RFP - Information Technology Services

Bid Title:RFP - Information Technology Services Category:Requests for ProposalsStatus:Open Description: REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT SERVICESCITY OF CHENEY INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL- IT-23-001APPLICATIONS ARE DUE MAY 31, 2023, AT 9:00 a.m. SUBMIT COMPLETED APPLICATION TO:City of Cheney Finance Department, Attention: Cindy Niemeier, 609 Second Street, Cheney, WA 99004. Phone number: (509) 498-9209, Email: document.write('cniemeier'+'@'+'citycheney.org')cniemeier@citycheney.org For security reasons, you must enable JavaScript to view this E-mail address.Application Instructions and Administrative Requirements I. ISSUING AGENCY This Request for Proposal (RFP) is issued by the City of Cheney, WA, subsequently referred to as the “City”. II. IT SERVICES REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) SPECIFICATIONS To contract with the City of Cheney, applicants must be an established legal

entity, which includes possessing a Federal Tax Identification Number, as required by IRS regulations, a Uniform Business Identification Number, required by the Washington State Department of Revenue, and a City of Cheney business license. III. PROCUREMENT SCHEDULE The following Time Table will be utilized for the awarding of a contract for the City’s IT Services and support: Proposal Application Available April 21, 2023 Vendor walk-through tour of facilities May 5, 2023, 9:00 a.m. **Meet at Cheney City Hall, 609 2nd Street, Cheney, WA 99004 RFP Applicant’s Inquiries Due May 12, 2023, by11:00 a.m. Answers to Applicant’s Inquiries Released May 19, 2023 Deadline for Submission June 9, 2023, at 9:00 a.m. Evaluation and Negotiations Completed June 21, 2023 Contract Award Recommended to Council June 27, 2023 Contract Services Begin July 1, 2023IV. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS a. Applicants Inquiries All applicants’ inquiries are due on Monday, May 5, 2023, by 11:00 a.m. Questions may be sent via email to: document.write('cniemeier'+'@'+'cityofcheney.org')cniemeier@cityofcheney.org For security reasons, you must enable JavaScript to view this E-mail address.. No inquiries, written or oral, will be accepted after this date. In order for all potential Contractors to be treated equally, all questions raised regarding the Request for Proposal process and the responses made by the City of Cheney, will be made available to all applicants. Written responses to questions received through Monday, May 5, 2023, will be provided to all applicants via email and posted online at www.cityofcheney.org as they are received, or no later than May 12, 2023. b. Deadline for Submittal All proposal documents must be completed and received no later than 9:00 a.m. Monday, May 31, 2023, at the following address: City of Cheney Attention: Cindy Niemeier 609 Second Street Cheney, WA 99004 c. Format Proposal documents may be submitted in any reasonable format, as long as all information requested is included. See “Submittal Requirements” below. Proposers shall submit one complete original and (2) copies of the original proposal. d. Period of Performance The period of performance for contracts issued as a result of this RFP process will be for a five-year period (beginning on July 1, 2023, and ending on June 30, 2028. Mutually agreed upon annual renewals may be made for three (3) one year periods. Guidelines for Applicants I. Introduction The City of Cheney, Washington is soliciting proposals from qualified professional vendors for Information Technology services. The qualified vendor will be expected to maintain and improve information technology (IT) effectiveness, enhance its quality of services, minimize down time and support costs, ensure security of data, and maximize return on investment in IT. The City does not have a professional IT staff. The vendor will work in conjunction with City of Cheney Finance Director as the main point of contact for the general city infrastructure, equipment, and employee needs and the Police Chief for all law enforcement related equipment and requirements. II. Background Information The City of Cheney uses a wide variety of systems including but not limited to virtual and location based servers, Windows SQL, Windows Server 2019, Cisco, IBM AS400, Shortel IP phone system, and currently migrating to Windows Office 365 with email using cloud based storage and network drives using onsite appliances. The City uses Fortinet firewalls, VPN for remote server contact, and Net Motion for law enforcement. The City has multiple camera systems and an audio server. The City has approximately 110 employees working at 9 locations within the city that require support and are connected through a fiber backbone. The City has approximately 170 user workstations, 12Windows servers, 4 SANS, and 1 IBM server. III. Scope of Work The City of Cheney desires a fully outsourced IT management provider to provide proactive maintenance, support, and other IT related functions. The following details the minimum services to be provided to the City of Cheney in the area of information services:Initial Assessment – With the assistance of city staff, compile an inventory of all information technology related assets, assess system assets and make recommendations for improved city-wide IT system performance. Provide documentation for continuity of services through personnel and system changes. Migration -Work