New Customer Information System

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL Sealed Price Proposals for the following will be received by the Procurement Manager until 4:00 P.M., Eastern Time, December 13, 2023, and at that time publicly opened in Conference Room 436, City Hall located at 415 Broad Street., Kingsport, TN. All proposals will be considered for award or rejection at a later date. PROJECT: New Customer Information System A non-mandatory pre-proposal meeting will be held on November 8, 2023 @ 2:00 P.M. in Conference Room 436, City Hall located at 415 Broad Street., Kingsport, TN. Documents for the above referenced item are available online at kingsporttn.gov/city-services/purchasing. Interested parties may also contact the Procurement Department at (423) 229-9419. By submission of a signed proposal bid, the bidder certifies total compliance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, and all regulations promulgated thereunder. No submitted proposals may be withdrawn for a period of three hundred

sixty five (365) days after the scheduled closing time of the receipt of proposals. All proposals shall be signed, sealed and addressed to the Procurement Manager, City of Kingsport, 415 Broad Street., Kingsport, TN 37660 and marked “New Customer Information System”. The City by its governing regulations reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals received, to waive any informalities in bidding and to re-advertise. PUB 1T: 10/28//23 Chris McCartt City Manager City Hall | Information Technology 415 Broad Street | Kingsport, TN 37660-4265 | P: 423-229-9400 | F: 423-229-9350 www.kingsporttn.gov Instructions to Bidders The following Request for Proposal lists six (6) exhibits in Section 6, Exhibits, page 35, which are not included in this document. These exhibits are all separate documents and are accessible through the following link: https://tinyurl.com/49aaafhd Here, you can view and download the documents for your use. These are required to be included in the proposal, as specified in Section 4, Proposal Format and Contents. CITY OF KINGSPORT REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR New Customer Information System October 2023 2 CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 3 2. SCOPE ................................................................................................................................................. 8 3. RFP PROCESS ................................................................................................................................. 19 4. PROPOSAL FORMAT AND CONTENT ...................................................................................... 25 4.1 General Guidelines .................................................................................................................... 25 4.2 Transmittal Letter .................................................................................................................... 25 4.3 Executive Summary .................................................................................................................. 25 4.4 Bidder Qualifications ................................................................................................................ 26 4.5 Project Approach ...................................................................................................................... 27 4.6 Project Timeline ........................................................................................................................ 30 4.7 Solution Architecture ................................................................................................................ 30 4.8 System Requirements Spreadsheet .......................................................................................... 31 4.9 Pricing ........................................................................................................................................ 32 5. EVALUATION CRITERIA............................................................................................................. 33 6. EXHIBITS ......................................................................................................................................... 35 3 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 Purpose The City of Kingsport, TN (or “the City”), is soliciting proposals to establish a contract through competitive negotiation for a new Customer Information System (CIS) to support the City’s customer-related information and billing process of water, wastewater, stormwater, and sanitation services the City provides to its customers. 1.2 Background The City of Kingsport provides water, wastewater, stormwater, and sanitation services to its 55,000+ residents, as well as customers outside the city limits in Sullivan, Hawkins, Washington, and Greene counties, and Scott County, VA. The City bills for these services monthly, in 5 billing cycles, in addition to other charges and fees related to their operation. The City also owns and operates a demolition landfill, which city residential customers may use up to twelve times in a calendar year included in their monthly sanitation fees and allows private parties to dispose of non-organic waste for which the City charges and collects associated fees. The City’s current Customer Information System, NaviLine version 9.1.23.1, was implemented in 1989. The version of the existing CIS lacks modern features, scalability, and integration capabilities. Today, the system accommodates 38,000 number of residential and commercial accounts billed every month with approximately 40,000 number of water meter readings each month. Service No. of Active Services Water 40,000 Wastewater 26,000 Solid Waste 27,000 Stormwater 24,000 Total Number of Active Services 117,000 Figure 1. Services needed to be supported by CIS The current CIS allows the City to gather data regarding customers, premises, and accounts. The CIS receives meter readings, calculates charges, sends bills to be printed, processes delinquent charges, receives, applies, and distributes payments, and maintains accounts receivable. Additionally, landfill billing remains a manual process, a concern that the intended implementation of a new system aims to address. 4 The City has identified the following goals for improving CIS business processes. The City is seeking a system and approach that provides capabilities to support these goals:  Reduce the need for staff to work around the system to accomplish a task.  Empower customers with better and more options via a new customer self-service portal.  Improve customer response time.  Increase overall engagement with customers.  Automate time-consuming manual processes.  Better control of revenue.  Improve information management for sanitation services.  Increase value in policy development, implementation, and enforcement.  Make data more accessible, streamlined, and widely understood in CIS.  Improve customers’ trust in the City to deliver accurate bills.  Optimize processes through integrating CIS with other solutions. Updating the Customer Information System (CIS) is imperative to align with both evolving customer expectations and the City’s vision and strategic plan. The City is currently implementing an Advance Metering Infrastructure (AMI). To date, 73% of meters are now using AMI while the rest are manually read. The City also improved its field service operation with the use of OpenGov (previously Cartegraph) for Workforce and Asset Management Solution. The current system includes a billing process that is tedious and complicated, customer information duplication, human errors that could be avoided, difficulties training new employees, lack of integration between CIS and other important systems for the City’s operation (i.e. MDM, WAM, and GIS), limited self-service options, limited reporting capability, and cumbersome user interface. The City is seeking a modern, user-friendly, streamlined, Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) CIS and Customer Self Service (CSS) solution. 1.3 Definitions The following words and phrases, when used in this Request for Proposals, have the meanings ascribed to them in this section, except where the context clearly indicates that another meaning is intended: 1.3.1 Advance Metering Infrastructure. “AMI” is a two-way communication system to collect and control metering information. AMI is typically automated and allows real-time, on demand interactions with metering endpoints. 1.3.2 Americans with Disability Act. “ADA” is a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in everyday activities. 5 1.3.3 Application Programming Interface. “API” means a two-way, real-time exchange between two systems. 1.3.4 Bidder. “Bidder” means any person or legal entity that submits a proposal in response to this solicitation. 1.3.5 CIS Administrator. “CIS Administrator” means the City employee identified by the City in writing as the CIS Administrator. 1.3.6 City. “City” means the City of Kingsport, a municipal corporation in Sullivan and Hawkins counties of the State of Tennessee. 1.3.7 Cloud-based. “Cloud-based” refers to a system that is hosted by a third party through the internet. 