VoIP_and_Call_Center_Systems_Managed_Services_(Addendum_#4_Revision).pdf

2025-RFP-088

VOIP AND CALL CENTER SYSTEMS MANAGED

SERVICES

City of Cleveland

Department of Public Utilities

601 Lakeside Ave

Cleveland, OH 44114

RELEASE DATE: April 17, 2025

DEADLINE FOR QUESTIONS: May 15, 2025

RESPONSE DEADLINE: May 23, 2025, 12:00 pm

RESPONSES MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO:

https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/clevelandoh

City of Cleveland

VoIP and Call Center Systems Managed Services

I. GENERAL INFORMATION

II. SCOPE OF SERVICES, PROJECT SCHEDULE AND

DELIVERABLES

III. EQUAL OPPORTUNITY REQUIREMENTS

IV. PROPOSAL SUBMITTALS

Attachments:

A - Cover Letter_VoIP

B - Appendix A_Fee Proposal Instructions

C - Appendix B_Fee Tables

D - Appendix C_DPU Reimbursables Policy_2025

E - Appendix D_Sample Agreement

#2025-RFP-088

Title: VoIP and Call Center Systems Managed Services

1. GENERAL INFORMATION

1.1. Summary

The City of Cleveland (City), Department of Public Utilities (DPU), Division of Water (CWD) through its Director of Public Utilities (Director), is soliciting proposals from qualified information technology firms (Consultants) to provide Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Call Center Managed Services in support of DPU.

1.2. Background

The result of this procurement process will be one or more contracts with one or more Consultants for the services described herein. This is pursuant to Ordinance No. 1431-2019. The terms for the contract are anticipated to be one year with four additional one-year options to renew at DPU’s discretion, the third of which is exercisable through additional legislative authority.

The selected Consultant(s) will provide VoIP and Call Center Managed Services in support of DPU. This consultant will work with direction and support from DPU-IT staff.

1.3. Contact Information

Eboni Watters Administrative Manager 1201 Lakeside 4th Floor South Cleveland, OH 44114 Email: eboni_watters@clevelandwater.com Phone: (216) 563-7875

Department:

Public Utilities

Department Head:

Martin J. Keane Director

1.4. Timeline

Release Project Date April 17, 2025 mailto:eboni_watters@clevelandwater.com tel:(216)563-7875

Pre-Proposal Conference (Non-

Mandatory)

May 2, 2025, 10:00am

Via Microsoft Teams, Dial 1 929-352-1743, Phone

Conference ID: 423 346 884# or join virtually:

https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZTYzOTUxODQtOWU5Ni00

OTFmLTgxOTktMDlmMTk3YjIyMWMx%40thre ad.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2266c1aa9 e-806c-4110-b5e7-

1a016d9e1893%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22cba34 ac6-bda8-4405-a17c-fdb78b35b3b0%22%7d Meeting ID: 263 479 743 839 1 Passcode: Ju9ie7Gh

Question Submission Deadline May 15, 2025, 12:00pm

Proposal Submission Deadline May 23, 2025, 12:00pm

Via OpenGov https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZTYzOTUxODQtOWU5Ni00OTFmLTgxOTktMDlmMTk3YjIyMWMx%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2266c1aa9e-806c-4110-b5e7-1a016d9e1893%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22cba34ac6-bda8-4405-a17c-fdb78b35b3b0%22%7d https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZTYzOTUxODQtOWU5Ni00OTFmLTgxOTktMDlmMTk3YjIyMWMx%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2266c1aa9e-806c-4110-b5e7-1a016d9e1893%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22cba34ac6-bda8-4405-a17c-fdb78b35b3b0%22%7d https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZTYzOTUxODQtOWU5Ni00OTFmLTgxOTktMDlmMTk3YjIyMWMx%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2266c1aa9e-806c-4110-b5e7-1a016d9e1893%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22cba34ac6-bda8-4405-a17c-fdb78b35b3b0%22%7d https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZTYzOTUxODQtOWU5Ni00OTFmLTgxOTktMDlmMTk3YjIyMWMx%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2266c1aa9e-806c-4110-b5e7-1a016d9e1893%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22cba34ac6-bda8-4405-a17c-fdb78b35b3b0%22%7d https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZTYzOTUxODQtOWU5Ni00OTFmLTgxOTktMDlmMTk3YjIyMWMx%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2266c1aa9e-806c-4110-b5e7-1a016d9e1893%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22cba34ac6-bda8-4405-a17c-fdb78b35b3b0%22%7d https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZTYzOTUxODQtOWU5Ni00OTFmLTgxOTktMDlmMTk3YjIyMWMx%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2266c1aa9e-806c-4110-b5e7-1a016d9e1893%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22cba34ac6-bda8-4405-a17c-fdb78b35b3b0%22%7d https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_ZTYzOTUxODQtOWU5Ni00OTFmLTgxOTktMDlmMTk3YjIyMWMx%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%2266c1aa9e-806c-4110-b5e7-1a016d9e1893%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22cba34ac6-bda8-4405-a17c-fdb78b35b3b0%22%7d

2. SCOPE OF SERVICES, PROJECT SCHEDULE AND

DELIVERABLES

2.1. INTRODUCTION & BACKGROUND

Overview

The City of Cleveland Department of Public Utilities (DPU) is comprised of the Divisions of Cleveland

Water (CWD), Cleveland Water Pollution Control (WPC), Cleveland Public Power (CPP), Utilities Fiscal

Control, and Radio Communication.

