RFP Maryland Park Reservation Service Program .updated 10.3.2023.pdf

STATE OF MARYLAND

DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES (DNR)

OFFICE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

MARYLAND STATE PARK RESERVATION AND REVENUE

MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

eMMA NUMBER: BPM040098

ISSUE DATE: OCTOBER 2, 2023

NOTICE

A Prospective Offeror that has received this document from a source other than eMarylandMarketplace (eMMA) https://procurement.maryland.gov should register on eMMA. See Section 4.2.

MINORITY BUSINESS ENTERPRISES ARE ENCOURAGED TO RESPOND

TO THIS SOLICITATION.

Maryland State Park Reservation and Revenue Management System Solicitation #: BPM040098 RFP Document

RFP for The Department of Natural Resources Page ii of 102

VENDOR FEEDBACK FORM

To help us improve the quality of State solicitations, and to make our procurement process more responsive and business friendly, please provide comments and suggestions regarding this solicitation. Please return your comments with your response. If you have chosen not to respond to this solicitation, please email or fax this completed form to the attention of the Procurement Officer (see Key Information Summary Sheet below for contact information).

Title: Maryland State Park Reservation and Revenue Management System Solicitation No: K00R1600170

1. If you have chosen not to respond to this solicitation, please indicate the reason(s) below:

• Other commitments preclude our participation at this time

• The subject of the solicitation is not something we ordinarily provide

• We are inexperienced in the work/commodities required

• Specifications are unclear, too restrictive, etc. (Explain in REMARKS section)

• The scope of work is beyond our present capacity

• Doing business with the State is simply too complicated. (Explain in REMARKS section)

• We cannot be competitive. (Explain in REMARKS section)

• Time allotted for completion of the Proposal is insufficient

• Start-up time is insufficient

• Bonding/Insurance requirements are restrictive (Explain in REMARKS section)

• Proposal requirements (other than specifications) are unreasonable or too risky (Explain in REMARKS section)

• MBE or VSBE requirements (Explain in REMARKS section)

• Prior State of Maryland contract experience was unprofitable or otherwise unsatisfactory. (Explain in REMARKS section)

• Payment schedule too slow

• Other: __________________________________________________________________

2. If you have submitted a response to this solicitation, but wish to offer suggestions or express concerns, please use the REMARKS section below. (Attach additional pages as needed.)

REMARKS:

Vendor Name: ________________________________ Date: _______________________

Contact Person: _________________________________ Phone (____) _____ - _________________

Address: ______________________________________________________________________

E-mail Address: ________________________________________________________________

Page iii of 102

STATE OF MARYLAND

DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES (DNR)

KEY INFORMATION SUMMARY SHEET

Request for Proposals Services and IT - Maryland State Park Reservation and Revenue

Management System

Solicitation/eMMA Number: K00R1600170 / BPM040098

RFP Issue Date: October 02, 2023

RFP Issuing Office: Department of Natural Resources (DNR or the "Department")

Procurement Officer: Blessing A. Gunden Department of Natural Resources 580 Taylor Avenue, Annapolis, MD 21401 Attention: Blessing A. Gunden e-mail: blessinga.gunden1@maryland.gov

All Bids Proposal Must be submitted in eMMA.

Submissions not Sent through eMMA will Not be Accepted:

https://emma.maryland.gov/

Submit bids by uploading to eMMA before Bid due date and time.

If you have difficulties submitting your proposal in eMMA, please contact the Help desk at MMA.helpdesk@maryland.gov

Pre-Proposal Conference: N/A See Attachment A for directions and instructions.

Questions Due Date and Time October 19, 2023, 5:P. M. Eastern Local Time

Proposal Due (Closing) Date and Time:

November 7, 2023, 2:P. M. Eastern Local Time Offerors are reminded that a completed Feedback Form is requested if a no-bid decision is made (see page iv).

MBE Subcontracting Goal: 7%, with no sub goals

VSBE Subcontracting Goal: 0%

Contract Type: Firm Fixed Price

Contract Duration: Five (5) year base period, with five (5) one-year option periods

Primary Place of Performance:

The Contractor’s Location

SBR Designation: No

Federal Funding: No mailto:blessinga.gunden1@maryland.gov https://emma.maryland.gov/

Page iv of 102

TABLE OF CONTENTS – RFP

1 Minimum Qualifications

1.1 Offeror Minimum Qualifications

1.2 Offeror Personnel Minimum Qualifications

2 Contractor Requirements: Scope of Work

2.1 Summary Statement

2.2 Background, Purpose and Goals

2.3 Responsibilities and Tasks

2.4 Contractor-Supplied Hardware, Software, and Materials

2.5 Deliverables

2.6 Service Level Agreement (SLA)

3 Contractor Requirements: General

3.1 Contract Initiation Requirements

3.2 End of Contract Transition

3.3 Invoicing

3.4 Liquidated Damages

3.5 Disaster Recovery and Data

3.6 Insurance Requirements

3.7 Security Requirements

3.8 Problem Escalation Procedure

3.9 SOC 2 Type 2 Audit Report

3.10 Experience and Personnel

3.11 Substitution of Personnel

3.12 Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Reports

3.13 Veteran Small Business Enterprise (VSBE) Reports

3.14 Work Orders

3.15 Additional Clauses

Page v of 102

4 Procurement Instructions

4.1 Pre-Proposal Conference

4.2 eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA)