with current vendor to migrate to new monitoring services, security platform, etc. in such a way to minimize downtime and maintain system security. Desktop Applications Support – Perform basic support functions including installation of PC’s, laptops, printers, and software: diagnosing and correcting desktop application problems, configuring laptops and desktops for standard applications and identifying and correcting hardware problems, performing advanced troubleshooting. Assist designated City personnel with hardware and software purchases as needed. Assist with warranty and other technical support. Server Administration Services – manage computer network and associated hardware, software, communications, certificate management, and operating system necessary for the quality, security, performance, availability, recoverability, and reliability of the system. Monitor server performance and capacity management services. Ensure scheduled preventive maintenance for equipment is promptly performed; develop back-up plans and procedural documentation. Confidentiality of information is vital. The selected vendor and their employees will be required to sign and adhere to a confidentiality clause that information in the system must remain confidential under penalty of law. All vendor employees with access to the City network will be required to undergo fingerprint background checks at the vendor’s expense, training, and be expected to maintain CJIS security standards at all times. Network Administration Services – Scope of activity includes all City network equipment including switches, firewalls, routers, IP phone system and other security devices. Manage backup and disaster recovery systems. The scope also includes primary installation and maintenance of printers, network copiers/scanners, group policy, software updates, etc. as deemed necessary. Monitor network performance and capacity management services.Preventive Maintenance – Preventative maintenance shall be provided on a regular basis to maintain and maximize performance of City systems and prevent disruption of operations. Security – Maintenance of ransomware/virus/malware detection and spam reduction programs on City servers, email and all other City computers and laptops. Perform security audits as requested and notify City personnel immediately of suspected breaches of security. Assist the City of Cheney in complying with best practices as well as ISB and CJIS requirements. The requires a mobile device management system for IOS and windows based system. Strategic Planning – Provide technical leadership for all technology issues. Make recommendations for future purchasing and technology needs. Install equipment including new servers, software, and hardware and transfer data when required. Assist with policy formulation and application. Help Desk Support – End user support must be timely, friendly, and professional. Routine support must be available Monday – Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Urgent and emergent support must be available 24/7/365 by both phone and electronic communication. If emergent on-site support is required, such support shall be provided in 2 hour time window. End User Training – Provide training for various technology as needed. This would normally be for common software or hardware used in a business setting or new equipment installed. This can be at the request of the City or when a need is identified by the vendor. Onsite Support – Provide eight (8) hours onsite support each week to address city-wide and/or departmental hardware and software issues. Additional onsite support may be needed for major projects. Hybrid Support - The City is willing to discuss a hybrid model for support using both online and consistent in person support. 3rd Party Project Support – The City has numerous software applications where interaction with our IT vendor is required to provide access, to integrate and to troubleshoot issues. Communications/Reporting – The City requires timely communication and updates in all outage events including but not limited to VPN, e-mail, internet, and phones. Point of contact for communications will be the Finance Director. General and on-going operations will be reported quarterly. Special projects will require a monthly report. Records Management – Vendor is required to work with and assist the Public Records Officer for preservation, searching, and destruction of electronic public records. Intellectual Property - Vendor will maintain a network map, passwords, 3rd party contact information, warranty information, and device/hardware/software inventory. The information is the property of the City of Cheney and shall be made available upon request. IV. Submittal Requirements The following information shall be required in the RFP submittal: • Letter of Transmittal, to include: Company name, address and telephone number of the firm submitting the proposal. Employer Identification number and/or a copy of a W-9. Briefly state your understanding of the services to be performed and make a positive commitment to provide the services as specified. Provide a statement which includes the language “proposal and cost schedule shall be valid and binding for ninety (90) days following proposal due date and will become part of the contract that is negotiated with the City.”General Vendor Information, to include: Length of time in business. Total number of clients and total number of public