CWD provides safe, quality drinking water to 1.4 million people in nearly 80 communities across the

Greater Cleveland area. The Cleveland Water System is comprised of 5,300 miles of water mains, four raw water intake cribs and four Water Treatment Plants with primary finished water pump stations, 12 secondary pump stations, 13 elevated tanks, and several support facilities. CWD currently has more than

427,000 customer accounts in approximately 67 Direct Service communities. Additionally, CWD provides water to five Master Meter water systems and emergency standby services to four water systems in Northeast Ohio. CWD is committed to providing customers with excellent service and superior products available at the turn of every tap.

In addition to CWD accounts, DPU also serves as the billing agent for several municipalities and for the

Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD).

CPP is responsible for the electric generation, transmission and distribution facilities owned by the City of Cleveland. The division provides electricity to about 77,000 residential, commercial, industrial, and governmental customers. In addition, the division provides service to over 67,000 streetlights in the City of Cleveland.

WPC is responsible for managing the sanitary sewage and storm water collection system in the City of

Cleveland. The system is comprised of 1,436 miles of sewer lines with approximately 78,000 catch basins and 15 pump stations. WPC serves 388,000 people within the City.

DPU is soliciting proposals from qualified Consultants to provide VoIP and Call Center Managed

Services in support of DPU, which requires VoIP and Call Center support to be provided with direction and support from DPU-IT staff.

Current Environment

The current platform consists of the following:

• Cisco Unified Communications Call Control Platform V14.X

• Cisco Unity Messaging System V14.X

• Multiple Voice Gateways at various locations and Voice and Video Endpoints

• Cisco Emergency Responder V14.X

• Singlewire/Informacast

• 2 Ring – Wallboard

• Calabrio PCCE V12.5 (Only historical data servers)

• Calabrio Cloud

• Calabrio On-Prem

• Cisco Webex Call Center

The table below includes quantities of systems and devices that make up the current VoIP and Call Center

Platform:

Current Environment: VoIP & Call Center Platform

Approximate QTY Description

15 Cisco Unified Communications Applications Servers (UCM, Unity, Attendant, Console, Telepresence, etc.)

2 Cisco Call Center Servers

12 Third Party Application Servers

Approximate QTY Users/Endpoints/Ports/Scripting

5 ESX Hosts for UC

Customer supported Standard Voice Users/Devices

Customer supported Enhanced Voice Users/Devices

N/A Standard Call Center Agents

200 Advanced Call Center Agents

13 Standard Voice Gateways (2 CUBE routers, 0 VXML gateways, 11 SRST routers)

1050 Endpoints

Detailed Environment Description

There are numerous departments throughout the DPU enterprise that are currently utilizing VoIP technology. It will be the Vendor’s responsibility to completely familiarize themselves with all DPU locations and usage of technology prior to the commencement of services, at no cost to DPU. DPU Cisco

Webex Call Center environment currently provides Call Center Services.

DPU Cisco Webex Call Center adheres to the standard technical architecture design.

Future Environment

The future voice platform will consist of the following:

• Cisco PCCE V12.5 (Until data retention requirements are met)

• Calabrio On-Prem (Until data retention requirements are met)

• Cisco Webex Calling

• Cisco Webex Call Center

• Calabrio Cloud

The Table below includes quantities of systems and devices that make up the future VoIP and Call

Center Platform:

Future Environment: VoIP & Call Center Platform

Approximate QTY Description

0 Cisco Unified Communications Applications Servers (UCM, Unity, Attendant, Console, Telepresence, etc.)

1 Cisco Call Center Servers

2 Third Party Application Servers

Approximate QTY Users/Endpoints/Ports/Scripting

1 ESX Hosts for UC

Customer supported Standard Voice Users/Devices

Customer supported Enhanced Voice Users/Devices

N/A Standard Call Center Agents

200 Advanced Call Center Agents

13 Standard Voice Gateways (2 CUBE routers, 11 SRST routers; Depending on customer reliance on local gateway PSTN)

1050 Endpoints

DPU reserves the right to reject any or all proposals or portions of them, to waive irregularities, informalities, and technicalities, to re-issue or to proceed to obtain the service(s) desired otherwise, at any time or in any manner considered in DPU's best interests. The Director may, at his/her sole discretion, modify or amend any provision of this notice or the RFP.