4.3 Questions

4.4 Procurement Method

4.5 Proposal Due (Closing) Date and Time

4.6 Multiple or Alternate Proposals

4.7 Economy of Preparation

4.8 Public Information Act Notice

4.9 Award Basis

4.10 Oral Presentation

4.11 Duration of Proposal

4.12 Revisions to the RFP

4.13 Cancellations

4.14 Incurred Expenses

4.15 Protest/Disputes

4.16 Offeror Responsibilities

4.17 Acceptance of Terms and Conditions

4.18 Proposal Affidavit

4.19 Contract Affidavit

4.20 Compliance with Laws/Arrearages

4.21 Verification of Registration and Tax Payment

4.22 False Statements

4.23 Payments by Electronic Funds Transfer

4.24 Prompt Payment Policy

4.25 Electronic Procurements Authorized

4.26 MBE Participation Goal

4.27 VSBE Goal

4.28 Living Wage Requirements

4.29 Federal Funding Acknowledgement

Page vi of 102

4.30 Conflict of Interest Affidavit and Disclosure

4.31 Non-Disclosure Agreement

4.32 Non-Disclosure Agreement (Offeror)

4.33 Non-Disclosure Agreement (Contractor)

4.34 HIPAA - Business Associate Agreement

4.35 Nonvisual Access

4.36 Mercury and Products That Contain Mercury

4.37 Location of the Performance of Services Disclosure

4.38 Department of Human Services (DHS) Hiring Agreement

4.39 Small Business Reserve (SBR) Procurement

4.40 Maryland Healthy Working Families Act Requirements

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

6.4 Reciprocal Preference

6.5 Selection Procedures

6.6 Documents Required upon Notice of Recommendation for Contract Award

7 RFP ATTACHMENTS AND APPENDICES

1 Minimum Qualifications

1.1 Offeror Minimum Qualifications

As part of the determination to be considered reasonably susceptible of being selected for award, the Offeror must document in its Proposal that, within the last seven (7) years, the following Minimum Qualifications have been met:

1.1.1 The Offeror shall have five (5) years of experience providing park reservation services via a web-based reservation system. Offerors may use one or more examples of past performance to meet the five (5) year requirement. At least one example shall demonstrate a volume of at least 100,000 transactions per year for a single client.

1.1.2 The Offeror shall have a minimum of five (5) years of experience implementing call center transactions at a volume of 50,000 calls per year (majority of calls will be inbound; however, some calls will be outbound). A subcontractor may be used to fulfill this requirement.

1.1.3 The Offeror shall demonstrate that it is currently furnishing comparable reservation services using the proposed web-based reservation system for at least two (2) organizations, at least one of which must be a government entity that provides park reservation services.

Required Documentation: As proof of meeting these requirements, the Offeror shall provide with its Proposal a detailed description of its experience as well as one or more references from the past five (5) years that collectively are able to attest to the Offeror’s required years of this type of experience.

1.2 Offeror Personnel Minimum Qualifications

As part of the determination to be considered reasonably susceptible of being selected for award, the Offeror must document in its Proposal that Key Personnel proposed in response to this solicitation meet the following Minimum Qualifications:

1.2.1 The Contract Representative shall have at least three (3) years of experience in contract management with projects of similar size and complexity.

1.2.2 The Project Manager shall have at least four (4) years of experience in contract management with projects of similar size and complexity.

1.2.3 The Database Architect shall have at least four (4) years of experience in designing a Park Reservation and Revenue Management System data management framework for at least three (3) parks of similar size and complexity.

1.2.4 The Software Architect shall have four (4) years of experience dictating technical standards, including software coding standards, tools, and platforms for in designing a Park Reservation and Revenue Management System for at least three (3) parks of similar size and complexity.

1.2.5 The Business Analyst shall have three (3) years of experience in improving processes, products, services and software through data analysis.

2 Contractor Requirements: Scope of Work

2.1 Summary Statement

2.1.1 The Department of Natural Resources (DNR or the "Department") is issuing this Request for

Proposals (RFP) for a modern, reliable, mobile-enabled, web-based Park Reservation and Revenue Management System (PRRMS) and customer call center for taking registrations and reservations, facilitating retail transactions, inventory control, and revenue tracking and reporting.

This system will be used by the public, park employees and Central Call Center staff to create registrations/reservations for parking spots, campsites, pavilions, cabins, houses, buses, yurts, gift cards, boating facilities, organized events, barns, and other group areas. The system will handle point of sale (POS) items and associated inventory management and will track all revenue received.

2.1.2 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.

2.1.3 The Department intends to make a single award as a result of this RFP. See RFP Section 4.9 Award Basis for more Contract award information.

2.1.4 An Offeror, either directly or through its subcontractor(s), must be able to provide all goods and services and meet all of the requirements requested in this solicitation and the successful Offeror (the Contractor) shall remain responsible for Contract performance regardless of subcontractor participation in the work.

