T3128 QA Answers 3.11.docx

PHILIP D. MURPHY

Governor State of New Jersey

DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

DIVISION OF PURCHASE AND PROPERTY

PROCUREMENT BUREAU

33 WEST STATE STREET

P. O. BOX 230

TRENTON, NEW JERSEY 08625-0230

ELIZABETH MAHER MUOIO

State Treasurer

SHEILA Y. OLIVER

Lt. Governor

MAURICE A. GRIFFIN

Acting Director https://www.njstart.gov

March 11, 2022

To: All Interested Vendors {Bidders}

Re: Bid Solicitation #22DPP00668 T3128 eProcurement System and Services for DPMC

Bid Amendment #2

The following constitutes Bid Amendment #2 to the above referenced Bid Solicitation:

· Answers to electronic questions submitted during the electronic Question and Answer period;

· A second electronic Question and Answer period has been opened. Additional Vendor {Bidder} electronic questions will be received until 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on March 28, 2022; and

· Due to concerns with COVID-19, hard copies of Quotes will NOT be accepted. All Quote documents and samples must be submitted through the NJSTART eProcurement site. For more information, see the Special Notice released by the State on March 16, 2020: https://www.state.nj.us/treasury/purchase/specialnotices/03162020a.shtml.

It is the sole responsibility of the Vendor {Bidder} to be knowledgeable of all of the additions, deletions, clarifications, and modifications to the Bid Solicitation and/or the New Jersey Standard Terms and Conditions relative to this Bid Solicitation as set forth in all Bid Amendments.

All other instructions, terms, and conditions of the Bid Solicitation shall remain the same.

Bid Solicitation #22DPP00668 T3128 eProcurement System and Services for DPMC

Answers to Questions

Where applicable, each question references the appropriate Bid Solicitation section.

Note: Some questions may have been paraphrased in the interest of readability and clarity. Questions that included a Vendor’s {Bidder’s} company name have been changed to state “Vendor {Bidder}” to preserve the anonymity of this process.

Section Reference Question (Bolded) and Answer

In light of the dangers posed by the COVID-19 virus outbreak and the declaration by the World Health Organization of a global pandemic and Governor Murphy Executive Orders (https://www.state.nj.us/infobank/eo/056murphy/approved/eo_archive.html) which declared both a Public Health Emergency and State of Emergency please be advised that all Quotes shall be submitted electronically through NJSTART.

Vendors {Bidders} may refer to the “Vendor Registration” and “Submit a Quote” Quick Reference Guides for instructions on how to enroll in NJSTART and how to submit an electronic Quote through NJSTART. The Quick Reference Guide entitled “Submit a Quote” is available here: https://www.state.nj.us/treasury/purchase/njstart/pdf/Create-a-Quote.pdf.

Additionally, to ensure that you have properly submitted the required documents you may also review the Quick Reference Guide entitled “How to Review a Submitted Quote” which is available here: https://www.state.nj.us/treasury/purchase/njstart/pdf/HowtoReviewaSubmittedQuote.pdf. Answers to Frequently asked Questions and all Quick Reference Guides are located on the NJSTART Vendor Support Page. If further assistance is needed, please email NJSTART Vendor Administration Team at: njstart@treas.nj.gov .

Yes, prior to the Quote Opening Deadline, a Vendor {Bidder} should review the documents comprising the submitted Quote to ensure that all of the required documents have been completed and attached. Oftentimes a Quote is deemed non-responsive because a Vendor {Bidder} fails to attach a required form or attaches a blank form. To review a submitted Quote, a Vendor {Bidder} should log into NJSTART and review each document attached to the Quote submission. Instructions on how to review a submitted Quote can be found in the Quick Reference Guide entitled How to Review a Submitted Quote, which is available on the NJSTART Vendor Support Page under Vendor Reference Guides.

It is recommended that users utilize Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge to view PDF documents. Certain PDF forms cannot be opened in the Chrome or Firefox built in PDF viewers that are enabled by default. If using Chrome or Firefox it is recommended that the file is downloaded instead by clicking the download button in the upper right-hand corner of the browser after an error message is received. An alternative option is to disable the built in PDF viewers in Chrome or Firefox.