2.2. SCOPE OF SERVICES, PROJECT SCHEDULES AND DELIVERABLES

1. Scope of Services

General Objectives

DPU wishes to obtain VoIP and Call Center Managed Services that meet the following objectives:

• Maintain a working Cisco Webex Call Center Enterprise Environment by monitoring faults, configuration, performance, and security that integrates with DPU business processes, which will allow

DPU to focus on core competencies and DPU business goals

• Provide a system architecture document that outlines the capabilities of the management tools available

• Provide tier II and tier III support, systems monitoring and best practices

• Provide proactive maintenance

• Monitor system and create alerts if problems are detected

• Maintain the infrastructure, OS quarterly patching, and monitoring of all production and non-production environments

• Provide 24x7x365 proactive management and support of infrastructure and applications

• Minimize downtime and the impact of downtime from infrastructure and application upgrades and patches

• Provide services throughout the DPU enterprise including physical location sites and manage multiple environments to support development, testing and production

• Lead or assist with changes to the call flow across the environments

• Provide DPU with a cost-effective approach based on a monthly fixed fee

2. Managed Services: VoIP, WFO, & Call Center

DPU is seeking proposals for a Managed Services Agreement to ensure the seamless operation and optimization of its Unified Communications, Cisco Webex Call Center, Calabrio On-Premise, and

Calabrio Cloud platforms. These managed services are essential for DPU to maximize the value of its platform applications and sustain business success.

Given the unique requirements of DPU, the selected provider must possess in-depth knowledge of its platforms and related systems. The scope of services includes comprehensive support, troubleshooting, configuration, enhancements, upgrades, proactive oversight of daily operations and platform monitoring.

By securing a tailored managed services partnership, DPU aims to enhance efficiency, reliability, and long-term performance across its critical communication and Call Center infrastructure.

A. Support Services

The selected Consultant(s) will provide support services to DPU to maintain a working Cisco Webex

Call Center Enterprise Environment. The support is break-fix reactive support to repair defects in the network as well as proactive maintenance to mitigate unwanted downtime. Services specific to the

RFP are as follows:

• Tier II Support (Tier I is defined below but not required for this RFP)

• Tier III Support

• Proactive Maintenance Including Logs, Upgrades and Patches

• Advanced Scripting

• Fault Monitoring

• Project Management

• Change Management

• Related Services and Projects

A. Tier I Support

Tier I support is defined as the following: Moves Adds Changes and Deletes

Tier I support is not in scope for this RFP. DPU IT will cover all Tier I support needs. DPU IT will be the first point of contact for internal customers. DPU IT will determine if Tier II or Tier III support is needed.

B. Tier II Support

Tier II support definition: This is a more in-depth technical support level than Tier I, containing experienced and knowledgeable personnel on a particular product or service. It is synonymous with level 2 support, support line 2, administrative level support, and various other headings denoting advanced technical troubleshooting and analysis methods. Technicians in this realm of knowledge are responsible for assisting Tier I personnel to solve basic technical problems and for investigating elevated issues by confirming the validity of the problem and seeking known solutions related to these more complex issues. This may include, but is not limited to, software repair, diagnostic testing, utilization of remote control of supported systems, carrier troubleshooting, etc.

C. Tier III Support

Tier III Support definition: This is the highest level of support in a three-tiered technical support model responsible for handling the most difficult or advanced problems. Tier III personnel must troubleshoot and resolve all instances forwarded to them. This may require the Customer's CISCO contract information so that the technician can open TAC cases and have adequate time to troubleshoot the issue and find a solution. In some instances, an issue may be so problematic to the point where the product cannot be salvaged and must be replaced, or versions of code may need to be upgraded. If a TAC case is open, Vendor must notify DPU personnel. If it is determined that a problem can be solved, this group is responsible for developing one or more courses of action, evaluating each of these courses, and providing recommendations to the Customer for approval to proceed.

D. Proactive Maintenance

Proactive Maintenance will include but not be limited to the following:

• Security updates

• Regularly scheduled and break-fix updates

• Regularly scheduled and break-fix patches

• Produce and provide DPU IT Leadership monthly reports on the continuous operation and monitoring of this environment

• Conduct quarterly (or monthly) dependent upon DPU IT Leaderships’ choice of face-to-face meetings with Vendor’s executive to review the monthly reports and vendor support

• Any other required proactive maintenance activities to include reviewing server and application logs

E. Advanced Scripting

Advanced Scripting is specific to the Call Center environment which includes routing/administrative scripts. These are within the Cisco environment and may call on outside data source such as web services calls, VXML, and Customer or third party supported stored procedures. The intention of this support is for break fix of any scripting that stops working or minor changes.

F. Fault Monitoring

The Consultant Network Operations Center (NOC) will monitor the contracted network equipment and devices for fault alarms and conditions. If a critical task or function turns off for some reason

(up/down), the NOC monitoring tools send out an alert and the NOC will notify the Customer of the alarm in accordance with the Problem Identification and Triage procedure.

G. Project Management

Project Management will include but not be limited to the following:

• Coordinating staff and managing all technical and functional activities of staff

• Coordinate with DPU application owner to resolve issues, plan, and modify the system as business needs dictate

• Regularly scheduled Status-Update Meetings

• Reporting on issues and metrics from the Managed Services team

• Participating in regularly scheduled status calls, and as needed

• Ensuring compliance with SLAs

H. Change Management

This includes managing the change management process with DPU.

I. Related Services and Projects

This includes working with DPU Vendors as it relates to VoIP and Call Center. Other Vendors’ systems that interface with the Call Center include but are not limited to Calabrio, Customer Care and Billing (CC&B), Cityworks, Field Deployment Manager (FDM) and any other systems that interface with the Call Center. This will also include Cisco routers, switches and firewalls in the VoIP environment.

