S-10700-00015522 Payroll X-formation IQMS RFQ vPOSTING 2026JAN30.1~1.docx

RFQ EXHIBIT 5 –Project Charter S-10700-00015522, IQMS Services for Statewide Payroll Transformation

State of Oregon

IQMS Request for Quote (“RFQ”)

155 Cottage St NE Salem OR 97301-0000

RFQ Schedule The table below represents a tentative schedule of events. All times are listed in Pacific Time. All dates and times listed are subject to change.

Additional evaluation rounds (if any)

Consultant Selection

List Of Exhibits

RFQ S-10700-00015522 – IQMS Services for Statewide Payroll Transformation

Section 1 – INTRODUCTION and OVERVIEW

1.1 Introduction

The Authorized Purchaser is issuing this Request for Quote (“RFQ”) to the pool of Consultants named in Table 1 to develop and submit quotes to provide independent quality management services (“IQMS”) for Agency’s Project named on this RFQ’s cover page (the “Project”). The Authorized Purchaser intends to select a single Consultant to provide the desired IQMS for the Project (the “IQMS Consultant”).

Table 1 – RFQ Recipients

(V00003660)

1.2 Single Point of Contact (SPC)

Consultant shall direct all communications related to any provision of the RFQ only to the SPC identified on the cover page, whether about the technical requirements of the RFQ, contractual requirements, the RFQ process, or any other provision.

1.3 Authorized Purchaser Overview and Background

The Department of Administrative Services’ (DAS) Workday Oregon division serves a crucial role for the State of Oregon enterprise by providing Workday Oregon system technical support. The Workday system is the state’s human resource (HR) and payroll system of record serving all three branches of Oregon state government (over 90 different agencies), including over 45,000 employees, 7,000 contingent workers (volunteers and contractors), over 100,000 external applicants, and approximately 65,000 extended enterprise learners (for agencies to provide learning to residents across the state in their unique program areas). The Workday Human Capital Management (HCM) solution went live in 2019 and the Workday solution for enterprise Payroll and Time Tracking went live in December 2022.

Workday functionality includes, but is not limited to:

· Human resources management

· Learning and development

· Payroll processing

· Time and attendance tracking

· Absence and leave management

· Recruitment

· Help and case management The Workday Oregon division is responsible for configuring, maintaining, enhancing and expanding the functionality of the Workday Oregon system, ensuring overall operations of business processes for Human Resource Management, Recruiting, Learning, Benefits, Compensation, Payroll, Absence, and Time Tracking meet business needs, goals and objectives across state agencies, boards and commissions; all while reflecting the state’s values of accountability, equity, excellence and integrity. Additionally, the division manages integrations with other state systems, including Public Employees’ Benefit Board (PEBB), Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), and financial systems.

Teams within the Workday Oregon division are responsible for system optimizations, fielding functionality questions and troubleshooting issues around system configuration, workflow and setup. The division partners with statewide policy and executive leadership in modernizing HR and Payroll practices through use of system data and analytics.

1.4 Project Overview and Background

In December 2022, DAS rolled out a new statewide system – Workday Payroll and Time Tracking – for processing payroll for State of Oregon employees. The first paychecks issued in January 2023 experienced higher than expected issues that continued throughout the first several months. In January 2023, a class action lawsuit was filed against the State of Oregon.

The state has worked diligently, expending significant staff time and internal and external resources to identify and correct errors caused by the transition, as well as to better understand what is causing those errors. Unlike most other employers, the State of Oregon pays employees a monthly salary, including overtime eligible, non-exempt employees. This structure forces the system to pay overtime-eligible employees both a salary and on an hourly basis. This highly unusual pay structure for overtime-eligible employees causes significant problems for modern payroll systems like Workday Payroll. Efforts to configure Workday Payroll to align with our long-standing and unique pay practices have been problematic. That process has shown there are aspects of the state’s historic pay practices causing significant ongoing challenges to Workday’s effectiveness for processing the state of Oregon’s payroll.

In response to the class action lawsuit, DAS has committed through a formal settlement agreement to transform its pay practices to improve the transparency, predictability, and accuracy of employee pay.