As stated in Bid Solicitation Section 1.3.1.1, Exceptions to the State of NJ Standard Terms and Conditions (SSTC): "Questions regarding the SSTC and proposed exceptions to mandatory requirements, including the Special and Standard Terms and Conditions in Sections 5 and 9 of this Bid Solicitation must be posed during this Electronic Question and Answer period and shall contain the Vendor's {Bidder's} suggested changes and the reason(s) for the suggested changes." Additionally, as stated in Section 4.1, General: "Quotes including Vendor {Bidder} proposed terms and conditions may be accepted, but Vendor {Bidder} proposed terms or conditions that conflict with those contained in the Bid Solicitation, as defined in Section 2.0 of this Bid Solicitation, or that diminish the State's rights under any Blanket P.O. resulting from the Bid Solicitation, may render a Quote non-responsive."

Pursuant to the relevant Statute, which is P.L. 2020, Ch. 59, and codified at N.J.S.A. 52:34A-1, et seq., the Vendor {Contractor} is required to provide “implementation services and training” at no cost. The State [DPMC] interprets this to mean that the services described in the Bid Solicitation must be provided at no cost to the State. See N.J.S.A. 52:34A-7(o).

The State does not accept this proposed modification. Terms and conditions on publicly-bid procurements must be consistent for all potential Bidders.

The State does not accept this proposed modification. Terms and conditions on publicly-bid procurements must be consistent for all potential Bidders.

This is not a question and cannot be answered as posed. The State acknowledges that the NJSTART website section for inputting questions does not recognize quotation marks or certain other punctuation and has included quotations where applicable.

Yes, as long as the System as a whole functions as specified, the State is agreeable to a subcontractor or third-party purchasing platform being integrated within the System to meet the payment requirements. However, please note that pursuant to Section 3.2.3.3, Service Level Agreements (SLAs), that any proposed terms related to the third-party platform must be provided in a mutually agreeable SLA after Blanket P.O. award, and that the terms must comply with the requirements of Bid Solicitation Section 4.1. Terms and conditions inconsistent with, contrary or in addition to the terms and conditions of the Agreement shall not be added to or incorporated into the Agreement by any subsequent Vendor {Contractor} or third-party end user agreement of any type, through any medium whatsoever, and any such attempts to add or incorporate such terms and conditions are hereby rejected. The terms and conditions of the Blanket P.O. shall prevail and govern in the case of any such inconsistent or additional terms. The terms and conditions of the Blanket P.O. shall prevail and govern in the case of any inconsistent terms provided by Contractor, or through any third party end user agreement of any type, through any medium whatsoever.

User Licensing 2. How many total users?

There are currently more than 1500 contractors classified with DPMC, and the State expects that the number will increase over time. It is unknown how many classified contractors will attempt to use the System at any one time.

2a. How many internal users will require administrative level access?

The State expects that there will be 6-10 internal users of the system within DPMC.

2b. How many internal users will require the ability to add, edit, and delete?

DPMC has not finalized the account roles at this time, but expects 3-5 users will need read/write access and the remainder will need only read only access and the ability to generate reports.

2c. How many internal users will require request only access?

Please see the answer to 8(2b) above.

2d. How many internal users will require read-only access?

Please see the answer to 8(2b) above.

3. How many internal users do you project will require access to the system at any given time?

The State expects 3-5 daily active users of the system internally.

Vendor Support 3a. Does the awarded vendor’s staff have to be e-verified, run through OFAC sanction lists, and meet US working regulations?

Any awarded Vendor {Contractor} must satisfy the State and Federal requirements established by the Bid Solicitation, including the State’s Standard Terms and Conditions.

3b. Do you require Tier 1 support for vendors/clients using the Gateway?

This question is unclear as posed and cannot be answered. The Vendor {Bidder} would need to provide additional details on what “Tier 1 support” is for the State to provide an answer.

For more information on required support, please see Bid Solicitation Section 3.2.3.

3c. How many vendors/clients is your organization currently managing?

Please see the answer to 8(2) above.

Data Integration 4. Can you please expand upon your preferences to integrate with said homegrown systems?