2.1.5 The purpose of this solicitation is to procure a state-of-the-art, commercially available Software as a Service (SaaS) application to:

1. take park registrations (record guest information for official purpose and blocking space for guests),

2. sell individuals items,

3. provide inventory control, and

4. implement detailed revenue tracking and reporting.

2.1.6 The State does not wish to procure a software application still under development. The SaaS software utilized in the solution shall be operational (i.e., not under development) and available by the due date of the Proposal.

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

2.2 Background, Purpose and Goals

2.2.1 Background

2.2.1.1 Maryland’s state park system is extremely diverse, with natural, cultural, historical, and recreational resources stretching from the mountains in the West to the Atlantic Ocean in the east. There are 75 State Parks that span over 140,000 acres. In 2022, 17.6 million people visited Maryland State Parks. The Maryland Park Service has a full-time staff of over 275 and hires over 700 seasonal employees annually. The Maryland Park Service has a $70 million annual operating budget. The organization is managed via four regions, with the headquarters office located in Annapolis, Maryland. The Maryland Park Service’s mission is to manage the natural, cultural, historical, and recreational resources to provide for the wise stewardship of and enjoyment by people.

2.2.1.2 The Department requires a mobile-enabled, web-based PRRMS and customer call center for taking registrations and reservations, facilitating retail transactions, inventory control, and revenue tracking and reporting. This system will be used by the public, park employees and Central Call Center staff to create registrations/reservations for parking spots, campsites, pavilions, cabins, houses, buses, yurts, electronic gift cards, boating facilities, organized events, barns, halls, and other group areas. The system will handle point-of-sale (POS) items and associated inventory management and will track all revenue received. The PRRMS will include Call Center services and a web-based reservation system that allows customers to make reservations/registration via the internet, through a call Center and while at a park. The Department requires an existing, proven reservation system.

2.2.1.3 The services to be provided under this Contract include:

A. Making, changing, and cancelling Reservations via a commercially available, real-time, cloud-based PRRMS software solution, including a Call Center, point-of-sale, inventory, and a web-based reservation system;

B. Providing a real-time, cloud-based software solution for day-use parking spot and park event reservations;

C. Creating and furnishing the capability for DNR to maintain an inventory product catalog;

D. Answering customer questions regarding reservations, registrations, and the product catalog;

E. Managing an inventory of designated POS items and provide reports as needed;

F. Emailing confirmation of completed reservation and registration transactions to customers;

G. Emailing follow-up customer service surveys after park visits;

H. Text notification capabilities for emergency management services, transaction confirmation, reservation reminders, etc.

I. Payment processing for all reservation and point-of-sale transactions;

J. Customer registration, web account creation, and web-based self-service capabilities in the web-based reservation system;

K. Advanced reporting and ad hoc querying capabilities;

L. Providing a Help Desk (Off Season: 7:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. (local time) and Peak Season:

7:30 a.m. – 11:00 p.m. (local time)) seven days a week for Maryland Park Service staff to promptly answer software and user questions, as well as provide troubleshooting and solve PRRMS problems;

M. Migrating existing customers, reservations, and financial data into the PRRMS.

2.2.1.4 The State does not wish to procure a software application still under development. The PRRMS furnished to the State shall be operational (i.e., not under development) and in use by the due date of the Proposal.

2.2.1.5 The Department’s mission is to manage the natural, cultural, historical, and recreational resources to provide for wise stewardship and enjoyment by people. As part of this mission, the Department requires an efficient means to reserve and track Park properties and their use by the public. During Calendar Year 2022, Maryland welcomed a total of 17.6 million visitors, which included approximately 16.6 million day-visitors, 970,000 campers, and 66,000 cabin visitors.

Over 870,000 overnight visitors used the reservation system to reserve a range of Inventory Types available as presented in the table below.

Inventory Type Total Current Inventory Types on Reservation System

Campsites (reservation) 2,616 Campsites (overflow) 205 Youth Campsites 72 Full-Service Cabins / Houses 40

Mini Cabins 109 Picnic Shelters 138 Bus Reservations 7 Group Campsites 10 Amphitheater 2 Rustic Cabins 10 Yurts 2 Total 3,211

2.2.1.6 The Maryland Park Service operates several marinas at State Parks, including Gunpowder Falls, Janes Island, Pocomoke River, and Smallwood State Parks. There are approximately 100 boat slips available for short and/or long-term term rental at State Parks. Some parks limit boat slip reservations to only customers with overnight cabin/camping reservations. The Maryland Park Service is primarily interested in the Offeror providing short-term boat slip reservation services.

2.2.1.7 The Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area has some unique inventory available for reservation. There are two youth group primitive camping areas; 10 campsites for equestrians with electric and water hook-ups and 119 stalls for stabling horses; a 125-person capacity Tea Barn; a 350-person capacity Edward L. Walls Activity Hall; and other fairground facilities. The equestrian campsites require the rental of at least one-horse stall. Rental of fairground facilities may include a variable number of facilitates (e.g., concessions stand, a pavilion).

2.2.1.8 Reservation transactions over the last fourteen years have shifted from the call center to the web-based system. In 2022, the vast majority of transactions were completed via the web, with only 6.6% of the total reservation transactions completed in the call center. Historical sales data is provided below.