1.3.8 Contact. “Contact” means any interaction between customers and the City (e.g. email, phone call, portal). 1.3.9 COTS Software: A Commercial-Off-The-Shelf software package that has been developed by third party software firms with substantial functionality to meet the needs of a broad range of potential users. 1.3.10 Customer Information System. “CIS” is the primary billing system for the City. 1.3.11 Customer Self Service Portal. “CSS” is the system that will be used to allow customers to access their utility account information over the internet, thus providing convenience for customers and reducing calls and walk-in traffic. 1.3.12 Encoder Receiver Transmitter. “ERT” is the radio device attached to a meter that transmits the reading over a short range to allow for drive-by meter reading. 1.3.13 Financial Information System. “FIS” accumulates and analyzes financial data used for optimal financial planning and forecasting decisions and outcomes. 1.3.14 Geographic Information System. “GIS” refers to an integrated computer hardware and software that store, manage, analyze, edit, output and visualize geographic data. 1.3.15 Graphic User Interface. “GUI” is a user interface that includes graphical elements such as windows, icons, and buttons. 1.3.16 Hosted Solution. “Hosted Solution” is a general term for technology services using infrastructure located outside the City’s physical location. This can be a vendor’s physical location or can be hosted on the cloud. 6 1.3.17 Integration Partner. “Integration Partner” means a third-party implementer or systems integrator that the software vendor teams with to assist in or perform the entire implementation of the software vendor’s COTS solution. In the event of an Integration Partner bidding, they must bid as prime and manage the vendor solution and requirements as well as any 3rd party solutions and requirements that were bid as a part of the proposed solution. 1.3.18 Integrated System. “Integrated System” means each of the other City systems that are currently integrated or have planned integrations with the Existing System as set forth further in Section 2.1.3.6 of this Request for Proposal. 1.3.19 Integrated Systems Administrators. “Integrated System Administrator” means the City employee, City contractor or other designated representative who has administrative authorities within any of the Integrated Systems listed in Section 2.1.3.6. 1.3.20 Interim Customers. “Interim Customers” are a classification of temporary customers in which the charges revert to landlord following move-out of the customer. 1.3.21 Land Management Application. “Land Management Application” refers to any application used by the City for managing geographic, parcel-based data (e.g. GIS). 1.3.22 Meter Data Management. “MDM” refers to software that performs long-term data storage and management for the vast quantities of data delivered by smart metering systems. 1.3.23 National Change of Address. “NCOA” is an information tool for database managers and mailers to use before mailing to maintain mailing addresses for bulk rate mailing. 1.3.24 Payment Arrangement. “Payment Arrangement” (also referred to as “payment plan”) is an agreement between the City and the customer on a schedule to pay off past due balance, or to avoid late fees and disconnections. 1.3.25 Recurring Payments. “Recurring Payments” refers to a form of automatic payment a customer may sign up for that pays a set amount on a regular basis. 1.3.26 Revenue Recovery. “Revenue Recovery” refers to credit and collections activities. 1.3.27 Service Level Agreement. “SLA” is an agreement between provider and client about measurable metrics like uptime, responsiveness, and responsibilities. 1.3.28 Subcontractor. “Subcontractor” is a vendor that undertakes to perform part or all of the obligations of the prime Bidder under the prime Bidder’s proposal. 1.3.29 Subject Matter Expert. “SME” means the employee or authorized representative identified by the City as the expert about a given City department or system. 7 1.3.30 System Provider. “System Provider” means the firm that has been selected and contracted by the City to provide the entire CIS and the professional services needed to supply a complete and operating CIS system including any 3rd party products as a part of the proposed solution. 1.3.31 UAT (User Acceptance Testing). “UAT” means testing by key City internal users or internal user groups using expertly prepared test scripts for key implementation or migration milestones. 1.3.32 Workforce and Asset Management. “WAM” means an automated system and processes for managing service orders and mobile field work and Assets in the field. The City utilizes OpenGov Asset Management (previously known as Cartegraph). 1.4 Pre-proposal Meeting A non-mandatory pre-proposal meeting will be held at City Hall Conference Room 436, 415 Broad St., Kingsport, TN, on Wednesday, November 8, 2023, 2:00 PM ET. Virtual Meeting link: www.webex.com, Meeting Number: 2630 559 5223, Meeting Password: 9kbAb5zmke2 1.5 Proposal Deadline Proposals shall be submitted no later than the Proposal Deadline time and date detailed in Section 3.1, RFP Schedule of Events. Bidders shall respond to the written RFP and any exhibits, attachments, or addendums. A Bidder’s failure to submit a proposal as required before the deadline shall cause the proposal to be disqualified. Bidders assume the risk of the method of dispatch chosen. The City assumes no responsibility for delays caused by any delivery service. Postmarking by the due date shall not substitute for actual proposal receipt by the City. Late proposals shall not be accepted, nor shall additional time be granted to any potential bidder. Proposals may not be delivered verbally or by facsimile, or by other telecommunications or electronic means. 1.6 Nondiscrimination No person shall be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, be discriminated against in the admission or access to, or be discriminated against in treatment or employment in the City's contracted programs or activities on the grounds of disability, age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other classification protected by federal or Tennessee School Constitutional or statutory law. 8 2. SCOPE 2.1 Requirements of CIS to be provided by Bidder. The Bidder shall provide a CIS that includes, at a minimum, the following basic features and functionalities: 2.1.1. General Requirements 2.1.1.1 The selected CIS software must be a Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) solution that has been successfully implemented in several other agencies of similar size, requirements, and function. 2.1.1.2 The Bidder’s system must be a hosted or cloud-based solution. 2.1.1.3 CSS Solution may be a stand-alone system or may be included in the CIS system functionality. If proposed as a stand-alone or third-party product, CSS would have to be presented as a part of the CIS solution and the CIS Bidder would act as the prime vendor. 2.1.1.4 The system must be highly configurable. Initial tailoring must be performed by Bidder with City input. 2.1.1.5 The City prefers systems that do not require modification to base code (customization). Customizations must be properly documented and must be included with all future releases as part of the base code. 2.1.1.6 The system must have a well-defined, all-inclusive upgrade process for future software releases. 2.1.1.7 All software shall conform to the accessibility guidelines, including, but not limited to, supporting assistive software or devices such as large-print interfaces, text-to-speech output, refreshable braille displays, voice-activated input, and alternate keyboard or pointer interfaces, etc., established by the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2 (WCAG 2.2), and the accessibility guidelines established by Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 794d), and implementing regulations set forth in 36 C.F.R. Part 1194. Vendor further agrees to indemnify and hold harmless City from any claims arising out of Vendor’s failure to comply with the aforesaid requirements. Failure to comply with these requirements shall constitute a material breach of the Agreement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, City acknowledges and understands the legal and practical distinction between ‘software’ and ‘content,’ and further agrees that City, not Vendor, shall have sole responsibility for WCAG 2.2 and Section 508 compliance as it relates to content. The system must comply with all current government standards and web-based transaction encryption standards. 9 2.1.1.8 Development licenses for all system utilities and tools must be provided and will become the property of the City upon system acceptance. 2.1.1.9 The proposed solution must have only one prime Bidder. Any other contractors or vendors will be subordinate to the prime Bidder. If the software vendor wishes to use an integration partner, the integration partner must be a subcontractor to the software vendor. The City reserves the right to accept or reject any proposed integration partners, while retaining the software vendor’s solution. If applicable multiple Bidders (Implementers) may propose the same software solution. 