J. Required Roles

• CCNA Collaboration

• CCNA Data Center

• CCNP Network Security Engineer

• CCNP Security

• CCNP Routing & Switching

• CCNP Data Center

• CCNP Cloud

• CCNP Design

• CCNP Data Center

• CCNP Collaboration

• CCIE Collaboration

• CCIE Data Center

• Cisco Webex Call Center Administrator Professional

• Cisco Webex Call Center Expert

• WFO Engineer

• WFO Product Specialist

• WFO Consultant

• Network Engineer

• Project Coordinator

• System Analyst

*Note (Managed Services Roles):

▪ Multiple roles can be filled by the same resource

▪ Consultant must clearly provide a description of the proposed resource and their position/role.

▪ Management fee for 3rd party resources are resources requested by the CIO to be added to the contract.

▪ DPU welcomes the recommendation of any additional roles the consultant deems necessary and/or beneficial to the Managed Services Contract.

▪ All roles are required.

▪ All roles are expected to be off-site.

While certifications and roles listed above are required, the proposed Project Team must include individuals with substantial experience in the following:

i. A deep understanding of each specialized field required for the project role, ensuring that personnel are well-equipped to contribute effectively.

ii. Proficiency in maintaining and optimizing a Cisco Unified Communications (UC) system in alignment with the requirements specified. This includes ongoing system monitoring, troubleshooting, updates, and enhancements.

iii. Strong knowledge and practical experience in project management methodologies to ensure efficient planning, execution, and completion of initiatives within scope, timeline, and budget constraints.

iv. Expertise in identifying, assessing, mitigating, and resolving risks and issues that may impact project delivery, ensuring proactive resolution and business continuity.

v. Advanced skills in software development and configuration, particularly for systems similar to those utilized by DPU, ensuring seamless integration and functionality enhancements.

vi. Experience in executing comprehensive software testing activities, including functional, regression, and performance testing, to validate system stability and reliability.

vii. Proven capability in providing operational support for government organizations of similar size and complexity, ensuring adherence to regulatory requirements and best practices.

viii. Demonstrated expertise in managing and executing the deployment of enterprise-level systems, ensuring a smooth transition, minimal disruption, and successful adoption by end-users.

ix. A thorough understanding of relevant regulations, industry standards, and best practices to ensure compliance and optimal performance across all managed services.

x. Implementation of structured and efficient software change management methodologies to control updates, modifications, and improvements while minimizing risk and disruption.

xi. Proficiency in utilizing defect tracking tools to document, manage, and report test results, enabling transparent and data-driven decision-making.

xii. In-depth knowledge of the Cisco Unified Communications 14.X suite, including its features, configuration, and best practices for deployment and maintenance.

xiii. Expertise in designing and managing sophisticated call routing solutions that enhance customer experience through intelligent, conditional routing and streamlined contact management.

xiv. Experience with Cisco Webex Call Center database integrations using REST APIs to enable seamless data exchange and automation between systems.

xv. Proficiency in using Advanced Quality Manager as a recording server for call monitoring, compliance, and performance evaluation.

xvi. Expertise in integrating multiple customer engagement channels, including email, web chat, and social media, to create a cohesive and responsive Call Center environment.

xvii. Strong understanding of ACD capabilities, including conditional call routing, call-in-queue handling, and expected-wait-time messaging, to enhance customer service efficiency.

xviii. Experience in implementing workforce optimization strategies, including

Workforce Management and Advanced Quality Management, to improve agent performance and operational efficiency.

xix. Ability to design and manage historical and real-time reports and dashboards using

Cisco Webex reporting tools, providing flexible data visualization and actionable insights.

xx. Extensive knowledge of Cisco Webex Call Center, including configuration, management, and optimization of call routing, reporting, integrations, and user experience enhancements. Proven ability to manage high-volume environments and ensure system reliability.

xxi. Expertise in managing and optimizing Calabrio Cloud, including workforce management (WFM), speech analytics, and performance management. Ability to configure scheduling, forecasting, and AI-driven insights to enhance agent efficiency and Call Center performance.

Managed Services are essential for DPU to be able to effectively utilize the VoIP and Call Center applications in order to conduct business. These services are DPU-IT specific and thus require knowledge of the applications in a utility environment.

Further, in support of DPU Cloud Migration activities, DPU requests a Flexible Managed Service

Offering that can:

• Scale up or down the number of supported premise devices and users, while offering holistic ‘One hand to shake’ support for the DPU environment across its premise, hybrid and pure cloud phases.

• Include transparent costing per monitored physical device & users, an outline of patching services offered, including emergency patching.

• A streamlined model of additional, non-break-fix support, to include flat-rate MACD’s, Rate Card, and Service Catalog Driven work in a mutually agreed upon delivery model.

• Customer Success initiatives to ensure that DPU is taking full advantage of the platform it has selected to serve the people of Cleveland.

B. Service Levels and Penalties

Severity Definitions, Service Levels & Penalties: The expected service levels are listed below. Proposers should quote their fee in part based on these service levels. If the proposer is unable to meet these service levels or is proposing alternative service levels, that should be clearly indicated in the response and identified as an exception or deviation in the fee proposal.