sector clients. Number of full-time personnel and number specifically assigned for customer support. Identify names and major certifications of key personnel who will actually provide the information technology services. Summarize the experience and technical expertise of these staff. The local availability of the staff providing these services will be an important consideration. Vendor position listing and length of time in those positions to include, but not limited to, strategic planning, network engineering, support (help desk), and cybersecurity. Location of the office that would service our account. Describe your approach to providing these services and your methodology for providing ongoing support. Describe the plan/approach your company would take to implement the conversion without outage to our departments. Provide the name, title, address, and contact information of three (3) references of clients for whom you have provided similar services. Please provide information referencing the actual services provided, customer size (number of users), and the length of time you have provided services to this client. Support Services – Please answer the following: Is help desk support available? When is support available? (indicate xx a.m. to xx p.m. and the days of the week)What are your expectations for response times for routine issues as well as emergent needs? How are charges for support structures documented and tracked? Describe your problem escalation process, including: Initial problem identification. Determination of priority and severity of problem. Steps for resolving problem escalation when a solution is not forthcoming or an implemented solution is unsatisfactory. Describe your solution to managed security, anti-virus, anti-spam, intrusion prevention, and anti-malware. Describe your approach for vulnerability assessment, penetration testing, and social engineering. Indicate your response time goals and your statistics regarding meeting that goal. As a municipal government, City departments include those of police and fire, and public utilities. Explain your familiarity and experience in the support of the specialized technology requirements of these departments. With the understanding that these departments operate 24/7, 365 days per year schedule, what would your availability be in the event of any technology issues requiring immediate attention during any non-routine business hours? Beyond the scope of the RFP, what services (related or otherwise) does your organization provide that could benefit and/or may be of interest to the City? Cost of Services: The proposal must include a fee schedule that indicates either hourly rates or a flat monthly rate for the proposed services.Describe how your services are priced, and any specific pricing you are able to provide. Define any additional charges (e.g. travel expenses). Define any tiers of service and costs associated with those tiers. Evaluation and Criteria Process Staff will make a recommendation to the City Council for their review and award of the contract. Staff will evaluate and rate each submittal based upon the following criteria: • Experience and personnel experience • Experience with municipal government • Understanding of the City’s needs and services to be provided • Compatibility with end users and IT staff needs • Project approach • Satisfaction of clients/end users • Availability • Cost V. Contract The City anticipates a five-year contract with the option of three (3) one-year renewals. Renewal of the contract will require City Council reauthorization. All fees should be set for an annual term and clearly state that in the proposal. The City expects all submitting firms to consent to the City Scope of Work and Specifications. Exceptions desired must be noted in the proposal submittal. The City reserves the right to revise the stated contract terms and conditions prior to contract signature.VI. Termination of Contract The contract may be terminated by mutual agreement in writing or it may be terminated at any time by either party by delivery of a one hundred twenty (120) day written notice to the other party. In the event of a breach of contract, the 120-day notice period may be waived. VII. Inquiries Inquiries regarding this RFP should be directed to: City of Cheney Cindy Niemeier, Finance Director 609 2nd Street Cheney, WA 99004 Phone: (509) 498-9215 Email: document.write('cniemeier'+'@'+'cityofcheney.org')cniemeier@cityofcheney.org For security reasons, you must enable JavaScript to view this E-mail address. VIII. Submission Instructions The City reserves the right to request additional written or oral information to supplement all written statements of qualifications or proposals. Submit all material no later than June 9, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. to: City of Cheney Cindy Niemeier, Finance Director 609 2nd Street Cheney, WA 99004 IX. Right to Reject The City of Cheney reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and statements of qualifications and accepts no responsibility for the cost of proposal preparation.The City of Cheney is an equal opportunity employer and encourages all qualified individuals and firms to respond.Spokesman-Review Publication: 4/21/2023 Publication Date/Time: 4/21/2022 8:00 AM Publication Information: Spokesman-Review Closing Date/Time: 6/9/2023 9:00 AM Contact Person: Cindy Niemeier, cniemeier@cityofcheney.org Return To Main Bid Postings Page