2.1.1.10 The City shall be the owner of all data contained within the CIS. The Bidder shall provide the City access to City data at the City's request in a mutually agreed upon format. The Bidder shall also provide access to any derivatives or alterations of City data at the City’s request. Such agreement shall not be withheld for any reason. 2.1.1.11 The selected system must be covered by continuing maintenance and enhancement services to guarantee a long useful life of the product (10 years or more). 2.1.2 Functional Requirements. The Bidder must submit a completed copy of Exhibit 3 - System Requirements Spreadsheet with this Request for Proposal. The following summarizes the purpose of each section as a guideline for completing the spreadsheet. The City encourages submitters to add comments to requirements where appropriate. 2.1.2.1 Customer Service. This section describes the City’s requirements for engaging with customers and the City’s desired functionality for easily resolving customer inquiries to help reduce customer response times, hold times, and other efficiency metrics. The City stresses functionality, usability, and ease of training for these customer service functions. 2.1.2.2 Accounts. This section describes the City’s requirements for identifying, creating, viewing, and managing accounts as well as automated workflows for accounts. This section describes the City’s account types and relationships. 2.1.2.3 Premises. This section describes the City’s requirements for identifying, locating, creating, and managing premises as well as for automated workflows for premise management. This section also describes the City’s premise relationships. 2.1.2.4 Services. This section describes the requirements for managing and billing at the service point and the meter (for metered services). 2.1.2.5 Devices. This section describes the attributes, workflow, and reporting for managing the City’s devices, including Water meters, Backflows, and solid waste containers. 10 2.1.2.6 Meter Readings and Meter Management. This section describes the City’s requirements for tracking, managing, and analyzing meter reads and consumption data. 2.1.2.7 Rates & Fees. This section describes the City’s requirements for creating, applying, updating, and modeling rates and fees. 2.1.2.8 Billing. This section describes the City’s requirements and parameters for establishing and managing the billing of its customers. This section details the City’s billing scenarios, types, and determinants which the system must accommodate. 2.1.2.9 Credit and Collections. This section describes the City’s requirements for accessing and applying information related to the customer’s credit profile and financial standing. This tab describes how the system must engage in collection activities for revenue recovery for the City’s customers with past due balances. 2.1.2.10 Financial. This section describes the City’s requirements for processing and tracking financial transactions. 2.1.2.11 Contacts. This section describes how the system will track, manage, and display interactions with customers for business analysis and issue resolution. 2.1.2.12 Customer Self-Service Portal. This section describes the City’s requirements for Customer Self Service (CSS) to empower customers to make changes to their account and adjust preferences for billing and communication via web or mobile application. 2.1.2.13 Service Orders. This section describes the City’s service requests and requirements for submission, tracking, assignment, and workflow of various service request types. 2.1.2.14 Interfaces. This section describes the existing and desired interfaces the City requires. Included are interfaces that are internal to the City and external, third-party vendor integrations. 2.1.2.15 Business Intelligence (BI) & Reporting. This section describes the City’s requirements for business intelligence and reporting. 2.1.2.16 Infrastructure & Technology. This section describes the City’s technical requirements for functionality of the system, including database management, security, configuration, backup, and technical workflow. 2.1.3 Technical Requirements The system shall support access across multiple device types including a minimum of 40 Windows and iOS workstations, and 20 Windows, iOS or Android mobile devices. 2.1.3.1 The system shall support mobile capabilities including GIS workflows in the field. 11 2.1.3.2 User experience and system performance shall be standardized across all devices, including for all ancillary products and services (i.e., CSS). 2.1.3.3 The system shall support broadband cell cards, PPTP and SSL client and clientless with at least 256-bit encryption. 2.1.3.4 The system shall accommodate the following hardware standards: System Standard Desktop OS Windows current versions and current version minus one and iOS current version minus one Network Hardware Cisco network and Check Point firewalls and VPN appliances at endpoint Desktop Hardware Dell - Optiplex 7010 Laptop Hardware Dell - Latitude/Precision Mobile Tablets and mobile phones Windows, iOS and Android Network Protocol TCP/IP Office Productivity Microsoft Office suite current version or current version minus one 2.1.3.5 The system must be capable of meeting the following minimum sizing parameters: Parameter Value Number of Customers (total number of customers in the customer table) 106,500 Number of Premises 43,000 Number of Active Accounts 36,600 System Users 30 2.1.3.6 Integrations. The Bidder shall establish and support all interfaces and functions detailed in Exhibit 3 – System Requirements Spreadsheet and listed below. The Bidder shall establish protocols and provide resources for handling the flow of files and troubleshooting in the event of system failure or failure of individual interfaces. The provided list includes current interfaces and additional ones identified for the future system to meet the City’s business needs. Unless otherwise specified, the City prefers the establishment of API integrations, where technically feasible. 12 Interface Definition Interface Description General Ledger (GL) The City will continue using NaviLine from Central Square as its system of record for financial tracking purposes. The new CIS needs two-way interface for updates to the GL AMI/MDM The new CIS needs a two-way real-time interface with the current MDM (Harmony) and AMI (Allegro), both by Master Meter, allowing exchange of accurate customer and meter data, and device provision. Banking Institutions The new CIS needs two-way interfaces with various banks and financial institutions to process customers’ payment and returned item files Collection Agency The City currently uses a collection agency for bad debt accounts. A two-way interface is required to send customer account information and receive payment information for customers. Bill Print The new CIS will require a two-way interface to export bill print files to the City’s bill print vendor’s system and allow for bill images to be retrieved from the printer’s file system. IVR The new CIS needs a two-way real time interface integrating with the City’s Selectron IVR system for customer account inquiry and payments. Another one-way interface is needed to the IVR system to provide outbound calling campaigns including delinquent calls. An additional one-way real time interface is required to support a screen pop for CSR’s. Online and Credit card Payments The new CIS needs a two-way real time interface to a payment processor allowing customers to pay their bills using E-check or credit cards. Bidders may suggest pre-integrated payment processors. ACH The new CIS needs a two-way interface to process ACH payments. Asset Management The new CIS needs a two-way real time interface integrating with the City’s current Workforce and Asset Solution (OpenGov Asset Management previously known as Cartegraph) to ensure a synchronized flow of data between customer-related information and operational activities. Landfill The new CIS will need to provide a two-way real-time interface with the scale house (Scale Works) to exchange information regarding customer accounts including balance of sanitation services and weights of loads for billing. Central Cashiering The City collects payments for utility bills as well as other unrelated charges such as taxes and parks and recreation fees. The City is evaluating central cashiering systems and may or may not continue using NaviLine to uphold a centralized cashiering solution that accommodates various types of payments. Either option will require a real-time integration with the new CIS. Credit Bureau The City will utilize (TBD) to verify identity and creditworthiness to make decisions about deposits. The new CIS will need to provide a two-way real-time interface to verify customer’s identity and credit risk. 13 Interface Definition Interface Description GIS The new CIS will need to have a two-way integration with the City’s GIS systems. CIS will provide a map display of location data from GIS. CIS information should also be available as a layer selection option from authorized GIS users as a spatial (map based) selection. CIS will validate premise and address data against GIS. Active Directory The new CIS must integrate with the City’s Active Directory with a two-way real time authentication of users. Barcode Scanners The new CIS needs a one-way integration with barcode scanners to identify meter location and update status in CIS. Inventory Management The new CIS needs to provide a one-way import with several manufacturers to automatically update inventory of water meters, transmitters, garbage carts, and other devices. Backflow management The new CIS requires a two-way interface to the existing backflow management system (Tokay) to maintain backflow devices and associated information. Outlook Email The new CIS requires an interface with the City’s Outlook email service to facilitate the one-way (export) of generated emails. Permit Applications The new CIS requires a two-way real-time interface to the current permitting system for permit application status, information and for new premises creation and occupancy status. 