVR scripts in multiple languages. The

Department shall be able to modify/alter/update the IVR on demand and in real time.

F. Allow the Department to create custom call flows and modify existing call flows seamlessly, G. Be able to route calls using a virtual agent receptionist, H. Remain scalable to integrate to the State of Maryland MD Benefits and MD Benefits hosted applications.

2.3.5 Automated Call Distribution (ACD) System Specifications

The Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) capabilities shall include:

A. The minimum requirements as outlined in the State of Maryland - Department of

Information Technology Functional Requirements Matrix identified in Appendix 9.

B. Direct Inward Dial (DID) phone extension numbers that are appropriately configured and assigned to Service Desk staff.

C. The ability to be configurable and expandable, allowing the Department to control how calls are routed. Includes the capability to route to no less than 10 groups and scale to unlimited groups.

D. The ability to distribute incoming calls to Service Desk agents. Call routing shall be based on:

1. Sequence of arrival/origination,

2. Inquiry type,

3. Service desk agent availability,

4. Skills,

5. Language fluency, or

6. Other pre-defined routing instructions.

E. Self-service options such as SMS text, live agent chat, and AI driven chatbot for ticket status updates, ticket number information, office closures, system outages, maintenance activities, etc.

F. The ability to gather and report statistics on-demand and in real-time, including, but not limited to:

1. Screen recording,

2. Number of calls in queue,

3. Current hold time,

4. Maximum hold time,

5. Abandoned/dropped calls,

6. Calls routed to voicemail,

7. Average and real time wait times,

8. Call volume, and

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9. Calls in session including daily, monthly, and yearly metric trend data, contact type and customer categorization. The Department’s designated staff shall have access to the ACD at any time and without prior notice to the Contractor.

G. The ability to provide estimated wait and hold times and other recorded messages.

Estimated wait and hold times shall be offered at the beginning of any wait and hold time and repeated at various intervals/increments. Customers shall be given the option to remain in the queue, select a call-back or email option, or transfer to a virtual agent.

H. Tracking, monitoring, and follow up capabilities to ensure that customers that opted for a call-back or email follow-up are contacted within one (1) business day or less. In the event that a busy signal or no answer condition is presented, a scripted voicemail message indicating the purpose of the call with information on how to contact the

Service Desk shall be left with the customer. After the initial callback attempt, the

ACD shall repeat the call-back attempt at least two (2) additional times over the following two (2) business days.

I. A feature that records all calls processed by the Service Desk. Audio recordings shall be provided to the Department no later than one (1) business day from the request date, and additionally, designated Department staff shall have direct on-demand access to the audio recordings.

J. Configured alerts that are distributed to the Service Desk and the Department based on unforeseen situations. Unforeseen situations may include:

1. Continuously long hold times,

2. Abandoned calls,

3. Inconsistencies with call (telephone/voice) quality, and

4. Unusual increase in volume of voicemail messages to the Service Desk.

Alerts shall be configured according to threshold breach criteria. Automatic or manual alerts shall be sent to the Service Desk and Department contacts as designated.

K. Monitoring of Service Desk Agent performance by utilizing industry standard practices including ‘listen’, ‘record’, ‘workgroup alert’, ‘transfer’, ‘join’, ‘whisper coaching’ and ‘grab’ methods.

L. Automated outbound calling to include preview, progressive and predictive dialers, campaign management, and call-back assistance reports.

2.3.6 ServiceNow: Information Technology Service Management (ITSM) Incident, Service

Request, and Knowledge Management

The Contractor shall:

A. Use DoIT’s instance of ServiceNow as the primary system for all Service Desk activities:

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B. Use DoIT’s instance of ServiceNow to record, maintain, and update customer records and basic customer information, track all calls, activities, and Service Desk operations.

C. Use DoIT’s ServiceNow performance and analytics dashboards and reporting tool, Performance Analytics, to measure, report, and monitor customer support request trends and ServiceDesk performance metrics.

D. Train Service Desk staff on the functions of DoIT’s cloud based ServiceNow platform, per DoIT’s training and etiquette guidelines in the areas of ticket management, queue management, documentation, customer follow ups, workflows, and escalations.