Historical Data of Maryland State Park Reservations

YEAR INTERNET CALL CENTER AT PARK TOTAL

2017 73,357 7,712 867 81,936

2018 63,770 7,617 1,184 72,571

2019 68,150 7,743 1,406 77,299

2020 93,889 10,762 1,423 106,074

2021 106,398 9,814 1,410 117,622

2022 94,910 6,796 1,698 103,404

2.2.1.9 Call Center - During Calendar Year (CY) 2022, the Call Center accepted 26,826 calls. Calls averaged 4.57 minutes in length and resulted in a reservation approximately 32% of the time.

Peak months for all transactions start in April and remain heavy through September. Spanish language support mirrors this curve, with a total of 1,746 calls in CY 2022 and a peak of 410 calls in July.

2020 2021 2022

Total Calls

Reservatio ns

Calls Answered/

Reservations

Reservation s

Calls Answered/

Reservation s

Reservation s

Calls Answered/

Reservation s

Jan 1,008 381 2.65 998 318 3.13 947 358 2.65

Feb 1,380 479 2.88 1165 500 2.33 1084 344 3.15

Mar 1,292 309 4.18 2598 856 3.04 1988 477 4.17

Apr 627 107 5.86 3983 1,033 3.86 2243 540 4.15

May 3,789 826 4.59 5159 1,123 4.59 3491 805 4.34

Jun 5,379 1,651 3.26 5861 1,333 4.40 4006 942 4.25

Jul 5,006 2,196 2.28 5454 1,412 3.86 3693 867 4.26

Aug 3,860 2,265 1.70 4757 1,263 3.77 3722 1,039 3.58

Sep 5,418 1,398 3.88 3496 874 4 2872 751 3.82

Oct 3,968 825 4.81 2479 702 3.53 1681 443 3.79

Nov 1029 193 5.33 880 247 3.56 629 126 4.99

Dec 549 132 4.16 531 153 3.47 470 104 4.52

Total 33,305 10,762 3.09 37361 9,814 3.81 26826 6,796 3.95

SP Calls 2021 SP Calls 2022

Jan 10 15

Feb 17 38

Mar 87 76

Apr 170 141

May 263 242

Jun 517 410

Jul 522 331

Aug 413 317

Sep 172 132

Oct 42 38

Nov 11 3

Dec 8 3

Total 2232 1746

2.2.1.10 Total Transactions – 2022, the PRRMS managed appropriately 138,381 reservation transactions

– new, change, cancel.

2.2.1.11 Current System Information Scope

A. Current System Information: The current SQL database, including indexes and tables represents 28 GB, with 1,418 tables and 7949 data fields. During the 2017-2022 period, there were 1,555,153 (includes admin Transactions & Res Transactions) completed transactions

B. The approximate number of records to be ported to the PRRMS includes:

1. 618,289 customer records, which contain personal information, and

2. 602,950 Reservation records, which contain transaction information.

3. Bidder should be prepared to manage/house/store at least two times this amount of customer and Reservation record data over the term of the Contract.

2.2.2 Project Goals

A. The Maryland Department of Natural Resources would like to provide a dynamic and user-friendly PRRMS. The Department has two guiding principles:

1. Utilize Park properties at a maximum level of occupancy, and

2. Foster the highest level of customer service to all prospective and actual visitors to the

DNR/Maryland Park Service.

B. The Department’s project goals include the following:

1. Provide accurate, timely, accessible analytical statistical information regarding Reservations and trends to guide the Department’s business management, budgetary, and customer service decisions;

2. Accurately manage the Reservation system’s accounting and fiscal process and management;

3. Streamline and enhance the online Reservation process and to enhance the customer’s experience when making a Reservation via the website or call center;

4. Maintain a centralized customer information database, which reports on, tracks, and provides analyses of all Reservations and Reservation Transactions;

5. Provide a Product Catalog that contains on-site attributes to facilitate matches of a customer’s indicated site requirements;

6. Utilize data-driven analysis to identify underperforming sites and market-driven trends

7. Ensure that all Inventory Items in the PRRMS represent accurate inventory status for all

Channels;

8. Guarantee that all Reservations meet the Department’s business rules. See Section 3.3.22

Business Requirements; and

9. Provide customer-friendly service throughout the year during all operating hours, whether normal or holidays.

2.2.3 State Staff and Roles

In addition to the Procurement Officer and Contract Monitor, the State has two (2) dedicated PRRMS Project Managers.

A. The Primary State Project Manager will be responsible for day-to-day communication and management concerning PRRMS programs and policies such as inventory development and management; implementation of business rules; customer service issues; processing invoices, reconciliations, and chargebacks; managing Department users and permission levels; identifying training needs and facilitating training sessions and material; and serving as the liaison between field staff and Contractor.

B. The Deputy State Project Manager will serve as the Project Manager if the primary State Project Manager is unavailable.

C. The State Business Analyst will be the primary point of contact for implementing business rules;

addressing customer service issues; processing invoices, reconciliations, and chargebacks; managing Department users and permission levels; identifying training needs and facilitating training sessions and material; and serving as the liaison between stakeholders, Project Team, and Contractor, and other duties as assigned by the State Project Manager.