2.2. Services to be Provided by Bidder The Bidder shall provide the following services to support implementation and operation of the CIS. These tasks must be included in Exhibit 4 – Roles and Responsibilities Matrix provided in the Bid packet. The following tasks apply to the system as well as any ancillary products provided in response to this RFP: 2.2.1 Project Management. The Bidder shall provide project management and implementation services including but not limited to: 2.2.1.1 Create a detailed project plan including timelines that clearly define each milestone required for implementation. 2.2.1.2 Provide ongoing project management services using recognized project management methodologies and supported by resources with appropriate accreditations or commensurate experience. 2.2.1.3 Provide real-time updates to the project plan (at a minimum weekly) and scheduled regular project meetings to discuss the project plan. 2.2.1.4 Provide summary updates to the CIS Administrator on a weekly basis and upon request. 14 2.2.1.5 Provide dedicated account representatives and technical SMEs necessary for project management, and all key implementation, migration and integration activities defined in the detailed project plan created pursuant to Section 2.2.1.1 herein. At least one SME with a utility accounting background and experience should be included in the key personnel in Section 4.4.4 and is required for the project. 2.2.1.6 Facilitate the City’s ability to continue use of the Existing System in parallel while the CIS is implemented and tested. 2.2.2. Software Installation and Configuration. The Bidder shall provide services to install and configure system software needed to support the system and any ancillary products in fulfillment of the City’s system requirements including but not limited to: 2.2.2.1 Perform and document business needs requirements discovery and configure the software accordingly. 2.2.2.2 Track all configurations and shall instill practices so that configurations do not interfere with essential business and system functions. 2.2.3 Hardware Implementation and Configuration Support. The Bidder shall provide services to install and configure system hardware as needed, to support the system and any ancillary products in fulfillment of the City’s system requirements. 2.2.4 Interface / Integration Design, Development, and Implementation. The Bidder shall establish all interfaces described in Section 2.1.3.6 including but not limited to: 2.2.4.1 Develop integration plans, architectural and data flow diagrams for each Integrated System. 2.2.4.2 Coordinate integration services with the Integrated Systems Administrators or SMEs for each Integrated System. 2.2.4.3 Provide user stories and test cases for UAT. 2.2.4.4 Coordinate and complete UAT, including end-to-end testing, for each Integrated System. 2.2.5 Data Conversion and Migration. The Bidder shall provide database conversion, data cleanup, and data migration services from the City’s current NaviLine system including but not limited to: 2.2.5.1 Create detailed field level conversion maps and migration of data from NaviLine into the CIS. 15 2.2.5.2 Migrate defined reports and queries from NaviLine into CIS. 2.2.5.3 Perform and document verification of converted and migrated data to ensure integrity and continuity. 2.2.5.4 Create detailed plan for go-live weekend to bring all NaviLine data into production system of the CIS, and ensure no data is lost. 2.2.6 System and Functional Testing. The Bidder shall oversee all testing of the system and all ancillary products and interfaces, including but not limited to: 2.2.6.1 Ensuring all items essential for the full function of the system are tested by the Bidder team prior to the City testing and will furnish testing results for all testing performed. 2.2.6.2 Bidder will provide all test scripts, test cases, and test plans for the City involvement in testing the system. 2.2.6.3 Coordinate and complete UAT that includes end-to-end testing for all configured services for internal, external, and mobile users and for each integration. 2.2.7 Definition and Implementation of New Business Practices. The Bidder shall establish and implement new CIS business practices, with input from the City, to support the City functions in the new system. The Bidder shall provide supporting documents such as SOPs and workflows for all established practices. 2.2.8 Design and Development of Reports and other BI tools (e.g. dashboards). The Bidder shall establish reports and dashboards for analyzing and improving business performance. The Bidder shall design, develop, and make easily accessible all reports listed in Exhibit 3 – System Requirements Spreadsheet. 2.2.9 Change Management Services. The Bidder shall establish practices for managing organizational change and adoption within the City, ensuring organizational readiness to adapt to changes, integrating change management activities into the overall project plan, function as an active and visible coach to executive leaders, and provide support for and coaching to front-line managers and supervisors as they help employees through the transition. Develop a set of actionable and targeted change management plans – including a communication plan, coaching plan, training plan and resistance /risk management plan. 2.2.10 Release Management. The Bidder shall provide ongoing release management services for the CIS, including but not limited to: 2.2.10.1 Provide CIS with visibility to release schedules and planned release cycles – including any hotfixes when required due to critical issues or bugs with the CIS. 16 2.2.10.2 Provide the City with detailed release notes for features, functionality and bug fixes included in each release as well as report any known issues that exist with each release. 2.2.10.3 Maintain updates to online help and training materials as appropriate for newly released functionality and features for the CIS. 2.2.10.4 Facilitate the staging of releases to allow the City to review and test pending releases (in order to allow the City time to communicate changes, train users, prepare citizens and update procedures). 2.2.10.5 Allow the City to schedule production release to allow for release staging, internal communication cycle, and avoid disruption during business hours. 2.2.11 Maintenance and Support. The Bidder shall provide ongoing maintenance and support to the City for the CIS and related issues, including but not limited to: 2.2.11.1 Provide 24/7/365 availability phone support. 2.2.11.2 Provide access for the City to report issues via a call center based in the United States or access to Bidder’s self-service support portal. 2.2.11.3 Provide support staff that is available for issue resolution at a minimum of between 7am- 7pm eastern time. 2.2.11.4 Provide the City with clear SLA’s for call resolution and explanations on how issue severity is assigned. 2.2.11.5 Provide ongoing maintenance and upgrades to the CIS. 2.2.11.6 Provide clear escalation protocols for any issues identified by the City that require additional attention or expertise or are not being addressed to the City’s satisfaction. 2.2.12 City Staff Training. The Bidder shall provide robust training as well as resources and tools to help the City staff learn the functionality of the new system. The Bidder must perform all training for the City end users and acceptance of the new system. The Bidder must provide all resources and materials to support and implement the training plan. 2.2.13 Transition to full operations. The Bidder shall provide a minimum of three successful mock go-lives that mimic the conversion and business transition as closely as possible to the actual go-live. The Bidder shall provide onsite support for all mock go-lives and the final transition to production. 17 2.2.14 Post Go-Live Support. The Bidder shall provide services such as additional configuration, training, and reports development as needed to support the City’s management of the system for a period of stabilization following go-live. This should serve as a transition period from implementation to support services. 