This is not a preference, it is a requirement. DPMC currently has a homegrown SQL database that stores information on classified contractors and prequalified consultants. The System will need to integrate with this database to verify the classification status of the bidding contractors and/or their subcontractors. The database will also provide information used in notifying various trades of current bidding opportunities. See Bid Solicitation Section 1.2.1 and 3.1.7.

5. Please provide system details (system name and version, database used, scope of use, home-grown or commercial), if applicable.

The local database is homegrown and is called the Construction Contract Management Information System or CCMIS. Data is stored in a Microsoft SQL Server database. The CCMIS database is utilized by DPMC to manage projects and contracts on behalf of State agencies. CCMIS is comprised of five primary subsystems: Projects & Estimates, Project Review, Project Accounting, Consultant Prequalification and Contractor Classification.

The System will need to interface with the Contractor Classification subsystem. This subsystem is comprised of five data tables. The interface will be with two of the tables; the primary table (dbo_CCLAS) consists of 52 fields and includes contractor names, addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, contact person, classification dollar rating and classification expiration dates. The second table (dbo_TRADES) consists of 13 fields and includes the trade codes and descriptions the contractors are classified in. The contractor’s federal identification number is the key field linking the data tables.

6. Are there any additional systems that may require a one-time data import such as legacy eProcurement system?

There is no legacy eProcurement system. The only applications maintained by DPMC are described above in 8(4) and 8(5). Other agencies such as NJSDA may have different requirements.

6a. If so, please provide the system name, version, scope of use, the total number of contract records and files being imported into the system and SOAP/REST API, if available.

As stated in 8(6), there is no legacy eProcurement system.

7. What objects, fields, and tables will your organization be passing in the data integration between the e-Procurement system and the homegrown system?

As described above, the System will need to be able to verify the classification status of Bidders and Subcontractors and provide addresses for informing specific trade classifications of bidding opportunities.

8. Are the other systems installed/deployed on your organization’s server(s) or is the vendor hosting the software (cloud/SaaS)?

These databases described above in 8(4) and 8(5) are hosted by the State.

9. Does the homegrown system have one of the following available for integration and your organization has licensed access: SOAP API, REST API?

Please see the answer to Question 8(5) above.

10. Can you please provide additional details about your organization’s process flows or diagrams as it relates to the integration requirements?

The current process is paper based, and DPMC staff checks relevant information in the database manually. DPMC does not have any diagrams of the process.

The Bid Solicitation requires that the System be Vendor {Contractor} hosted. See Section 3.2.1

Data Import 12. Does your organization require data import services? If so, please expand upon the data migration/importing requirements for the eProcurement System? (Such as record info, employee lists, vendor lists, etc.).

Please see the answers to 8(4), 8(5), and 8(7) above.

12a. How many total electronic files (PDF, MS Word, etc.) in current/legacy system into the eProcurement System?

None. As stated in the answer to 8(6), there is no current/legacy system. The System does not need to accommodate specific files other than as may be required for the electronic exchange of information described above.

12b. How many total electronic files in current/legacy system? (rows in the exported spreadsheet).

There is no current/legacy system with electronic files.

12c. Where are the legacy (historic) electronic contract files currently stored? (shared folders, Sharepoint, document management system, paper, etc.).

There are currently no legacy/historic electronic contract files. Documents are stored in hard copy only at this time.

Documents will be authored by DPMC utilizing Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Acrobat, and other programs and will need to be uploaded to the System for each procurement. Document types include, but are not limited to, forms, terms and conditions, the scope of work, drawings, and the price sheet/bid proposal form. Should documents need to be revised during the procurement process, outdated documents will need to be deleted or hidden from bidders. The revised documents can then be uploaded. Please see Bid Solicitation Section 3.1.6.1 and 3.1.6.1.1.

Lowest Responsible Bidder and Price and Other factors are the primary award types that will occur. Design-Build and Design-Bid-Build are contract types/procurement methods that would need to be associated with bidding opportunities. Please see Bid Solicitation 3.1.4.1 for more information on the contract and procurement types.

14. Do you require professional services to configure templates?

Currently, DPMC foresees the need to create a price sheet/bid proposal form template that is fillable online. Other forms may be required. A current price sheet/bid proposal form does exist, but it will need to be modified and/or integrated into the user interface of the System. Interfacing of the price sheet/bid proposal form would be required to be at no additional cost. Please see the answer to Question #5.