The Statewide Payroll Transformation Project is charted to implement significant structural changes to the state’s pay practices with the overarching goal of accurate, transparent, and predictable employee pay. Key changes to be implemented on or before July 1, 2027, in alignment with DAS’ obligations under the settlement and labor agreements, include:

· Transitioning from pay based on forecasted hours to pay based on actual hours worked (i.e., in arrears) by implementing a standard lag period to process payroll, eliminating forecasted hours

· Paying overtime eligible employees on an hourly basis rather than a monthly salary

· Moving from monthly to biweekly pay periods The Statewide Payroll Transformation Project is one of DAS’s highest priorities and is driven by the state’s litigation and grievance settlement agreements and ratified collective bargaining agreements.

Items in scope for the Statewide Payroll Transformation Project include:

· Functional configuration changes to the Workday system and impacted functional areas

· Modifications to impacted integrations (e.g., PEBB, PERS, SFMA, Datamart, etc.) and reports

· Comprehensive testing (e.g., unit testing, integration testing, end-to-end testing, user acceptance testing)

· Changes to business processes and statewide policies resulting from changes to pay practices

· Communications, including updates to Workday documentation (e.g., self-help articles, FAQs)

· Enterprise readiness activities (e.g., training, calculators, financial processes and reporting, education campaigns, communications) and support for employees through the go-live transition

· Operational readiness activities to support HR and payroll professionals across the enterprise These pay practice changes impact the technology, processes, and employees throughout the state, including the legislative and judicial branches. Changes to the technology – Workday – require technical and subject matter expertise for architecture, configuration, testing, and deployment activities. The technical changes will be managed and executed by a project team comprised of state and contracted staff. Changes to processes involve collaboration among impacted stakeholders to review, analyze, and implement changes to policies, processes, and procedures. Lastly, the changes for employees represent a significant culture change that requires thoughtful and thoroughly planned and executed enterprise readiness, training, and communications.

The project business case (Exhibit 4) and project charter (Exhibit 5) provide additional background information on the project.

Currently, the project is in the planning phase and expects to begin architecture and configuration activities with the implementation vendor – Workday, Inc. – in the second quarter of 2026. As noted above, the project aims to deploy the changes on or before July 1, 2027. The project will close out after a period of post-go-live support and stabilization.

1.5 Preferred Consultant IQMS Experience, Qualifications, or Certifications for this RFQ The Authorized Purchaser prefers Consultants with recent experience on projects related to payroll, enterprise-wide payroll systems, or other enterprise-wide HR platforms. Authorized Purchaser also prefers Consultant staff with a minimum of five (5) years of senior-level experience in their assigned field of expertise within the last eight (8) year period.

Consultant’s proposed personnel should have current professional credentials and certifications relevant to their respective subject matter expertise proposed. An example of a relevant professional certification is a proposed project manager with current certification as a “project management professional” from the Project Management Institute.

1.6 Project Specific Definitions

OAR 125-246-0110 provides definitions for common solicitation terms.

Definitions specific to this RFQ (if any) are listed as follows:

· “IT Pro MPSA” or “MPSA” – refers to the Master Price and Services Agreement between the Consultant and DAS SPS.

· “SI Contractor” or “Solution Contractor” is the contractor responsible for solution implementation in the Project subject to the IQMS of this RFQ.

Section 2 - IQMS QUOTE OVERVIEW

2.1 IQMS Overview

The purpose of the IQMS Consultant’s work is to assure that appropriate levels of quality planning, quality control, quality assurance, and independent solution testing are performed for the benefit of the Project. These services must provide the Authorized Purchaser with appropriate visibility into the processes being used, and the products being built. The services must be sufficient to assure that the project satisfies the needs for which it was undertaken, and that project risks are well understood and appropriately mitigated or managed.

The Authorized Purchaser intends to enter into a Work Order Contract to perform the requested IQMS Services.

2.2 IQMS Conflict of Interest

Refer to ORS 279B.040 and Statewide Policy 107-004-030.

The IQMS Consultant awarded the work order contract resulting from this RFQ is ineligible and disqualified from simultaneously providing any other services for the Project, whether solution contractor, system integrator, project manager, organizational change management, staff augmentation, or other IT Pro Services.

Offerors awarded a contract to provide any Information Technology Professional Services for the Project that is the subject of this RFQ are ineligible and disqualified from simultaneously providing the IQMS services requested by this RFQ.

Offerors responding to this RFQ must declare they neither provide nor will provide non-IQMS services for the Project described in this RFQ.