2.2.15 Software Documentation. The Bidder shall provide system documentation, including but not limited to: 2.2.15.1 System setup and implementation documentation, including but not limited to documentation specific to any unique City implementations. 2.2.15.2 Technical documentation and best practices recommendations and documentation related to configuration and use of the CIS. 2.2.15.3 System and user manuals. 2.2.16 Backup and Recovery. The Bidder shall fully back up the implemented system and shall establish processes for failback and full recovery of the system in the event of system failure. The Bidder shall provide capabilities for handling outages, controlling files flow and interfaces when the system is offline. 2.3 Warranty 2.3.1 The Bidder shall warrant all work relating to the CIS, including any work performed by subcontractors, throughout the term of the Contract, starting from the date of Final Acceptance. 2.3.2 The Bidder shall provide a warranty for both the CIS and all implementation services, as specified below: 2.3.2.1 For the CIS. The Bidder shall warrant that the CIS will conform, throughout the term of the Contract, to all the requirements and specifications as stated in this Request for Proposals. 2.3.2.2 For services. The Bidder shall warrant that all services provided pursuant to the Contract will be of good quality, free of faults and defects, and in accordance with the Contract throughout the term of the Contract. 2.3.2.3 Assignment of Warranties. The Bidder shall assign to the City any manufacturer’s warranties associated with the CIS. 18 2.3.2.4 Disclaimer of Warranties. Because Tennessee law may not allow municipalities to agree to any disclaimer or limitations of warranties, any disclaimer or limitation of warranties will be contractually limited to the extent permitted by Tennessee law. 19 3. RFP PROCESS 3.1 RFP Schedule of Events The following RFP Schedule of Events represents the best estimate of the schedule that shall be followed. Unless otherwise specified, the time of day for the following events shall be between 8: 00 a. m. and 5: 00 p. m., Eastern Time. The City reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to adjust this schedule as it deems necessary. ESTIMATED DATE OF EVENTS DATE TIME (E.T.) RFP Issued October 28, 2023 Pre - proposal Conference (see 1.4, Pre-proposal Meeting for virtual meeting details) November 8, 2023 2:00 PM Deadline for Written Questions November 13, 2023 4:00 PM Addendum to Written Comments Issued November 15, 2023 4:00 PM Deadline for Submitting a Proposal, Opening of Cost Proposals, IT Opens Technical Proposals December 13, 2023 4:00 PM Proposals Evaluation to Shortlist January 2024 Interviews, Vendor Demonstrations, Reference Checks, and On-site Visits through March 2024 Finalist(s) Selection March 2024 Finalist approval by the board June 2024 3.2 General Instructions and Information 3.2.1 Proposal Submittal - Proposals will be received by the Procurement Manager until 4:00 P.M., Eastern Time on December 13, 2023, at which time it will be publicly opened in Conference Room 436, City Hall, 415 Broad Street, Kingsport, Tennessee. The Sealed Proposal shall be signed by an authorized representative and the sealed envelope addressed as follows: Procurement Manager City of Kingsport 415 Broad Street Kingsport, Tennessee 37660 Proposal for: New Customer Information System An original hard copy and two (2) additional hard copies of the Proposal are required. 20 Provide in addition two (2) electronic copies of your Proposal on two (2) USB flash drives saved as Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) and Exhibit 3 – System Requirements Matrix and Exhibit 5 – Pricing Worksheet in Excel, version 2016 or later. Proposals, modifications, or corrections received after the scheduled closing time of the receipt of Proposals will not be considered. The City of Kingsport is not responsible for delays in delivery by mail, courier, etc. No oral interpretation will be made to any Bidder as to the meaning of the Proposal Specifications or any part thereof. Each written request for clarification or interpretation shall be made in writing to the City. 3.2.2 Proposal Withdrawal. No submitted Proposal may be withdrawn for a period of three hundred sixty-five (365) days after the scheduled closing time of the receipt of Proposals. 3.2.3 Addendum. It is the intent of the City to issue one (1) addendum, if necessary. Written request for clarification and/or interpretation must be submitted via email to the Procurement Manager by, November 13, 2023, 4:00 P.M., E.T. and addendum will be issued, on November 15, 2023, by 4:00 P.M., E.T. and will be available online at https://www.kingsporttn.gov/city-services/purchasing/invitations-to-bid-requests-for-proposals- requests-for-qualifications/.Written requests for clarification shall be submitted to the Procurement Manager by email to brentmorelock@kingsporttn.gov It shall be the Bidder’s responsibility to make an inquiry as to the addenda issued. Any and all addenda shall become part of the specifications and all Bidders shall be bound by such addenda, whether or not received by Bidder. 3.3 General Terms and Conditions 3.3.1 Taxes – The City is exempted from Federal Excise Taxes, State of Tennessee and local sales taxes and Bidder must quote prices which do not include such taxes, unless by law the taxes must be a part of the price. Exemption Certificates will be furnished upon request. 3.3.2 Indemnification – The City of Kingsport, its officers, agents and employees shall be held harmless from liability from any claims, damages and actions of any nature arising from the use of any service and/or materials furnished by the Bidder, provided that such liability is not attributable to negligence on the part of the using agency of failure of the using agency to use the materials in the manner outlined by the Bidder in descriptive literature or specifications submitted with the Proposal. The City will not indemnify the successful Bidder. 21 3.3.3 Patent Liability – The successful Bidder, at his own expense, will defend any suit which may be brought against the City to the extent that it is based on a claim that the goods furnished through a contract/agreement infringes a United States patent, and in any such suit will pay those costs and damages which are attributable to such claims and finally awarded against the City. 3.3.4 Limitation of Remedies – Any remedies in the Bidder’s Proposal, to include Agreement, License Product Agreement, Terms and Conditions, Literature, etc., that may be considered in agreement to waive the legal rights of the citizens of the City of Kingsport may be considered cause for rejection. All agreements related to the purchase and sale of any product pursuant to this bid document will include the following conditions: "Notwithstanding anything in this section to the contrary, any provision of provisions of this Section will not apply to the extent they are (it is) finally determined by a court of competent jurisdiction, including Appellate review if pursued, to violate the laws or Constitution of the State of Tennessee." 3.3.5 Insurance – During any work performed by the successful Bidder(s) on the premises of the City or otherwise, the successful Bidder(s) agrees to take such measures as to effectually prevent any accident to persons or property during or in connection with the work; and especially to indemnify and save harmless the City from all loss, costs, damages, expense and liability for property damage and for bodily injuries to, or death of, any persons, including without limitation, as to both property damage and bodily injury, and the Bidder and the City and their representative agents and employees, occasioned in any way by the acts or omissions of the Bidder, or the Bidder’s agents, employees, during or in connection with said work, excepting only property damage, bodily injury or death caused by the sole negligence of the City, its agents or employees. The successful Bidder shall maintain such insurance as will protect it from claims under Workers’ Compensation Acts and from any claims for bodily injuries, including death, either to its employees or others, and from all claims on account of property damage, which may arise in connection from said work. Excepting Workers’ Compensation Insurance, all insurance policies and certificates shall list the City, its officers, officials, agents, and employees as “Additional Insured”. All Certificates of insurance and policies shall contain the following clause: "The insurance covered by this Certificate will not be canceled or materially altered, except after thirty (30) days written notice has been received by the City." Insurance required with a minimum of One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) limits are Comprehensive General Public and Professional Liability, Comprehensive Automobile Liability and Owner’s Liability. Malpractice Insurance is required with a minimum limit of One Million Dollars ($1,000,000.00) per occurrence, Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000.00) aggregate. 