VoIP & Call Center SLAs: Downtime for Critical Outages should not exceed 30 minutes in a month and response time to them must be within 15 minutes. Downtime for Outages with

Workarounds must not exceed 4 hours in a month and response time to them must not exceed one hour. VoIP and Call Center Outages are defined below:

In the Event of a Critical Outage:

• There is a service outage or a major application problem impacting a large number of users.

Service cannot be utilized and/or no work around exists. The business is not able to function.

• If any unit (queue) is down, the response should be treated separately.

Response and Resolution/Repair Requirement and Penalties for Managed Services:

Description Requirement Penalty for Missing

Requirement

Critical Outage Response Time 100% within 15 min (calculated per calendar month) 10% of monthly fees

Outage with Workaround Response Time 100% within 1 hour (calculated per calendar month) 5% of monthly fees

Critical Outage Resolution/Repair Time Downtime not to exceed combined 30 minutes per calendar month for severity 1 issue 10% of monthly fees

Outage with Workaround Resolution/Repair

Time Downtime not to exceed combined 4 hours per calendar month for severity 2 issue 5% of monthly fees

• “Response Time” is defined as the amount of time between when the client first creates an incident report (which includes leaving a phone message, sending an email, or using an online ticketing system) and when the provider actually responds (automated responses don’t count) and lets the client know they’re currently working on it.

• “Resolution time” is defined as the amount of time between when the client first creates an incident report and when that problem is actually solved.

• Explanation of downtime allowed per requirements: During any calendar month the total amount of downtime cannot exceed 4 hours for a severity 1 issue and 30 minutes for a severity

2 issue. For example, if there is 2.5 hours of downtime for a severity 1 issue on February 1st and 1 hour of downtime for a severity 1 issue on February 2nd, but no additional severity 1 downtime in the month of February, no penalty will be incurred.

• The Consultant can be penalized multiple times for missing different requirements in the same month. For example, if there is a month with 5 hours of severity 1 downtime, 1 hour of severity 2 downtime, only 90% of severity 1 issues are responded to within 15 minutes, and only 50% of severity 2 issues are responded to within 1 hour, the total penalty for that month would be 30%. The calculation period for the SLAs resets at the beginning of each calendar month.

• For the purpose of the SLAs, there are no off-hours (at night for example) when downtime will not be counted. Downtime will be counted even if it happens at night or on the weekend.

• The following will not be counted against production availability for the Call Center:

o Downtime caused by scheduled or Planned server upgrades or server maintenance o Downtime caused by natural disasters – flood, hurricane, earthquake and so on o Downtime caused by third-party digital software attacks on server o Downtime caused by physical attacks on a server or data centers o Downtime caused by direct denial of service (DDoS) attacks, or hacking attempts o User script error: Downtime caused by user scripts, outdated code or due to the installation of third-party applications o Downtime caused during user’s DNS and/or IP address changes o Downtime during technical support requests o Downtime due to Customer Network failures

1. Project Deliverables

Compensation and Invoicing

A. Compensation

Compensation for managed services shall be based on fixed tiered amounts stipulated in the contract.

In general, managed services do not qualify for reimbursable expenses. Project resources will be allowed as approved by DPU during the initial implementation if required. The DPU reimbursable expense policy can be located in Appendix C.

The Consultant shall be paid for services based on hourly rates as stipulated in the contract. Any additional fees must be approved through the change control process.

B. Invoices

The Consultant shall invoice each month based on the actual hours and approved hourly billing rates expended for the services. The invoice shall include only those services agreed upon in the contract. Any changes or additions to the resources must be approved through a formal change process.

The Consultant shall submit its invoices monthly for the prior month’s work. The Consultant shall not submit invoices more frequently than once per month unless agreed upon by DPU.

Invoices shall include a cover page, summary table of labor costs including the hourly rate and hours, timesheets, summary table of reimbursable, original receipts, and other information as deemed appropriate. Invoices shall include specific activities worked on an hourly and daily basis by resource. All information for an invoice should be submitted at one time in one invoice package.

Supporting information (receipts, timesheets, etc.) shall be attached in the appropriate section of the invoice in alphabetical, then chronological order. For example, timesheets shall be attached alphabetically by individual name and chronologically by individual.

Invoices not submitted in the approved format may be rejected and returned to the Consultant. This includes incomplete information and missing documentation.

2. Submission of Proposal

A. Each proposer shall submit its proposal(s) electronically, via the City’s new RFP Management host, OpenGov. The City of Cleveland’s OpenGov web portal can be accessed using this link:

https://secure.procurenow.com/portal/clevelandoh.

B. Each proposer shall provide all information requested in this RFP. The proposer must organize its proposal package to address each of the elements in this RFP in the order listed in the Proposal Contents section. The proposer should carefully read all instructions and requirements and furnish all information requested. If a proposal does not comply with all terms, conditions, and requirements for submittal, the

City may consider it unacceptable and may reject it without further consideration.

C. If you find discrepancies or omissions in this RFP or if the intended meaning of any part of this

RFP is unclear or in doubt, send a written request for clarification or interpretation using the

Question/Answer tab in OpenGov.

3. The City’s Rights and Requirements

A. The Director, at his/her sole discretion, may require any proposer to augment or supplement its proposal or to meet with the City's designated representatives for interview or presentation to further describe the proposer's qualifications and capabilities. The requested information, interview, meeting, or presentation shall be submitted or conducted, as appropriate, at a time and place the Director specifies.