14a. If so, how many would be required for the awarded vendor to configure?

The number is unknown at this time. Likely 10-15 forms will need to be integrated into the system interface. Please see the answers to 10(13) and 10(14) above.

15. Do you require professional services to configure workflow processes?

This is unknown at this time. Certain aspects of DPMC’s processes may need to remain as current, while others can or may need to be modified to accommodate the System’s requirements or capabilities. DPMC cannot answer this question until it knows the requirements and capabilities of the Vendor’s {Contractor’s} proposed System solution. Any modifications or professional services requirements would constitute implementation services and would therefore be required to be provided no cost to the State. Please refer to the answer to Question #5.

15a. If so, how many would be required for the awarded vendor to configure?

This is unknown at this time.

16. Can you please provide additional details about your organization’s workflow/approval processes?

The question is unclear and cannot be answered as posed. The Vendor {Bidder} would need to provide additional information for the State to provide a response.

16a. Can you please provide number of steps and examples?

This question is unclear and cannot be answered as posed. The Vendor {Bidder} would need to provide additional information for the State to provide a response.

17. Do you have an established time frame for the implementation of the awarded solution?

No. Pursuant to Bid Solicitation Section 4.4.3.3.2, Mobilization Plan, it “is essential that the State have quick use of the functionality this Blanket P.O.” Vendor’s {Bidder’s} must provide a draft plan as outlined in that section. DPMC does not know what the Vendors {Bidders} will propose, and it does not know how much time it will take to implement the System, but Vendors {Bidders} should seek to finish the required process in a timely manner.

17a. If so, what are the anticipated kick-off and go-live dates?

Please see response to Question 10(17) above.

17b. If no specific dates have been established, how many weeks do you plan to dedicate to the implementation process?

Please see response to Question 10(17) above.

18. Does your organization require a full-time dedicated Project Manager for this implementation? Typically, implementations do not require a full-time dedicated project management resource for the project duration, but rather project management/coordination service hours (remote) can be included with the proposal to support the implementation project management.

The Bid Solicitation requires that there be a person who is the single point of contact during development and implementation. There is no requirement that the person be full-time assigned to this project. See Bid Solicitation Section 3.3.2.2.

18a. If a full-time dedicated project management resource is a requirement for this project, are these services expected to be provided online/remote or onsite?

A full-time dedicated project management resource is not applicable to this project.

Public Sector Bids 19. Is your organization eligible to purchase of the GSA Schedule 70?

The answer is irrelevant to this procurement as the State is not seeking to procure goods or services through GSA. The State is utilizing its independent procurement authority as outlined in N.J.A.C. 17:12 et seq.

19a. If yes, would you like GSA pricing in the bid response or retail pricing?

Pricing should be provided in accordance with Bid Solicitation Section 4.4.5. Detailed instructions for completing the State-Supplied Price Sheet can be found in Bid Solicitation Section 4.4.5.2.

20. If in the event our response is subject to an Open Records Request, will we be notified and given the opportunity to provide a redacted response in accordance with applicable Freedom of Information laws?

No notification will be provided pursuant to any specific request. If a Vendor {Bidder} believes its Quote may contain documents with information that could qualify for redaction pursuant to the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, N.J.S.A. 47-1A-1.1 et seq., then Vendor {Bidder} should complete a Confidentiality and Commitment to Defend Form according to the instructions on that form. A copy of the form may be found on the Attachments Tab on Bid Solicitation 22DPP00668 or on the Division’s website at the following link: https://www.nj.gov/treasury/purchase/forms.shtml. For further details, please see Bid Solicitation Section 1.4.4.

For the past 5 years, DPMC has averaged 74 awards per year, with a total average yearly value of $98,644,815. Historically, averages were higher however, due to COVID-19, the current averages are down as construction activities slowed during the last two (2) years.

DPMC currently does not track this data. Procurements have had as many as 12 bidders or as few as one (1), sometimes zero (0).

No. Please see the answer to Question #5 above. The State interprets the Statute to mean that the System must be implemented at no cost to the State. See N.J.S.A. 52:34A-7 (o).

Pursuant to Bid Solicitation Section 6.8, this information will not be provided prior to award in the event the State conducts negotiations.

Please see response to question 14.

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