22 Additionally, Technology Errors & Omissions Liability Coverage with a limit of liability not less than $5,000,000 per claim, $10,000,000 annual aggregate, or a $10,000,000 combined single limit. For policies written on a “Claims-Made” basis, the successful bidder must agree to maintain a Retroactive Date prior to or equal to the effective date of any resulting contract. In the event the policy is cancelled, non-renewed, switched to an Occurrence Form, retroactive date advanced, or any other event triggering the right to purchase a Supplemental Extended Reporting Period (SERP) during the life of any resulting contract, successful bidder agrees to purchase a SERP with a minimum reporting period not less than two (2) years. The requirement to purchase a SERP shall not relieve successful bidder of the obligation to provide replacement coverage. This requirement will be effective for the life of any contract/agreement entered into by the Bidder and the City. All insurance coverages required shall be purchased and maintained with insurance companies lawfully authorized to do business in Tennessee. Coverages shall apply on a primary and non-contributory basis with any insurance and/or self-insurance maintained by City. 3.3.6 F.O.B. – All prices will be quoted F.O.B. Kingsport, Tennessee, delivery to City of Kingsport’s location shall be without additional charge. By submission of a signed Proposal, the Bidder certifies total compliance with Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, and all regulations promulgated thereunder. Contracts and purchases will be made or entered into with the lowest, responsible, compliant Bidder meeting specifications for the particular grade or class of material, work or service desired in the best interest and advantage to the City of Kingsport. Responsible Bidder is defined as a Bidder whose reputation, past performance, and business and financial capabilities are such that he would be judged by the appropriate City authority to be capable of satisfying the City’s needs for a specific contract or purchase order. The City reserves the right to determine the low Bidder either on the basis of the individual items or on the basis of all items included in its Request for Proposal, unless otherwise expressly provided in the Request for Proposal. The City reserves the right to accept any item or group of items of any kind and to modify or cancel in whole or in part, its Request for Proposal. All contracts or purchase orders issued for this award will be governed by the laws of the State of Tennessee. Arbitration is not permitted and if a dispute arises between the parties concerning any aspect of the contract or purchase order and it cannot be resolved by mutual agreement, any party may resort to resolution of the dispute by litigation in the state or federal courts for Kingsport, Sullivan County, Tennessee. The parties waive their right to a jury trial. Mandatory and exclusive venue and jurisdiction for any disputes shall be in state or federal courts for Kingsport, Sullivan County, Tennessee. Furthermore, as prohibited by 23 Article II, Section 29 of the Tennessee Constitution, City shall not agree to any contractual provisions for the payment of attorney’s fees in the event of a dispute. The City, in accordance with its governing directives, reserves the right to reject any and all Proposals, to waive any informality or irregularities in Proposals and unless otherwise specified by the Bidder, to accept any item. All contracts, purchase orders, and any documents or material obtained by the City may be subject to disclosure in whole or in part pursuant to the Tennessee Open Records Act set out in T.C.A. 10-7-503 et seq. without regard to any provision contained in the document declaring information confidential. As the City is required by law to respond to a request for public records within a finite time, City shall have no obligation under any agreement to notify the successful bidder of a public records request to allow a protective order to be obtained. The City shall have no obligation to establish that any information requested through a Public Records Act request is confidential or that its release is authorized. All contracts or purchase orders will include a provision that is not assignable by the Bidder without the written consent of the City. 3.3.7 CONFLICT OF INTEREST: Bidders have to fill and include the conflict-of-interest form (Exhibit 6) as part their proposal. 3.3.8 DRUG FREE WORKPLACE REQUIREMENTS: Private employers with five or more employees desiring to contract for construction services attest that they have a drug free workplace program in effect in accordance with TCA 50-9-112. 3.3.9 ELIGIBILITY: The vendor is eligible for employment on public contracts because no convictions or guilty pleas or pleas of nolo contender to violations of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, mail fraud or state criminal violations with an award from the State of Tennessee or any political subdivision thereof have occurred. 3.3.10 GENERAL: Vendor fully understands the preparation and contents of the attached offer and of all pertinent circumstances respecting such offer. Such offer is genuine and is not a collusive or sham offer. 3.3.11 IRAN DIVESTMENT ACT: Concerning the Iran Divestment Act (TCA 12-12-101 et seq.), by submission of this bid/quote/proposal, each vendor and each person signing on behalf of any vendor certifies, and in the case of a joint bid/quote/proposal, each party thereto certifies as to its own 24 organization, under penalty of perjury, that to the best of its knowledge and belief that each vendor is not on the list created pursuant to § 12-12-106. 3.3.12 NON-COLLUSION: Neither the said vendor nor any of its officers, partners, owners, agents, representatives, employees or parties interest, including this affiant, has in any way colluded, conspired, connived or agreed, directly or indirectly, with any other responder, firm, or person to submit a collusive or sham offer in connection with the award or agreement for which the attached offer has been submitted or to refrain from making an offer in connection with such award or agreement ,or collusion or communication or conference with any other firm, or, to fix any overhead, profit, or cost element of the offer price or the offer price of any other firm, or to secure through any collusion, conspiracy, connivance, or unlawful agreement any advantage against the City of Kingsport or any person interested in the proposed award or agreement. The price or prices quoted in the attached offer are fair, proper, and not tainted by any collusion, conspiracy, connivance, or unlawful agreement on the part of the firm or any of its agents, representatives, owners, employees, or parties in interest, including this affiant. 3.3.13 NON-BOYCOTT OF ISRAEL AFFIDAVIT Concerning the Non-Boycott of Israel Act (TCA 12-4-1 et seq.) by submission of this proposal, each supplier and each person signing on behalf of any supplier certifies, and in the case of a joint proposal, each party thereto certifies as to its own organization, under penalty of perjury, that to the best of its knowledge and belief that each supplier is not boycotting Israel pursuant to § 12-4-1 and will not during the term of any award. Note: Applicable only to contracts of $250,000 or more and to suppliers with 10 or more employees. 25 4. PROPOSAL FORMAT AND CONTENT 4.1 General Guidelines Submittals should not contain information in excess of that requested, must be concise, and must specifically address the issues of this RFP. The responses should be in the same order as the selection and evaluation procedures. Unnecessarily elaborate brochures or other presentations beyond those sufficient to present a complete and effective submittal to this solicitation are not desired and may be construed as an indication of the Bidder’s lack of cost consciousness. Elaborate artwork, expensive visual aids, and other presentation aids are neither necessary nor desired, unless specifically requested. All forms and questionnaires should be completed using the electronic versions provided by the City. Each submittal should contain: 4.2 Transmittal Letter The transmittal letter will indicate the intention of the Bidder to adhere to the provisions described in the RFP without modification. The letter of transmittal will: 4.2.1 Identify the submitting organization; 4.2.2 Identify the person, by name and title, authorized to obligate the organization contractually; 4.2.3 Identify the contact person responsible for this response. Specify, phone, fax, and email address; 4.2.4 Explicitly indicate review and acceptance of the General Terms and Conditions and identify exceptions or "deal breakers"; 4.2.5 The letter shall state whether the Bidder intends to use subcontractors if so, clearly identify the names of the subcontractors along with complete mailing addresses and the scope and portions of the work the subcontractors shall perform. 4.2.6 Acknowledge the proposal is considered firm for two hundred and forty (240) days after the due date for receipt of proposals and 90 days after receipt of the last best and final offer. If partners are used, they must also guarantee their section of the proposal for 240 days; 4.2.7 Acknowledge completion of the Pricing Worksheet; 4.2.8 Signed by the person authorized to contractually obligate the organization. 