B. The City reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to reject any proposal that is incomplete or unresponsive to the requests or requirements of this RFP. The City reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive and accept any informality or discrepancy in the proposal or the process as may be in the City's best interest.

C. Proposal as a Public Record: Under the laws of the State of Ohio, all parts of a proposal, other than trade secret or proprietary information and the fee proposal may be considered a public record which, if properly requested, the City must make available to the requester for inspection and copying.

Therefore, to protect trade secret or proprietary information, the proposer should clearly mark each page - but only that page - of its proposal that contains that information. The City will notify the proposer if such information in its proposal is requested, but cannot, however, guarantee the confidentiality of any proprietary or otherwise sensitive information in or with the proposal.

Blanket marking of the entire proposal as "proprietary" or "trade secret" will not protect an entire proposal and is not acceptable.

D. Cleveland Area Business Code

Requirements: During performance of this Agreement, Contractor shall comply with all applicable requirements of the Cleveland Area Business Code, Chapter 187 of the Codified

Ordinances of Cleveland, Ohio, 1976 (''C.O."), and any Regulations promulgated under the Code, which Code and Regulations are incorporated into and made part of this RFP by this reference as fully as if rewritten in it or attached. Specifically, compliance under any resulting agreement shall include, but not be limited to, the Contractor's:

• Compliance with its proposal representations regarding CSB, MBE, and/or FBE participation in performance of the Agreement

• Compliance and cooperation with Project Monitors, whether from the Mayor's Office of

Equal Opportunity (the "OEO") or the contracting department

• Accurate, complete, and on-time submission of all reports, forms, and documents including, but not limited to, employment reports, certified payrolls, monitoring forms, and other information the Director of the OEO may require, whether in printed or electronic form, to ascertain and verify Contractor’s compliance; and

• Attendance at and participation in all required project meetings, including OEO compliance meetings, and progress meetings called by the contracting department director(s) at key intervals during performance of the contract services.

Failure to Comply: When determining the contractor's future eligibility for a City contract, the

City shall consider a contractor's failure to comply with the representations of its proposal and the requirements under the Code as a failure to faithfully perform a contract.

E. Under the Cleveland Area Business Code, the City of Cleveland is firmly committed to assisting

Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), Female Business Enterprises (FBEs), and Cleveland- area small businesses (CSBs) by providing and enhancing economic opportunities to participate in City contracts.

The successful proposer for a contract will be a firm that shares that commitment. Accordingly, a proposer is strongly encouraged to utilize the services of qualified MBE/FBE/CSB sub-consultants that are certified by the Mayor's Office of Equal Opportunity (the "OEO") in its proposal

F. The standard subcontracting goal for professional services contracts is 10% Cleveland Area Small

Business ("CSB") subcontractor participation.

G. To document its good-faith effort to utilize certified MBE, FBE and CSB sub• consultants, each proposer must complete Schedules 1 through 4 found in the Cleveland Area Business Code - Notice to

Bidders and Schedules. These schedules identify the proposer's proposed use of MBE, FBE and CSB sub consultants on the project, which evidences the proposer's good-faith effort to obtain the participation of certified sub- consultants. The proposer shall submit the completed forms with its proposal, and they will be forwarded to the City's Office of Equal Opportunity for evaluation. Failure to submit complete schedules may result in the rejection of a proposal.

Proposers may obtain a listing of firms certified by the OEO as CSBs, MBEs and FBEs by checking the City's Office of Equal Opportunity website at https://cleveland.diversitycompliance.com. On the home page, select "Seach Certified

Directory" under "Vendor Certification.

Proposers are responsible for obtaining the most current list and for contacting potential

CSB/MBE/FBE sub-consultants. The City assumes no responsibility for matching prime consultants with qualified, certified MBE, FBE, and/or CSB sub-consultants.

The City Office of Equal Opportunity will monitor participation of MBE, FBE, and/or CSB sub-consultants throughout the duration of the engagement or project. The successful proposer, as contractor, will be responsible for providing the OEO with all information necessary to facilitate this monitoring.

The Cleveland Area Business Code, any Regulations promulgated under the Code, and the

OEO Notice to Bidders & Schedules are, by this reference, incorporated in and made part of this solicitation and any resulting contract as fully as if written in it or attached

H. The successful proposer, as contractor, will be required to comply with all terms, conditions, and requirements imposed 'on a "contractor" in the following Equal Opportunity Clause, Section 187.22(b) of the Cleveland Codified Ordinances, and shall make the Clause part of every subcontract or agreement entered into for services or goods and binding on all persons and firms with which the proposer may deal, as follows: No Contractor shall discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, ethnic group or Vietnam-era or disabled veteran status. Contractors shall take affirmative action to ensure that applicants are employed and that employees are treated during employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, ethnic group or Vietnam-era or disabled veteran status.

As used in this chapter, "treated" means and includes without limitation the following: recruited whether by advertising or other means; compensated, whether in the form of rates of pay or other forms of compensation; selected for training, including apprenticeship, promoted, upgraded, demoted, transferred, laid off and terminated. Contractors shall post in conspicuous places available to employees and applicants for employment, notices to be provided by the hiring representative of contractors setting forth the provisions of this nondiscrimination clause.