2.3 IQMS Statement of Work and Deliverables

The most recent IQMS Statement of Work template, Deliverables Pricing template, and other solicitation and contract artifacts are maintained by the Statewide Quality Assurance Team (“SQWA”) at https://www.oregon.gov/eis/shared-services/pages/independent-qa-support-and-services.aspx. The SOW and Pricing sheet are attached as:

Exhibit 1 IQMS Statement of Work (“IQMS SOW”), including its Appendices that describes the work the Offeror will perform as the IQMS Contractor, and is included with the Quote.

Exhibit 2 IQMS Deliverables Pricing Sheet template to be completed by the Offeror and in the Quote.

Section 3 - QUOTE STRUCTURE, CONTENT, AND SUBMISSION

3.1 Quote Component Parts and Arrangement

Please arrange Quotes into two Volumes, with each volume containing the information as shown in Table 2 and submitted as separate electronic files in the same Quote package.

Table 2 –Quote Components and Arrangement

(b) Approach and Methodology

(c) Description of Comparable Projects

(d) Consultant’s Key Persons and Resumes

(e) Client Reference Check Forms

(f) Work Examples

3.1.1 Volume 1: Narrative

The Narrative consists of the following components or sections:

The Authorized Purchaser reserves the right to follow up separately with Client References and may provide additional guidance to the Offeror concerning Client Reference Checks.

Use Exhibit 2 - IQMS Deliverables Pricing Sheet, insert Offeror’s price for each Deliverable listed with a “$0.00” and submit the completed Price Quote as Volume 2 of the Quote.

Section 4 - PROCESS

4.1 Public Notice

This RFQ is published via the State of Oregon’s electronic procurement system OregonBuys® (https://OregonBuys.gov). Any and all amendments, modifications, and attachments to the RFQ will also be published via OregonBuys®. Authorized Purchaser may revise the RFQ Schedule when it is in the best interest of Authorized Purchaser. Unless otherwise indicated in the RFQ or its amendments, solicitation documents will not be mailed or emailed to prospective Consultants.

Prospective Consultant is solely responsible for checking OregonBuys® to determine whether any Amendment(s) have been issued. Amendment(s) are incorporated into the RFQ by this reference.

4.2 Questions / Requests for Clarification

All inquiries, whether relating to the RFQ process, administration, deadline, or method of award, or to the intent or technical aspects of the project must be received by the event deadline on this RFQ’s cover page:

4.2.1 Submitting questions using the “Q & A” tab in OregonBuys is preferred.

4.2.2 Submitting questions by email to the SPC is permitted. However, such submissions must:

(a) Reference the OregonBuys bid number;

(b) Identify Offeror’s name and contact information; and

(c) Refer to the specific area of the RFQ being questioned (i.e., page, section, and paragraph number); and

(d) Be received by the due date and time for Questions/Requests for Clarification identified in the on the RFQ Cover Page.

4.2.3 Answers will be posted in OregonBuys.

4.3 Pre-Quote Conference. No Pre-quote conference is planned.

4.4 Quote Submission

All Quotes submitted are public records and are subject to public inspection after the Notice of the Intent to Award is issued.

If a Quote contains information the Consultant regards as proprietary, privileged, or otherwise confidential, Consultant may identify such information in a separate document submitted with its Quote and provide a redacted copy of their Quote with their submission. Application of the Oregon Public Records Law determines whether any information is exempt from disclosure. Otherwise, the Consultant consents to public disclosure of the Quote as submitted.

(b) Signed by Authorized Representative. Offeror’s authorized representative must sign their Quote. Failure of Offeror’s authorized representative to sign these documents may subject the Quote to rejection by Authorized Purchaser.

-RFQ Name]_[Consultant Name]_Vol 1_QuoteNarratives -RFQ Name]_[Consultant Name]_Vol 2_QuotePrice

Section 5 - QUOTE EVALUATION

Reciprocal Preference: for evaluation purposes of Price Quote (Initial or Revised), per OAR 125-246-0310 the DAS SPS shall add a percent increase to each out-of-state Consultant’s Price Quote price that is equal to the percent preference, if any, given to a Resident Consultant in the Offeror's state.

If Authorized Purchaser receives Proposal Quotes that

Then the Contract may be awarded in accordance with the procedures outlined in OAR 125-246-0300

Table 3 –Point Values

Column A Key Elements of Consultant’s Quote Column B Points Available

Price of Offer being scored

200 points

Table 4 – Subjective Scoring Guidance

Section 6 - AWARD AND NEGOTIATION

Authorized Purchaser may determine to award a Contract to the highest-ranking Responsible Consultant representing the “best value” based upon the scoring methodology and process described in Section 5. Authorized Purchaser may award less than the full Scope of Work if the State and Agency determines such an award is in the public interest.