4.3 Executive Summary The Bidder will provide an Executive Summary that presents in brief, concise terms a summary level description of the contents of the proposal response. In addition, the Bidder 26 must clearly and specifically detail all exceptions to the exact requirements imposed by this RFP. 4.4 Bidder Qualifications 4.4.1 Vendor Profile. Bidders must provide a profile of its organization and all other companies who will be providing products or services through a subcontracting arrangement with the Bidder. Complete and submit Exhibit 1 – Vendor Profile for the Bidder and each subcontractor. 4.4.2 Experience. Please include: 4.4.2.1 Information explaining the Bidder’s proven track record in providing, implementing, and supporting a CIS that meets the requirements of this Request for Proposals. 4.4.2.2 A list of customers, contracts, and projects for both private and public entities, for which the Bidder has provided the proposed CIS software and services over the last five (5) years. 4.4.2.3 History of Bidder’s CIS offerings, (e.g. initial release date, current version number and development history.) 4.4.2.4 Explain the Bidder’s experience being a Prime Bidder managing the provision of the services described in this Request for Proposals for other governmental entities with an average number of accounts and average number of users similar to those described in Section 2.1.3.5 and requiring integrations with other systems such as those described in Section 2.1.3.6. 4.4.2.5 Explain the Bidder’s technical and customer support for utilities similar in size and structure to the City, as explained in Section 1.2. 4.4.2.6 Explain the Bidder’s product roadmap over the next three years for ongoing development of their CIS and their commitment to and investment in the proposed CIS. 4.4.2.7 Explain the Bidder’s strategic plan and primary target markets over the next three years including Bidder’s commitment to continue development of products and services for utilities similar in size and structure to the City, as explained in Section 1.2. 4.4.2.8 Explain any contingency plan that protects Bidder’s subscribers in the event Bidder’s company is acquired by another company or a product is discontinued. 4.4.3 References. Bidder must include a minimum of 7 references where they have successfully installed the proposed solution and is currently in production for preferably water, wastewater, stormwater, and solid waste or any combination of the four for utility organizations similar in size, scope requirements and function, in the United States. The City prefers Bidder to have successfully installed and fully implemented the proposed CIS 27 system for organizations in the United States similar in size to the City, preferably within the past 5 years with the current version of the product. The City prefers the Bidder to have public sector experience; and multi-service experience with solid waste, and water/wastewater utilities. The Bidder must complete Exhibit 2 - References for each reference. 4.4.4 Key Personnel. Bidder shall provide a summary of the key staff involved in the project. For each staff member, please provide a name, title, physical location, time commitment, and 1 - 3 paragraph description of relevant experience. Include a full resume for each key staff involved as an attachment. 4.5 Project Approach Bidders should describe in detail their proposal providing a CIS system that meets the requirements described in Section 2. In particular, the Bidder should include the following: Detailed description of Bidder’s CIS solution. It is required that each Bidder provide a detailed description of the proposed CIS solution and how the solution meets the requirements set forth in this Request for Proposal. General Approach to Services to be Provided. It is required that each Bidder provide a general description of the team’s approach to all services listed under Section 2.2 Services to be Provided by Bidder. 4.5.1 Data Conversion and Migration Plan. It is required that the Bidder provide a detailed plan for providing the services in Section 2.2.5 of this RFP, including but not limited to: i. Retrieving all data from the Existing System, including all related electronic data related to attached photos, documents, and videos. ii. Converting all Existing System records into the data format required by the Bidder’s CIS. iii. Migrating all converted records into the Bidder’s CIS such that aggregated, historical and trend over time reports can be inclusive of data migrated over from the Existing System. 4.5.1.1 Bidder shall include its recommended start date and time to accurately complete record conversion and migration in the Bidder’s proposal submission. 4.5.1.2 Bidder must provide an estimate of the number of hours required to complete requirements of the data conversion and migration Section 2.2.5. 4.5.1.3 The Bidder must clearly define the City’s roles and responsibilities for data conversion and migration, Section 2.2.5. 4.5.1.4 Bidders must define the conversion process, note what measures are in place to ensure an accurate data conversion and include checks and information on how Bidder plans to monitor effectiveness and quality of the data migration process. 28 4.5.1.5 Bidder must describe any limitations to the format of conversion data and include a description of the data scrubbing process. 4.5.1.6 Bidder must indicate the post data reconciliations performed to ensure accuracy of data conversion, including sample sizes used for verification by Bidder data team as well as guidelines for any UAT. 4.5.1.7 Bidder must describe how it proposes to manage data continuity between testing and go- live, particularly if multiple data cuts or parallel test periods, or both, are proposed as part of conversion strategy. 4.5.2 Project Management and Implementation Support plan. It is required that each Bidder provide a comprehensive detailed plan for implementing the proposed CIS for the City that is inclusive of all services and meets all requirements of this Request for Proposals. The implementation plan must include clearly defined milestones and be organized in achievable and realistic phases for both the City and the Bidder. The implementation plan and rollout strategy should be based on Bidder’s previous experience with organizations of similar size, projects of comparable complexity and designed to limit risk to the City. The plan should outline the required tasks, estimated hours for both the Bidder’s team and the City team, responsibility, major deliverables, and timing. It is expected that the Bidder will provide a project plan based on the information provided in this RFP. The City is open to the Bidder’s recommendation for implementation options, i.e., full implementation vs phased implementation. At a minimum, the response will cover the following areas: 4.5.2.1 An overview of hardware selection and installation recommendations and responsibilities. 4.5.2.2 An overview of application(s) installation approach (including database). 4.5.2.3 An overview of application set up process (Tailoring, Configuration, User Set Up). 4.5.2.4 An overview of project management and implementation methodology. Bidders are to describe their methodology for implementing a fully functioning CIS that meets all the functional and technical requirements defined in this Request for Proposals. 4.5.2.5 The staff assignments, including the City’s, for project tasks and estimated number of hours and anticipated duration required from City staff for each task. 4.5.2.6 A description of the Bidder’s approach to system configurations, including procedures, documentation, risk management, and level of the City involvement. 4.5.2.7 A description of the testing plan for the system and all ancillary products and interfaces, including system and end-user testing. The description should include an overview of the Bidder’s approach, schedule/timeline, resources dedicated to testing, and level of the City involvement. 4.5.2.8 A description of how the Bidder will help the City control change management and configurations. 29 4.5.2.9 A detailed “go-live” plan that includes all tasks required and a list of responsible on-site and remote resources needed to complete implementation and begin production use of the Bidder’s CIS. 4.5.2.10 A transition plan for moving the City from implementation to support model. Should include how the City will be supported through the first major events (first month’s full billing, first month collections, etc); and other post go-live support for a minimum of 12 weeks. 4.5.2.11 Typical system backup and recovery routines and capabilities, as well as disaster recovery implementation plans. 4.5.2.12 A description of the Bidder’s approach and services for process changes and redesign to fit the new system. 4.5.2.13 A description of the Bidder’s approach and capabilities for forms changes and redesign in the new system. 