2.2.4 Other State Responsibilities

A. The State will provide normal office working facilities and equipment reasonably necessary for Contractor performance under the Contract. Any special requirements (e.g., reprographic services, computer time, key data entry) shall be identified.

B. The State is responsible for providing required information, data, documentation, and test data to facilitate the Contractor’s performance of the work and will provide additional assistance and services.

2.3 Responsibilities and Tasks

2.3.1 The Maryland Park Service requires a centralized, statewide day-use parking spot reservation system. There are approximately 10,700 parking spots associated with day-use visitation at our medium and large State Parks. Access to the day-use areas of state parks varies by the time of year and the park size. Some parks require visitors to pay for access via a staffed gate while other parks utilize unstaffed honor boxes at entrance areas. Maryland Park Service day-use visitation has grown from 12.5 million in 2018, to 16.6 million in 2022.

2.3.2 The State requires a centralized, statewide point of sale system for selling concession items and managing associated concession inventory. There are approximately 20 concession operations of varied sizes managed by individual State Parks. These concessions generate approximately $1.9 million in revenue annually and sell a variety of items including camping supplies, mementos, clothing and food. The Maryland Park Service headquarters office sells approximately 6,700 annual passes and 5,000 Golden Age passes every year.

2.3.3 The State requires a centralized, State-wide park event registration and promotion management system. Approximately 250,000 individuals participate annually in interpretive events and environmental education events at Maryland State Parks.

2.3.4 Card Processing by the State - Credit card machines will be furnished by the State of Maryland under an existing State contract with Truist. The Contractor will be responsible for securely transmitting credit card data during the financial transaction in connection with any Reservation Transaction, and for subsequent historical tracking of Reservation Transactions. The Contractor must utilize a payment gateway that is certified by Total System Services, Inc. (TSYS), a third-party payment processor for banks in North America.

2.3.5 Solution Requirements - The Contractor shall allow customers to make, change, and cancel reservations through a minimum of the following Channels: directly through a web-based reservation system, a Call Center, and on-site at each of the applicable Parks.

2.3.6 The Contractor shall provide the mechanism(s) and any customer service for all reservations and customer inquiries.

2.3.7 Department staff, including on-site Park staff, shall have the ability to make, change and cancel reservations via the web-based reservation system.

2.3.8 Department staff shall have the ability to sell and manage inventory Point-of-Sale items, including dynamic promotional pricing, via the web-based system.

2.3.9 Department staff shall have the ability to accept, track, promote, and sell event registrations via the web-based system.

2.3.10 The Contractor shall deliver all services in accordance with the requirements of the Contract while providing excellent customer service.

2.3.11 The Contractor shall train Contractor Personnel and Department staff to use the web based PRRMS including ensuring Department staff are comfortable with performing associated financial transactions, and running appropriate reports for managing park reservations, inventory, registrations, and sales.

2.3.12 Offerors are invited to describe additional functionalities or services beyond basic requirements which should be included in the Technical Proposal. The Offeror shall indicate any separately priced items as directed on the Financial Proposal, identified as optional purchase.

2.3.13 The Contractor shall ensure top quality customer service is provided to those using the PRRMS and services through its various Channels. Performance standards as described in this RFP are used as benchmarks to survey, monitor and track Contract requirements to ensure that they are sustained on a continuous high level.

2.3.14 The Contractor shall electronically report reservation data/records as requested to the Department.

The State is very interested in learning about dynamic reporting capabilities to allow Park staff and Department staff to better analyze activity at the Parks.

2.3.15 The Contractor shall furnish such development and test environments necessary to support Contract requirements at no additional cost to the State. The test environment should be synchronized with the production environment in terms of features and functionalities and should be furnished with test/sample data.

2.3.16 The Contractor shall provide documentation on any administration or configuration the State is allowed to perform.

2.3.17 The Contractor shall provide the capability for DNR to perform user administration for DNR staff logins and provide a variety of different permission levels for park staff.

2.3.18 The Contractor shall supply technical support as part of the PRRMS, including periodic assistance with configuration and use of the web-based reservation system.

2.3.19 The Contractor shall provide mechanism(s) for the State to be able to connect to the database via Application Programming Interfaces (API). The Contractor shall provide clearly defined API documentation for the State to connect and read information such as reservation information, revenue information, transactions, and other pertinent statistics should the State prefer to do the electronically report and management outside the system. The Contractor shall ensure that the APIs provide real time access to the system for potential future integration work with other State systems such as the Maryland OneStop Portal. The APIs should have control in place to ensure there is no impact to production system performance while being utilized. SOAP or REST API is preferred.

2.3.20 The system shall supply self-service password/account reset capabilities for end users as well as staff. Any possible single sign-on integration capabilities are highly preferred.

2.3.21 Surveys and Market Research - An important part of this Contract is the Contractor’s ability to help the Department increase sales at its parks through its marketing capabilities. The Contractor shall perform such marketing activity as to increase Park sales. The Contractor shall conduct surveys and support market research as follows: (a) issue periodic e-mail surveys as requested by the Department; (b) provide periodic e-mail contact lists as requested by the Department using available contacts at the Contractor’s disposal; and (c) conduct 100% post-stay surveys to all customers to determine customer experience with the Maryland Park Service, subject to any opt-out preferences the customer may have set. Customers with no e-mail address shall be surveyed via telephone and results recorded as directed by the Contract Monitor. Customers with e-mail shall be surveyed via e-mail. Surveys shall be conducted no later than five (5) days following the customer’s actual Park experience. All survey scripts and mailings shall be pre-approved by the Department.