6.1.2 Contract Award Notice

DAS SPS or Authorized Purchaser will notify Consultants of the Contract award by posting a notice to the OregonBuys solicitation file for this RFQ.

An Affected Offeror shall have 7 Calendar Days from the date of the intent to award notice to file a written protest.

An Offeror is an Affected Offeror only if Offeror would be eligible for Contract award in the event the protest was successful and is protesting for one or more of the reasons specified in ORS 279B.410. If DAS SPS receives only one Proposal, which the Authorized Purchaser favorably evaluate, DAS SPS may dispense with the intent to award protest period and proceed with contract negotiations.

DAS SPS will address all timely submitted protests within a reasonable time and will issue a Written decision to the respective Proposer. DAS SPS will not consider protests that do not include the required information.

Exhibit 1 IQMS Statement of Work is included here as an embedded object and is available as a separate download file in the OregonBuys record for this RFQ.

RFQ EXHIBIT 1 – IQMS Statement of Work S-10700-00015522, IQMS Services for

TASK 1: RISK ASSESSMENT

OR

As agreed to and documented in the approved Baseline QMS Work Plan.

$0.00

TASK 2: QUALITY PLANNING

$0.00

(Updated by the Parties as needed to reflect mutually agreeable adjustments, if any, to QMS deliverables.)

(Funds allocated for special requests may be reallocated to other deliverables through the WOC change control process.)

TASK 3: QUALITY CONTROL

Deliverable 3.1: Quality Control Review

· Architecture design documentation

· Security architecture documentation

· Integration and interoperability documentation

· Scalability and performance documentation

· Change management documentation

Related information used to support this review may include:

· Authorized Purchaser’s Project Plan

· Authorized Purchaser’s Business Case

· Solutions Analysis *For major systems, non-functional / technical requirements would include data model (including entity relations), database design (including tables and the use of primary and secondary keys), interfaces and integration with existing and legacy systems, data conversion and migration of data in existing systems or databases, use of public cloud infrastructure, system redundancy and high availability features, disaster recovery, etc.

Related information to support this review may include:

· Updated Authorized Purchaser Project Plan

· Updated Authorized Purchaser Business Case Prior to Solution Implementation Contractor contract execution.

As agreed to and documented in the approved Baseline QMS Work Plan.

$0.00

As agreed to and documented in the approved Baseline QMS Work Plan.

$0.00

Relevant deliverables in Solution Implementation Contractor’s statement of work will include:

· Design documentation

· Tenant management plan

· Data conversion / migration plan and results

· System testing plan and test cases

· System testing results As agreed to and documented in the approved Baseline QMS Work Plan.

Parties may choose to split this deliverable into multiple deliverables, e.g., 3.1.7a, 3.1.7b, etc.

$0.00

($0.00 per Instance if split into multiple deliverables)

$0.00

For up to 3 instances As agreed to and documented in the approved Baseline QMS Work Plan.

Parties may choose to split this deliverable into multiple deliverables, e.g., 3.1.10a, 3.1.10b, etc.

$0.00

($0.00 per Instance if split into multiple deliverables)

Deliverable 3.2: Security Review (Consult with EIS Cyber Security Services.)

Deliverable 3.3: Quality Status Reporting

For up to 9 Instances Frequency: One report per quarter, mid-way between Quarterly QA Status and Improvement Reports

($0.00 per Instance)

TASK 4: QUALITY ASSURANCE

Deliverable 4.1: Quality Assurance Status and Improvement Reporting

For up to 7 Instances *Note: The exact dates of the End of Quarter will be specified in the Baseline QMS Work Plan.

End of Quarter + 5 Business Days*

$0.00

($0.00 per Instance)

TASK 5: INDEPENDENT SOLUTION TESTING

Assumptions:

Type of test: <XXXX> Duration in weeks or months:

Report Cadence: <weekly, bi-weekly, monthly> Number or Reports:

Assumptions:

Type of test: <Ex. Penetration Test: black box, white box, gray box> Areas tested: <Ex. Network, Application, Web Application> Testing Duration: <# of weeks or months> Final Assessment Report

-Hourly Rate Card with Key Persons denoted with an “*”.

HOURLY RATE CARD

RFQ EXHIBIT 2 –IQMS SOW Deliverables Pricing Sheet

Please respond to the following questions.