I. Term of Proposal’s Effectiveness

By submission of a proposal, the proposer agrees that its proposal will remain effective and eligible for acceptance by the City until the earlier of the execution of a final contract or 180 calendar days after the proposal submission deadline (the "Proposal Expiration Date").

J. Execution of a contract https://www.clevelandohio.gov/

The Successful Proposer shall, within ten (10) business days after receipt of a contract prepared by the City Director of Law, exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, execute and return the contract to the City together with evidence of proper insurance and intent to conform to all requirements of the contract. Attached hereto or which are a part hereof and all applicable federal, state and local laws and ordinances prior to or at the time of execution of the contract.

K. Short-listing

The City reserves the right to select a limited number (a "short list") of Proposer's to make an oral presentation of their qualifications, proposed services, and capabilities. The City will notify the proposers selected for oral presentations in writing.

L. Proposer’s Familiarity with RFP, Responsibility for Proposal

By submission of a proposal, the proposer acknowledges that it is aware of and understands all requirements, provisions, and conditions in and of this RFP and that its failure to become familiar with all the requirements, provisions, conditions, and information either in this RFP or disseminated either at a pre-proposal conference or by addendum issued prior to the proposal submission deadline, and all circumstances and conditions affecting performance of the services to be rendered by the successful proposer will not relieve it from responsibility for all parts of its

Proposal and, if selected for contract, its complete performance of the contract in compliance with its terms.

Proposer acknowledges that the City has no responsibility for any conclusions or interpretations made by proposer on the basis of information made available by the City.

The City does not guarantee the accuracy of any information provided and proposer expressly waives any right to a claim against the City arising from or based upon any incorrect, inaccurate, or incomplete information or information not otherwise conforming to represented or actual conditions.

M. Interpretation

The City is not responsible for any explanation, clarification, interpretation, representation or approval made concerning this RFP or a proposal or given in any manner, except by written addendum. The City will mail, e-mail, or otherwise deliver one copy of each addendum issued, if any, to each individual or firm that requested and received a RFP. Any addendum is a part of and incorporated in this RFP as fully as if originally written herein.

4. Proposal Contents

Vendor may submit a proposal for:

• Group A - VoIP Managed Services only

• Group B - Call Center Managed Services only

• Both VoIP and Call Center Managed services.

Proposers must submit fee proposals for Year 1 and all four Option years. Failure to submit all five fee tables for either group will result in your proposal being non-responsive.

Each proposal should include a Technical Proposal and Fee Proposal.

The Technical Proposal shall include the following parts in the below order. Please separate and identify each part for quick reference. Each proposal should be organized so as to facilitate its evaluation. Emphasis should be concentrated on accuracy, completeness and clarity of content.

All parts, pages, figures and tables should be numbered and labeled clearly.

A. Technical Proposal

Section Title

1 Executive Summary

2 Company Background

3 Proposed VoIP and Call Center Managed Services Solution

4 Implementation Plan

5 Staffing Plan

6 Client References

7 Exceptions and Deviations

Section 1: Executive Summary

The executive summary should provide a complete and concise summary of proposer’s experience and ability to meet the requirements of this RFP for similar entities. It should briefly state experience and why proposer is the best candidate for the engagement. The summary should be organized so it can serve as a stand-alone summary apart from the remainder of the proposal.

Section 2: Company Background

Proposer should provide a detailed company overview for the prime and the sub-consultants.

This should include a description of the nature of the firm’s experience in providing managed services for similar entities. Place specific emphasis on IT projects for government and/or utilities. Indicate the role of the prime and the sub consultants for these services.

Section 3: Proposed Managed Services Solution

The proposer is required to provide detailed description of its managed services and how it will meet requirements of this RFP as outlined in the Scope of Services.

Section 4: Implementation Plan

The Consultant is to provide an implementation plan in narrative format supported by an activity-level project plan that details how the Scope of Services will be implemented

This implementation plan should include the following elements:

a.) General Implementation Approach b.) Project Management Approach c.) Testing d.) System Documentation e.) Disaster Recovery Plan Development

The Consultant should not feel constrained to only include the above items in the Consultant’s proposal response if the Consultant feels that they add value to the overall implementation. DPU requests that the Consultant provide their work plan in a Microsoft Project format as part of the proposal response.

Under the direct oversight of the DPU IT Project Management Office, it is expected that the

Consultant will lead the efforts in each of the implementation areas described below unless stated otherwise. Further details on what is to be provided as part of the Consultant’s proposed implementation plan are included in the following subsections.

A. General Implementation Approach

Provide a general overview of the implementation approach you plan to use for DPU that includes addressing the following items:

• Describe the key factors for success in this type of project.

• Describe key differentiators of the approach as it relates to implementing a solution on time, within budget and with the ability to meet the needs of a diverse client like DPU.

Any unique tools, techniques, or methods that you use should be described in this section.

B. Project Management Approach

As part of any significant engagement, DPU employs a project management approach that is based on the PMI methodology. DPU would expect responding Consultants to adhere to such standards as part of the project.