2.3.22 Performance of Work in Continental United States - No work or assignment related to this Contract may be started, conducted, or completed outside of the continental United States. All Contractor Personnel, including all Telephone Operators furnished under the Contract shall perform all work within the continental United States. All web-based operations and web services (including but not limited to the PRRMS components that contain and store Sensitive Data) furnished under the Contract shall be conducted, housed, and managed within the continental United States.

2.3.23 Contract Management and Contract Support - The Contractor shall assign a Contract Representative as sole POC for the Contract. The Contract Representative shall have the authority and capability to address all issues as they arise during the life of the Contract. The Contract Representative must be available within three (3) hours as necessary for expedited/emergency management. The Contractor shall meet with the Contract Monitor a minimum of 12 times during each Contract year as determined by the Contract Monitor. At these meetings, the Contractor shall provide the latest status report on the Contract support, and Department staff will discuss issues, problems and identify expected resolution time periods for those problems/issues.

2.3.24 Reservation Requirements – For the purpose of this procurement, all requirements assume that all Reservation Transactions will be performed on the web-based reservation system regardless of Channel used.

1. The Contractor shall provide the ability to perform any of the following on any Inventory Item: make, cancel, void, change Reservation.

2. A Reservation for campsites shall be available by booking a single site or multiple sites in an itinerary for consecutive nights.

3. A Reservation shall include at a minimum: date, time, Park, Inventory Type, Inventory Item, unique Reservation identification number, multiple Reservation Transaction numbers, cost of reservation, and customer contact information.

4. A Reservation Transaction number shall be recorded for each Reservation Transaction associated with the unique customer identification number.

5. The web-based reservation system shall display an Inventory Item’s availability in a calendar-based visual format, which can be used to select a Reservation’s date range. It must be possible to print any such information.

6. Making and changing a Reservation shall be allowed up to the time of arrival for all Inventory Items at various parks, with the exception of day-use parking reservations and event registrations.

7. Inventory Item availability shall be reflected in the Product Catalog within two (2) minutes of completing a Reservation Transaction.

8. Changing a Reservation to a different Park shall be processed as a cancellation.

9. The PRRMS shall prevent overbooking of any particular Inventory Item.

10. The web-based reservation system shall log and retain (per the Contract’s retention terms and conditions) all changes to Reservations, associated financial transactions, and as associated with a customer, the number and types of Reservation Transactions made to each Reservation.

11. The web-based reservation system and Telephone Operators shall indicate when a Reservation Transaction cannot be performed, and the reason why.

12. The Contractor shall send written confirmation of each Reservation Transaction within 24 hours of a completed Reservation Transaction.

a) Electronic confirmation of a Reservation Transaction shall be generated at the time the Reservation Transaction is completed and shall be printable.

b) Reservation Transactions performed directly by customers shall be confirmed via e-mail and/or text.

c) All communication format content shall be approved in advance by the State’s Contract Monitor.

d) A printed confirmation shall be mailed to any customer with no e-mail address making a Call Center Reservation, or who requests a printed copy to be mailed. These letters shall be available after the date of arrival.

e) Confirmation letters must be available to park staff for reference after the date of arrival.

13. The web-based reservation system shall provide the capability to suggest purchasing additional add-ons such as suggesting an alcohol permit with certain pavilion rentals.

Skipping add-on suggestions shall not require the system user to click in the web-based reservation system. The Department would like, but does not require, add-ons to be added with no additional manual steps. Note that not all Inventory Items within an Inventory Type may have the same list of suggested add-ons.

14. The web-based reservation system shall include customer “must-reads” provided by the Department which require customer consent (e.g., check box) and that these may be customized by park.

15. The web-based reservation system shall be accessible from the Department’s websites, including mobile app.

16. The web-based reservation system shall be available for Product Catalog searches and Reservation Transactions 7-days a week, 24-hours a day.

17. The Contractor shall ensure no broken links on any web pages or content managed by the Contractor.

18. The Contractor shall, in partnership with the Department, provide web customers with links to additional information, including local economic development and tourism agencies, as furnished by the Department. The PRRMS shall be configured to allow this additional information to be specific to reservations made at specific parks and for certain inventory types.

19. The web-based reservation system and any associated web page content shall comply with Federal Section 508 standards and State of Maryland visual display requirements (see http://doit.maryland.gov/policies/Pages/NVAGuidanceFAQs.aspx#universal for a comparison), as amended from time to time.

20. For all device access, Contractor shall provide a responsively designed website for customers to access the reservation system and perform Reservation Transactions.

21. The web-based reservation system shall operate with the following hardware and all currently supported software versions: Microsoft Windows, PCs, Mac OS, Tablets (iPads), Smart Phones (iPhones), Google Chrome, Firefox, Apple's Safari, Apple IOS with Safari, Chrome, FireFox, Android with Chrome, and Microsoft Edge. Offerors, please describe any known limitations associated with their offering. Also please describe support strategy for older technologies.