1. Provide a description of your (Client Reference) engagement with the Offeror, along with the services provided.

2. Who were the Offeror’s Key Persons involved in the contract work?

Score 1-5 for each response (5 being high)

3. How would you (Client Reference) rate the overall quality of services provided and your overall relationship with the Offeror?

Score:

Comments:

4. Did the Offeror deliver what was required per contract, was it on time, and did the deliverables meet your (Client Reference) quality standards?

Score:

Comments:

5. How would you (Client Reference) rate the working relationship with the Offeror? Were they easy to work with? Were they responsive to customer service issues and special requests?

Score:

Comments:

6. If given the opportunity, how likely would you (Client Reference) use Offeror’s services again?

RFQ EXHIBIT 3 –IQMS Reference Check Form

Exhibit 4 Project Business Case is included here as an embedded object and is available as a separate download file in the OregonBuys record for this RFQ.

RFQ EXHIBIT 4 –Project Business Case

Exhibit 5 Project Charter is included here as an embedded object and is available as a separate download file in the OregonBuys record for this RFQ.

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S-10700-00015522 Payroll X-formation IQMS RFQ Ex 1-SOW.pdf

IT Professional Services Master Price and Services Agreement

WORK ORDER CONTRACT EXHIBIT 1

STATEMENT OF WORK FOR QMS

Table of Contents

1. Introduction to Quality Management Services

1.1 PURPOSE

1.2 QUALITY MANAGEMENT APPROACH

1.3 IQMS CONSULTANT’S PERSONNEL ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1.4 DEFINITIONS

2. Quality Management Services (“QMS”)

2.1 TASK 1: RISK ASSESSMENT

2.2 TASK 2: QUALITY PLANNING

2.3 TASK 3: QUALITY CONTROL (QC)

2.4 TASK 4: QUALITY ASSURANCE (QA)

2.5 TASK 5: INDEPENDENT SOLUTION TESTING

3. Deliverables and Payment Schedule

4. Appendices

APPENDIX A: OREGON QUALITY STANDARDS

APPENDIX B: SWQA PROJECT ASSESSMENT REPORT

S-10700-00015522 Exhibit 1 SOW Base template:IQMS SOW Narrative and Appendices (v2025)

1. Introduction to Quality Management Services

1.1 Purpose

The purpose of the IQMS Consultant’s work is to assure that appropriate levels of Quality Management Services are performed for the Statewide Payroll Transformation Project (“Project”). These Services must provide the Authorized Purchaser with appropriate visibility into the processes being used, and the products being built. They must be sufficient to assure that the Project satisfies the needs for which it was undertaken, and that Project risks are well understood and appropriately mitigated or managed.

1.2 Quality Management Approach

The approach to ensure that the appropriate quality management and risk management activities are conducted must be based, as necessary and appropriate in the context of a particular project, on the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) Standard described in the current edition of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (“PMBOK” https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards); and the International Standards Organization standard ISO12207 for software life cycle processes. This includes Quality Management Services that determine the quality policy, objectives, and responsibilities; and implements them by means such as quality planning, quality control, and quality assurance.

Quality Management is a subset of project management that includes the process required to ensure that the Project satisfies the needs for which it was undertaken. Quality Management consists of activities in quality planning, quality assurance, quality control (including independent testing) and risk management. Together, these activities constitute the Authorized Purchaser’s independent verification and validation (IV&V) requirements. They are independent in the sense that they are conducted independently of the development Consultant or systems integrator.

The term “Quality Standards” refers to a project’s “process” and “product” quality standards.

“Process” quality standards cover organizational influences, management support, decision drivers, project management, scheduling, resourcing, experience, and so on. “Product” quality standards cover product content, design, development, deployment, environment, technology, security, maintainability, and so on.

The quality management approach for the Project must adhere to and include, but not be limited to, work activities in support of the following Quality Management Services that constitute the Authorized Purchaser’s IV&V requirements:

1. Task 1 - Risk Assessment

2. Task 2 - Quality Management Planning

3. Task 3 - Quality Control

4. Task 4 - Quality Assurance

5. Task 5 - Independent Solution Testing https://www.pmi.org/pmbok-guide-standards

Together, the satisfactory performance of these Tasks by the IQMS Consultant helps ensure the application of best practices in project management, including quality management, and the delivery of technical work products that meet or exceed project requirements for schedule, cost, functionality, reliability, security, and other relevant quality standards.