E. Work with the appropriate DoIT teams such as Identity & Access Management, Platform Management, Client Services, and Office of Security Management as needed to configure role-based privilege settings for all Service Desk staff in accordance with DoIT’s user access and roles guidelines and policies in a manner that empowers designated DoIT staff and/or Management to have the ability to reset and/or modify user access based on the user’s security profile and staffing level.

F. Utilize scripts and templates as approved by DoIT Management.

G. Adhere to the Department’s content and data protection and retention policies and guidelines as they pertain to ServiceNow, for customer data and customer records. No data or records shall be deleted, unless authorized by the Department.

H. Use the Department’s instance of ServiceNow for lifecycle management in the areas of Incident and Service Request Management, Problem Management, Change

Management, and Event Management workflows.

I. Contribute to and help develop and enhance the Department’s Knowledge Base management program, maximize the utility of knowledge base articles for resolving incident and service requests, and contribute to review and capture of knowledge base articles.

2.3.7 Client Services: Service Desk, Desktop Support, and IT Asset Management

A. The Contractor shall maintain appropriate staffing levels to meet the support demands of end users in conjunction with the requirements outlined in this solicitation. The staff shall be dedicated, full-time personnel that solely support requests received by the State of

Maryland Department of Information Technology Service Desk, Desktop Support, and IT

Asset Management operations.

B. Service Desk Analysts will be responsible for performing the following tasks:

1. Respond to customer support requests and inquiries, provide status updates, guidance, and information as needed to help address and resolve the support request.

2. Log all support requests in the Department’s ServiceNow, inclusive of any customer follow ups and communications via telephone, e-mail, voicemail, RFP for the Department of Information Technology (DoIT) Page 19 of 123 collaboration platforms, and any other approved electronic transmission mediums for communication.

3. Communicate and collaborate with Department staff and other DoIT Support groups as needed to solve, troubleshoot, and receive guidance on solving reported issues.

4. Leverage the Department’s Knowledge Base in ServiceNow to solve reported issues.

5. Respond to written support requests and inquiries by telephone, e-mail, SMS text, and chat.

6. Consistently deliver and demonstrate excellent customer service by responding to customer support requests and inquiries with accuracy, professionalism, and politeness in a courteous manner, with a high degree of empathy and respect.

7. Possess excellent listening and attentiveness skills, allowing the customer to provide information without interruptions or preconceived conclusions.

8. Consolidate incidents and service requests into short descriptions as needed to remove ambiguous, erroneous, or unclear information received from the customer. Conduct outreach to the customer via telephone, chat, and e-mail and perform analysis to validate the reported support request.

9. Identify trends in customer support requests and inquiries to assist the Department in development of resolution and response efficiencies to improve the customer experience and contribute to the Knowledge Base.

10. Provide end user IT support for desktop, laptops, software, applications, connectivity, VPN, Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, and any other software and application approved by the Department and/or used by State of Maryland agencies, including emulator applications used for accessing the Financial

Management Information Systems (FMIS).

11. Regularly monitor incident and service requests sent to the Service Desk via email, fax, phone calls, or voice mail messages. Respond to customers with a ticket number and the appropriate department/support group their issue was forwarded to, or by contacting them with the necessary information for problem resolution. Track all requests through the proper coding and classification of the ticket in ServiceNow. Attach or copy email and any other relevant documents into tickets.

12. Use the Department’s ServiceNow to record, distribute, monitor, report, respond to, resolve, and document instances of incidents, problems, request or questions as they are reported to the Service Desk.

13. Ensure data integrity and accuracy of all customer support requests and inquiries are entered into ServiceNow.

14. Document in ServiceNow tickets all work and instances of customer follow ups including but not limited to, leveraging the built-in email engine in ServiceNow, work log entries, sending a personalized email to the customer directly and attaching the email to the ticket.

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15. For support requests received via email, conduct a follow up with the customer to validate the requested service, reported issue, location, and impacted service and/or system prior to ticket generation.

16. Ensure proper categorization and classification of tickets to guarantee proper delivery of tickets to appropriate groups or persons.

17. Ensure proper sourcing selection of tickets to accurately reflect how the support request/problem was received.

18. Where possible, perform first call/first contact resolution (FCR) by researching and utilizing ServiceNow Knowledge Base and other approved document repositories and instruction sets.