4.5.2.14 Any value-added services or support that are not listed in this Request for Proposals, but that based on the Bidder’s experience would enhance the successful implementation, adoption, and utilization of the Bidder’s CIS. 4.5.3 Integration plan. It is required that each Bidder provide a detailed plan for integration of the Bidder’s CIS with each of the Integrated Systems outlined Section 2.1.3.6. For each integration, please indicate whether it is expected that custom development efforts will be required, and, if so, this must be factored into all relevant plans, timelines and pricing submitted by the Bidder in response to this Request for Proposals. The Bidder’s integration plan must at minimum include: 4.5.3.1 All APIs necessary for each Integrated System. 4.5.3.2 Experience of Bidder in integrating each Integrated System with the Bidder’s proposed CIS. 4.5.3.3 Vendor management services available with respect to each integration. 4.5.3.4 Expert technical resources and services available with respect to each integration. 4.5.3.5 Methodology to complete end-to-end testing for each integration. 4.5.3.6 Error notification and troubleshooting documentation for each integration. 4.5.4 Training plan. The Bidder must submit a training plan with their proposal to describe training for the City’s personnel that meets the requirements of Section 2.2.12. Bidder must provide an estimate of the number of hours required to complete requirements of Section 2.2.12. The training plan must include, at minimum, the following: 30 4.5.4.1 Proposed methodology and delivery mechanism, timelines/schedules, facility needs, materials, documentation/manuals, and equipment. 4.5.4.2 Descriptions of classes/courses proposed in the training plan, inclusive of but not limited to: core team training, system administration training, and all end-user training. 4.5.4.3 Plans and options for on-site training of City personnel. 4.5.4.4 The knowledge transfer strategy proposed by the Bidder to prepare City staff to operate the CIS after it is placed into production. 4.5.4.5 The long-term support for new user training over the life of the product, including how regularly training material is updated with version upgrades. 4.5.5 Roles and Responsibilities Matrix. Bidders must complete and attach Exhibit 4 – Roles and Responsibilities 4.6 Project Timeline Bidder shall develop and attach an overall Project Timeline showing anticipated key milestones, any sub-contractor(s) tasks, and major deliverable dates. 4.7 Solution Architecture Bidder should describe in detail the architecture of Bidder’s proposed CIS, and should, at minimum, include the following: 4.7.1 Provide architectural diagram for the proposed hosted implementation, including data storage, and how the solution provides for: i. data security across multiple tenants; ii. backup and recovery; iii. high availability / redundancy / fault tolerance; iv. distributed data storage and replication; v. failover routines; vi. integrations. 4.7.2 Explain Bidder’s capabilities around user management, integration options with enterprise user management applications such as Active Directory, and support for multi-factor authentication. 4.7.3 Describe any technology requirements to support the Bidder’s proposed CIS, at a minimum include any third-party software packages being provided by the Bidder in order for the Bidder’s proposed CIS to function correctly (for example, hosted application servers, Web servers, integrated business intelligence tools, databases and database versions, remote access or VPN technologies, geo-location services, agents or clients for backup/replication, or software distribution and security). 31 4.7.4 Describe any additional technology requirements that would be considered relevant or material to the ability of the Bidder’s proposed CIS to meet the requirements of this Request for Proposals. 4.7.5 Identify the supplied software modules, system architecture and development tools. 4.7.6 Identify the recommended hardware. 4.7.7 Describe recommended redundancy and fault tolerance guidelines. 4.7.8 Identify recommended operating environments: production, test, QC, DR, etc. (and verify which/how many are included in the proposal). 4.7.9 Describe the application security environment, including but not limited to any firewalls, encryption, DMZs, protocols. Describe how security is ensured for mobile devices. 4.7.10 Describe the user interface. 4.7.11 Describe your future direction and plans for the software. 4.7.12 Describe how program exits or other external process logic is applied to the system. 4.7.13 Describe all pre-existing interface points. 4.7.14 Describe your approach to writing and managing interfaces. 4.7.15 Describe the required skills needed by the City for system administration. 4.7.16 Describe your software licensing (server, user, processor based, site/concurrent/user licenses, etc.). 4.7.17 Describe your warranty and support including standard SLA's for issue resolution and system uptime. 4.7.18 Provide your technical system documentation (not marketing material). 4.7.19 List the report families (do not list each report but rather the family/group the belong to). 4.8 System Requirements Spreadsheet Bidder must complete and attach Exhibit 3 – System Requirements Spreadsheet to this Request for Proposals. Bidder MUST include a completed electronic version of this Excel spreadsheet in exactly the same format as distributed. The electronic version should include 32 the completed spreadsheet, saved in unprotected and editable Microsoft Excel 2016 or later format in addition to a pdf version. 4.9 Pricing The contract will be based on milestones with Not To Exceed for services and reimbursable expenses. Pricing is an important aspect of the overall evaluation of the Bidder’s response. Included in this RFP, Exhibit 5 – Pricing Worksheet, is a pricing template that should be used to provide the cost of the solution. Failure to use the provided pricing template may characterize the response as non-responsive and preclude the bidder from further consideration in this procurement. Please price the solution as accurately as possible as it is part of the selection criteria and is the basis for any contract negotiations for the successful Bidder. Bidders must list all modules included in the proposed solution, including CSS. Bidder MUST include a completed electronic version of this Excel spreadsheet in exactly the same format as distributed. The electronic version should include the completed spreadsheet, saved in unprotected and editable Microsoft Excel 2016 or later format in addition to a pdf version. 33 5. EVALUATION CRITERIA Bidder’s proposal responses will be evaluated based on the following criteria: 5.1 Criteria Available Points Functional Requirements  Requirements Spreadsheet 25  Technical Fit 10 Non-Functional Requirements  Vendor Qualifications 20  Project Approach/Implementation Plan 20  References 10  Cost 15 100 5.2 Short-List Selection The City intends to select 2 to 3 bidders from the RFP responses to continue with for further evaluation. The short-list will be selected by evaluating the Bidder’s response covering the requirements spreadsheet, system architecture, vendor qualifications, implementation plan, price and overall response to the RFP. Additional discovery may be performed to assist in selecting the short list Bidders. The short-listed bidders will be contacted in writing regarding their status as short-listed Bidders. Those wishing to continue will be provided with the scripted scenarios that they will use for preparing for the demos. 5.3 Demonstration Scenarios and Site Visits The City will further evaluate the Bidder’s solutions by utilizing scripted scenarios and site visits. Each short-listed bidder will be provided with the scripted scenarios that they are to use to prepare for an on-site solution demonstration. It is anticipated that the demo will take 2-3 days. The short-listed Bidders will be further evaluated on their performance during the scripted scenario demonstrations, reference checks, additional discovery, and at the option of the City, organized site visits at bidder’s customer sites. Short listed bidders will provide the City with a list of at least five (5) potential customer sites and The City intends to select no more than 2 sites to visit. Sites close to City would be preferred however sites most similar to City take precedence. The City reserves the right to visit these sites without the presence of the proposing vendor(s). 34 5.4 Finalist Selection The finalist will be selected by compiling all of the evaluation criteria and selecting the short-listed bidder that the City feels would make the best system provider partner. The City may, at its discretion, select two finalists if they believe that two bidders are so close as to consider the evaluation a draw. In this case, the two bidders will be taken through negotiation. The best-negotiated solution will become the finalist and will be contracted to provide the proposed solution. 35 6. EXHIBITS Exhibit 1 – Vendor Profile Exhibit 2 - References Form Exhibit 3 - System Requirements Spreadsheet Exhibit 4 - Roles and Responsibilities Matrix Exhibit 5 - Pricing Worksheet Exhibit 6 – Conflict of Interest Form