22. The PRRMS shall include but is not limited to:

a) Access to Park and campsite photos furnished by the Department;

b) Accurate maps of grounds and camp loops featuring camp site and facility location;

c) Links to local and regional tourism information (such as tourism boards, local events, and local services) so customers may be aware of activities in the region during the customer’s stay;

d) Link to Department of Natural Resources dynamic online calendar of events;

e) Interactive maps showing the region and directions to the Park;

f) Status indicators for the availability of each Inventory Item shown in a minimum of two-week availability increments and showing partial availability during and near that window;

g) The use of an online calendar for searches and bookings;

h) Inventory Type pricing

i) Link to trail maps on Maryland Park Service web pages (https://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/default.aspx)

j) Online alerts for emergencies, weather-related closures, and construction closures.

23. The web-based reservation system shall provide an interactive map for each Park with the following minimum attributes:

a) A main Park map showing the entire Park.

b) An interactive map furnished by the Contractor showing the location of the Park relative to nearby recreation attractions and public roadways.

http://doit.maryland.gov/policies/Pages/NVAGuidanceFAQs.aspx#universal https://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/default.aspx

c) A detailed, interactive, map of the campground/cabin/parking lots/other Inventory Items using information furnished by the Department.

Interaction with this map will show proximity of an Inventory Item to other camp sites/Inventory Items as well as proximity to park attributes including water, restrooms, playgrounds, camp loops and any nearby recreation attractions, entrance to park, and public roadways on this map.

d) Selecting an Inventory Item or other interactive element on the map will display information about the selected element, to include digital images for each element as furnished by the Department.

e) Each map shall display a north compass arrow.

f) Capacity to link park information to common mapping applications (i.e.., Google Maps).

24. The Contractor shall inform online customers needing help about the Call Center during the hours the Call Center accepts calls.

25. The State would like for visitors to be able to self-check-in to include providing number of occupants, all occupant names, and vehicle tag numbers upon arrival and to self-check-out upon their departure without having to wait for Department staff to complete that transaction.

26. The Contractor shall provide the capability for the Department to make updates at any time, and within one-day, to information posted on the web-based reservation system homepage, including changing out the seasonal banner, updating seasonal and feature photos, and updating text. Department staff shall also have the capability to make updates to site parameters, photos, and descriptions.

27. The Contractor shall provide for an interactive map on the application home page for ease in searching for incoming, departing, and current occupants and for checking in incoming campers with a limited number of steps.

28. The Contractor shall provide for a simplified way to navigate between multiple parks in complexes that is efficient and does not require repeated logging in and out.

29. The Contractor shall provide for a search function with numerous filters to aid in optimizing accurate and appropriate search results.

30. The Contractor shall provide a separate “Habla Espanol” button/area on the front page of the web-based reservation system. This will allow the customer to link to information that will provide general instructions in Spanish, and also note Spanish speaking assistance is available by calling the toll-free Call Center number.

31. The State would like, but does not require, the web-based reservation system to record when a customer is denied making a transaction due to an Inventory Item being unavailable. In such a case, the web-based reservation system would record the following: desired Inventory Item, Inventory Type, requested time period, and any requested cancellations. It would be possible for DNR to identify Reservation requests that were successfully redirected to other sites in the State Park system.

32. At no additional charge to the State, the Contractor shall provide support to the Department during situations that may require additional Contractor staff and/or Department support, including but not limited to when there is an “act of God” emergency (e.g., hurricane, flood, snowstorm, etc.) requiring notification and cancellations for customers.

33. The Contractor shall have an Emergency Problem Escalation Plan which will include the names, contact numbers (e.g., phone, cell, email) and contact times of individuals that may be contacted during emergencies or extended unresolved issues. One or more emergency contacts shall be available 24 hours a day / seven days a week. The Contractor shall provide this Plan at the Contract’s Kick-off and maintain this Plan to ‘current’ during the life of the Contract.

2.3.25 Product Catalog

A. The Product Catalog shall be fully searchable by any individual interacting with the web-based reservation system, including Park staff, web-based users, and mobile device users consistent with the requirements for access to the web-based reservation system.

1. Product Catalog search criteria shall include at a minimum: park name, geographic region (e.g., a distance-based search, route-based search), inventory item (Site) status (reserved, available, closed), available dates, inventory type, park maps (interactive and static that display site features), vehicle parking (quantity, camper size), cabins amenities, pet allowed, number of occupants allowed, and group sites.

2. The Department shall have the capability to directly add, remove, and update Inventory Items from the Product Catalog quickly and easily, with minimal vendor involvement.

This functionality extends to locations, campgrounds within existing parks, merchandise or equipment rental, maps, photos or images, pricing, package parameters, descriptive text, and campsite features. Note, the Department anticipates entering most Product Catalog updates. Updates to an Inventory Item shall include the ability to block off periods where the Inventory Item is unavailable (such as severe weather resulting in changing Inventory Item status).

3. An Inventory Item shall have, at a minimum, the following characteristics: status, photos, and content such as attributes, maps, and links.