19. Partner and collaborate with the Department’s Office of Security Management

(OSM) and other DoIT service groups as needed towards resolving, assisting with, security related incidents and issues.

20. Partner and collaborate with the Department’s Network Operations Center (NOC) as needed towards resolving, assisting with, security related incidents and issues.

21. Service Desk agents shall not put customers on hold without an initial interaction by a Service Desk agent or use any other method that is non-responsive to

Customers.

22. Ensure enough time is spent with Customers to meet all of their needs in one call versus multiple short calls for the same Customer.

C. IT Asset Management Specialists will be responsible for performing the following tasks:

1. IT Equipment Refresh Technician:

a. IT Hardware & Software Support: Installation, configuration, and setup of hardware and software. These duties will include, but are not limited to, unpacking new products (laptops, desktops, tablets) from shipping boxes and inspecting components for damage, reimaging laptops/desktops/tablets as needed, performing BIOS updates, joining computers to the domain, providing login assistance to end users, configure IP address as required when applicable, organize product components and peripherals (e.g., keyboards, power supplies and mice) for deployment, deliver new equipment to the end user, connect external peripherals to the product (laptop, desktop, tablet) or product’s docking station. If needed, assist with end-user data migration services, such as software and applications installation and setup. Ensure printer queue connectivity. Work with DoIT staff to troubleshoot and resolve issues with desktop/laptop/tablet hardware, software, network connectivity, and other factors affecting systems operations and performance. Ensure desktop computers interconnect with diverse systems, including associated validation systems, file servers, email servers, computer conferencing systems, application servers, and administrative systems.

b. Removal of Legacy System: Disconnect legacy hardware. Move the legacy system to an onsite storage area designated by the Agency or DoIT. Dispose

RFP for the Department of Information Technology (DoIT) Page 21 of 123 of all boxes and packaging materials and clean the storage area of debris and trash.

c. IT Collaboration: Collaborate and consult with DoIT Client Services team members to solve technical issues related to the refresh and equipment remediation effort. Partner with DoIT technical teams and peers to research and investigate solutions and workarounds.

d. Customer Service: Customer service is a critical function of this role, and as such, we have established guidelines to align with reasonable customer expectations. This position should work assigned tasks to meet and/or exceed customer expectations. Task management includes entering appropriate notations in the appropriate and/or relevant equipment refresh trackers, and IT asset inventory trackers and issuing remediation tracker tickets relative to identified issues and actions taken. Document all work in ServiceNow per the

DoIT Ticket Handling Etiquette guidelines and apprise customers of progress made towards ticket resolution. Consistently demonstrate courteous and professional behavior and always provide excellent customer service.

e. IT Asset & Inventory Support: Assist in completing and capturing physical inventory for DoIT-supported sites and support the process for capturing moves, adds, and changes to ensure inventory is maintained accurately in accordance with DoIT asset policies. Update physical IT asset inventory sheets for new and old equipment. Collect signed paper records of device distribution to end users. Digitize and upload paper records to DoIT-designated and approved project repositories.

2. IT Asset Transportation Specialist:

a. Asset Transportation Planning: To various locations, develop and execute transportation plans for IT assets, including hardware and software components. Coordinate with internal teams, external vendors, and logistics partners to arrange pickups, deliveries, and shipments. Ensure compliance with transportation regulations and organizational policies.

b. Packaging and Handling: Oversee the proper packaging of IT assets to prevent damage during transit. Implement best practices for handling and securing sensitive IT equipment. Manage inventory of packaging materials and supplies.

c. Logistics Coordination: Schedule and track shipments, ensuring timely and accurate deliveries. Maintained detailed records of shipments, including dates, locations, and asset conditions upon delivery. Handle customs documentation and clearance for international shipments.

d. Security and Compliance: Ensure the security of IT assets during transportation to prevent loss, theft, or unauthorized access. Follow data protection protocols, especially for assets containing sensitive or confidential information. Adhere to environmental regulations for the transportation and disposal of electronic equipment.

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e. Inventory and Documentation: Update asset management systems with transportation details, maintaining accurate records of asset movements.

Perform regular audits and reconciliations to ensure inventory accuracy.