1.3 IQMS Consultant’s Personnel Roles and Responsibilities

Project Manager. IQMS Consultant shall designate one of the Key Persons for this Contract as Project Manager of the Services. The Project Manager shall be familiar with Authorized Purchaser’s business operations and objectives, shall perform the Services in accordance with the warranties in the MPSA and this Contract. The Project Manager will participate with Authorized Purchaser in periodic review sessions and will provide detailed progress reports that identify completed tasks and the status of the remaining Services to Authorized Purchaser upon request.

1.4 Definitions

“Independence” or “Independent”: The delivery of services by a third party free from real or perceived conflict with the interests of the Authorized Purchaser and its contractors involved in project planning, design, development, implementation, deployment and operational activity, and as otherwise defined in Statewide Policy 107-004-030.

“Independent QA Act”: Chapter 77, A 2014 ACT HB 4122, codified at ORS 276A.223.

“Statewide Quality Assurance (SWQA)”: The Enterprise Information Services (EIS) team that establishes and oversees access to the group of pre-qualified IT Quality Management Services providers under statewide Master Price and Services Agreements for delivery of diverse, Independent Quality Management Services (IQMS). Each IQMS consultant has executed a Master Price and Services Agreement with the State that includes negotiated provisions, such as standard contract terms and conditions, established hourly rate cards, and the SWQA enterprise statement of work (SOW) that identifies, defines, and describes the task areas that comprise the State’s required QMS scope.

“Independent Verification and Validation” or “IV&V”: Interchangeable terms that have the meaning set out in the latest edition of ISO 12207. “Verification” relates to evaluation that establishes the compliance of project work products with approved business requirements, technical requirements, architecture, and design. “Validation” relates to determining that project work products fulfill intended business needs. “Independent” has the meaning set out above in connection with the defined term, “Independence” or “Independent”.

“Information Technology Initiative” or “IT Initiative”: A project to develop or provide, with an Authorized Purchaser’s own personnel and resources, or to obtain by means of a procurement or set of related procurements: (i) New hardware, software or services for data processing, office automation or telecommunications; (ii) An overhaul, upgrade or replacement of a substantial portion of the hardware or software in an existing data processing, office automation or telecommunications system; or (iii) A substantial expansion of existing data processing, office automation or telecommunications services.1

“Preliminary Quality Assurance Services” means a set of services in which a Consultant provides an independent and objective review of an Authorized Purchaser’s plans, specifications, estimates, documentation, available resources and overall purpose for an information technology initiative, including services in which the Consultant evaluates a proposed information technology initiative against applicable quality standards and best practices from private industry and other sources.

“Quality Management Services” or “QMS” means a set of services in which a Consultant provides an independent and objective review and evaluation of a state contracting agency’s, a public corporation’s or another Consultant’s performance with respect to an information technology initiative, such as services in which the Consultant: (A) Identifies quality standards that apply or should apply to the information technology initiative; (B) Suggests methods and means by which the state contracting agency, the public corporation or the other Consultant may meet quality standards identified in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph; (C) Reviews and evaluates the state contracting agency’s, the public corporation’s or the other Consultant’s performance regularly as the information technology initiative progresses from start to finish;

(D) Identifies omissions or gaps in the state contracting agency’s, the public corporation’s or the other Consultant’s planning, execution, control, methodology, communication or reporting as the information technology initiative progresses from start to finish; (E) Identifies risks in the state contracting agency’s, the public corporation’s or the other Consultant’s plans or approach to designing, developing or implementing the information technology initiative and suggests methods to reduce, mitigate or eliminate the risks; (F) Assists the state contracting agency or the public corporation in testing or otherwise evaluating the hardware, software or services that are developed, provided or obtained as part of an information technology initiative to determine whether the hardware, software or services conform with the quality standards identified in subparagraph (A) of this paragraph; (G) Advises the State Chief Information Officer, the state contracting agency or the public corporation as to whether the hardware, software or services that are developed, provided or obtained as part of an information technology initiative meet the contracting agency’s or the public corporation’s needs, specifications or expectations and otherwise enable the state contracting agency or the public corporation to achieve the objectives for the information technology initiative; or (H) Identifies unsatisfactory performance and suggests methods the State Chief Information Officer, the state contracting

1 Information Technology Initiative does not include: (i) A procurement for preliminary quality assurance services or quality management services; (ii) A routine update to or purchase of hardware or software within an existing data processing, office automation or telecommunications…