4. Inventory Types and Items shall have business rules, including fees, associated by Inventory Item, Inventory Type, and by Park.

5. Updates to Inventory Items shall be visible to web-based reservation system users within two (2) minutes of saving the update.

6. The PRRMS shall support the following Inventory Types at a minimum: camp sites, cabins, yurts, youth group camping, bus reservations, picnic shelters, conference and day-use facilities, alcohol permits, marina spaces, parking spaces, barns, stalls, houses, and event registrations.

7. The Product Catalog shall allow additional Inventory Types to be defined.

8. The Department requires the capability to support day-use parking spot Inventory Items that have a variable quantity – such as the ability to purchase 100 parking spots for a large event at a park pavilion. Variable quantity Inventory Items would not be displayed as separate search results in the Product Catalog. Offerors should price this separately in the Price Sheet if there is a separate cost.

9. The Department requires the capability to support special event Inventory Items that have a variable quantity – such as the ability to purchase six spots in a large group nature hike.

Variable quantity Inventory Items would not be displayed as separate search results in the Product Catalog. Offerors should price this separately in the Price Sheet if there is a separate cost.

10. The Contractor shall support operationally and systematically any event resulting in multiple Inventory Item closures (e.g., a major weather event resulting in an evacuation).

The Offeror shall describe in its Technical Proposal how it will support such a closure.

The State will provide a primary POC to coordinate multiple closures. At a minimum, the Contractor:

a) shall update its phone system to furnish an audio message regarding the closures;

b) shall close the impacted Inventory Item(s), void any reservations, and provide full refunds to the impacted customers;

c) shall send one or more recorded audio messages to impacted customers using State-approved language; and

d) shall send one or more e-mails to impacted customers with State-approved language.

11. The web-based reservation system shall indicate the Reservations impacted by an administrative reduction in Inventory Item availability.

12. The Department requires the ability for a customer to indicate interest in an Inventory Item, Inventory Type, or other element of the system, and have the system notify the customer when a change occurs that meets the customer’s interest. For instance, a cancellation in a pavilion rental result in availability at a particular park on a particular date.

13. The Department would like the ability to utilize mobile devices, including offline, including cell phones (iPhones) and tablets (iPads), for Park check-in, implementation of reservation transactions, POS sales and related inventory management, and to perform other transactions, including incorporating card reader devices on those mobile devices.

To the extent that Offeror’s solution is impacted by these mobile technologies, please describe how the proposed solution will meet this desired objective.

2.3.26 Day-Use Parking Spot Reservations

A. The goals for, and the desired benefits of providing advanced reservations for day-use parking spots include: (1) an increased window of time for patrons to request permits outside of normal park hours; (2) greater convenience and availability for patrons who will be able to utilize the online system as their schedule permits; (3) expanded availability of service to those patrons for whom English is not their first language, or who have a speech-related disability; (4) improve safety due to reduced cash handling; and (5) improved data accuracy and cost savings due to automating a manual, labor-intensive process.

B. Functionality – The public will use this service to determine if a parking space is available at a specific State Park and to reserve a parking space at a State Park. The application must allow users to go online, choose a date and timeframe to visit a specific park, enter their personal information (name, email address, phone number, vehicle registration), and be sent (or able to download) a permit that shows the permit number, their name and registration information, the date and timeframe of their visit, and information about the permit and the area.

C. The software will allow multiple admission rates in one transaction (per person, per car, etc.)

D. System must interface with handheld POS devices (tablet, cell phone, scanner) as there is no computer equipment at park contact stations.

E. Day-use parking spot reservation will be nonrefundable.

F. The department prefers that customer permits (1) include a QR code to facilitate visitor check- ins; and (2) be easily viewed, printed, and interpreted. The permit should show the permit number, non-proprietary QR code, name and registration information, the date/time of visit, vehicle registration number, and information about the permit and park.

G. Visitors must be able to input their Annual Pass, Golden Age Pass, Universal pass, Youth Group Pass, or note their veteran/military/national guard designation and receive a day-use pass free of charge. These customers must show their valid pass or Military ID when they enter the park.

H. The department would like the solution to accommodate selling a large number of parking spot reservations at a park to individuals with a park pavilion reservation at that park on that same day.

I. Park staff must have password access enabling them to view and print a listing of the permit holders in order to view/validate park passes. Park staff must be able to issue onsite permits for unfilled dates. Specified Park staff must be able to view the following at any time: (1) the number of permits issued for a given day and timeframe (i.e., as of 3:30 pm today, 27 permits have been issued for Saturday morning (8 am – 1 pm)); (2) the total number of permits issued to residents of each state by week.

J. When customers reserve a parking spot, they should not be required to create a customer profile.

K. The Department must have the ability to charge a fee for the reservation and the software solution must be able to process reservation payments.

L. The department would like the solution to accommodate the sale of Off-Road Vehicle (ORV) motorized use day use passes for Wolf Den Run State Park. The following information would be necessary to collect from customers: (1) name, address, phone number; (2) type of ORV machine (e.g., Full size, SXS, 4-wheeler or motorcycle); (3) make, model and color of machine; (4) number of riders (including passengers); (5) department sticker number; and (6) annual park pass number.