Generate reports on transportation activities and metrics for management review.

f. Problem Resolution: Address and resolve issues related to delayed or damaged shipments. Coordinate with insurance providers for claims related to transportation incidents. Identify and implement improvements to transportation processes and procedures.

g. IT Collaboration: Collaborate and consult with DoIT ITAM team members to solve issues related to the reconciliation and validation of transported IT assets. Research solutions and workarounds by partnering with DoIT technical teams and peers. Work closely with IT teams, customers, and vendors to gather IT asset inventory information.

3. IT Asset Inventory Specialist:

a. Asset Tracking: Maintain a comprehensive inventory of all IT assets as directed by the Department of Information Technology IT Asset Management

(ITAM) team. Assign unique identifiers and labels to assets for tracking purposes, such as equipment asset tags, service tags, and any other pertinent serial numbers, as well as make and model of equipment.

b. Auditing and Verification: Conduct regular audit-related tasks as assigned by the DoIT ITAM manager to verify the accuracy of the asset inventory.

Investigate and resolve discrepancies between records and physical assets.

Provide support during audits and assist in resolving asset-related issues.

c. Documentation: Create and update documentation for all IT assets, capturing relevant details. Leverage existing IT asset and inventory trackers and

ServiceNow as necessary to track assigned tasks and tickets related to asset inventory. Ensure documentation aligns with organizational standards and policies.

d. Lifecycle Management: Under the direction of the DoIT ITAM Manager, provide support related to monitoring the entire lifecycle of IT assets, from procurement to disposal. Coordinate with relevant teams to retire or replace outdated assets.

e. Compliance and Reporting: Ensure compliance with IT asset management policies and procedures set forth by DoIT and the State of Maryland. Generate reports on asset utilization, depreciation, and compliance.

f. IT Collaboration: Collaborate and consult with DoIT ITAM team members to solve issues related to the reconciliation and validation of transported IT assets. Research solutions and workarounds by partnering with DoIT technical teams and peers. Work closely with IT teams, customers, and vendors to gather IT asset inventory information.

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g. Asset Disposal: Work with and assist the DoIT ITAM team properly disposing of retired assets/excess equipment. Ensure compliance with data destruction and disposal policies by DoIT and the State of Maryland.

h. Continuous Improvement: Identify opportunities for process improvements within asset management. Propose and implement enhancements to streamline asset-related workflows.

D. Desktop Support Technicians will be responsible for performing the following tasks:

1. IT Hardware & Software Support: Installation and maintenance of hardware such as printers, scanners, or other devices. Maintenance of critical software for user support (Anti-Virus, Encryption software, etc.). Installation of applications software and customization as required. Troubleshoot and resolve issues with desktop/laptop/tablet/mobile device hardware, software, network connectivity, and other factors affecting systems operations and performance. Ensure desktop computers interconnect with diverse systems including associated validation systems, file servers, email servers, computer conferencing systems, application servers and administrative systems. Install, test, and support new and existing software. Install upgrades/service packs as needed. Keep up to date on new and emerging technologies. Assist customers with video conference setup, testing and evaluation. Install and set up office computer equipment, printers, and other IT related equipment for new and existing employees. For teleworkers configure laptops and ensure the timely delivery by mail of equipment.

2. Customer Service: Customer service is a critical function of this role and as such we have established SLO/SLAs to align with reasonable customer expectations.

This position should work assigned tickets to meet established SLO/SLA’s and meet/exceed customer expectations. Ticket management includes entering appropriate notations in the ticket relative to issues identified and actions taken.

Document all work in ServiceNow per the DoIT Ticket Handling Etiquette guidelines and apprise customer of progress made towards ticket resolution.

Always demonstrate courteous and professional behavior and always provide excellent customer service.

3. Queue & Workload Management: Document all work in ServiceNow related to the installation, deployment, and maintenance of hardware and software for end users. Create user accounts and management of account privileges. Use the

ServiceNow system to create and update tickets for every user interaction before starting on any project. Work on assigned tickets to meet established SLO/SLAs

4. IT Collaboration: Collaborate and consult with End User Support team members on solving technical issues, research and investigate solutions and workarounds by partnering with DoIT technical teams and peers. Share knowledge and technical solutions with the Service Desk and EUS teams and help promote knowledge sharing. Document and troubleshoot reported issues as appropriate in

ServiceNow and collaborate with other DoIT IT support teams as needed towards issue resolution.

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5. Technical Projects: Work…