In addition, provide an overall description of the Consultant project management approach towards this type of engagement. This would also include a description of:

xxii. Project governance

xxiii. Project plan creation and tracking

xxiv. Risk Assessment and management

xxv. Communication management

xxvi. Change management

DPU requests that the Consultants respond to each of the following items related to project management:

• Based on information provided in this RFP and experience in working with other large cities and public utilities organizations, what is the Consultant’s perspective on the most significant risks to this project and how do you plan to mitigate these risks?

• Describe the performance record of your firm regarding delivering VoIP and Call Center

Managed Services within scope, schedule, and budget.

• Describe project controls performance regarding cost monitoring and timely delivery of invoices and client-required reports.

• Describe internal quality management processes to ensure that work-products and project deliverables will meet the quality standards expected from the project.

• To what degree does DPU have access to Consultant’s work papers developed throughout the course of the project?

• Clear delineation of project management responsibilities between the DPU and the

Consultant.

• Specific information on project close-out activities to transition support to the DPU

C. Testing

The Proposer should describe the planned approach and methodology for any changes or other activities that require testing.

D. System Documentation

The Consultant is expected to update system documentation as changes are made. The

Proposer should describe what types of documentation they anticipate developing during the course of managed services agreement and the methodology for updating documentation.

E. Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity Plan

The Proposer should describe their plan for developing a Disaster Recovery Plan using

DPU resources. The proposer should outline any particular resources or expertise they have available to develop the plan.

Section 5: Staffing Plan

The Proposer must provide in detail the type and amount of onboarding and overall support to be provided (i.e. number of personnel, level of personnel, time commitment, etc.). Equally, the consultant must provide a primary point of contact. Include the resumes of the primary points of contact that will be assigned to the contract to include the following information:

• Role on the managed services contract

• Educational background

• Number of years employed at your company

• Number of years conducting their proposed role on the contract

• Certifications that are appropriate to the role they will be fulfilling on the program (i.e.

CCNP Collaboration, CCNA Collaboration, PMP, PMI-PBA, etc.)

• Expected amount of time (hours) that they will be committed to the managed services contract

• Relevant previous experiences

If the Consultant is using a subcontractor, please include information on subcontracting staff being used and their specific role on the managed services contract. Additionally, the Proposer should address the following items:

• Identify the degree to which Consultant staff will be on-site versus off-site during the contract period

• Demonstrate ability to provide continuity of skilled consultant resources throughout the duration of the contract

• Describe the degree in which activities will be performed during normal business hours versus off-hours

Section 6: Client References

Each proposer that is participating in the proposal should provide three (3) references, which may be contacted concerning the proposer’s performance on VoIP and Call Center Managed

Services and Professional Services for public utility or government types. The references should be from the prime contractor and not from a subcontractor.

Please provide VoIP and Call Center Managed Services references whenever possible, for large cities or utilities similar to Cleveland with a public utility population greater than 1.4 million.

If proposing on both opportunities for managed services please provide 3 references for each opportunity. The same reference may be used for both Call Center and VoIP Managed Services.

Please provide the following:

• Client name, city and state

• Type of utility or government

• Client contact (include phone and e-mail address)

• Description of services provided

• Descriptions of the roles your company is providing

• Date services were first performed

• Current relationship status

• Role of proposer (prime or subcontractor)

• In addition to the 3 references, please provide a list of any additional related engagements that will help differentiate the proposer’s proposal

Section 7: Exceptions and Deviations

If the Proposer finds it impossible or impractical to adhere to any portion of these specifications and all attachments, it shall be so stated in its proposal, with all deviations grouped together in a separate section entitled, “Exceptions/Deviations from Proposal

Requirements.” This section will be all-inclusive and will contain a definition statement of each and every objection or deviation with adherence to specific RFP sections. Objections or deviations expressed only in other parts of the proposal, either directly or by implication, will not be accepted as deviations, and the Consultant in submitting a proposal, will accept this stipulation without recourse.

B. Fee Proposal

Proposer should submit its fee proposal for all its services in a separately sealed envelope clearly marked on the outside. Itemize the fee by project phase or other divisible unit completed, in dollars and percentage, or by deliverable. Proposer shall provide its best estimate of expenses including but not limited to travel and associated expenses. No qualification of the financial offer will be accepted. The fee proposal shall be a firm and final amount including the costs and expenses for all anticipated services.

If the consultant is proposing on both Managed Services opportunities (VoIP and Call Center) one separate fee proposal is required for each of those Managed Services opportunities.

There is no limit to the number of pages submitted as part of the fee submittal. The fee submittal shall include all additional required forms and fee/hours tables attached for the contract.

DPU anticipates a one (1) year Agreement with four (4) one-year options to renew at DPU’s discretion. Use the fee proposal template located in the attachments as Appendix B to document proposer’s fees.

The proposer should submit its fee proposal for all its services separately in the designated

Proposal Submittals section of this RFP. Only one fee proposal is required.

2.3. PROPOSAL EVALUATION AND CRITERIA

Nowhere in the technical proposal shall Proposers give any indication whatsoever regarding their fees, hours, level of effort or the like for this project. All such information shall exist exclusively in the fee proposal.

Technical proposals shall be evaluated based on the following criteria (not listed in order of importance):

• Proposal conforms…