Request for Proposals- IT Managed Services

IT Managed Services RFP City of Ashland Proposals Due: April 30, 2024 1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS The City of Ashland, Kentucky will receive sealed proposals at the Ashland City Building, Legal/City Clerks' Office # 403, Fourth Floor, 1700 Greenup Ave. Ashland KY 41101, until 3 p.m. EST, April 30, 2024, for: THE CITY OF ASHLAND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) MANAGED SERVICES Proposals specifications, and other pertinent data are available on the City of Ashland's website or in the City Managers office, fourth Floor #412 located at 1700 Greenup Ave. Ashland, KY 41101, contact: Michael Graese, City Manager 606-385-3303. All proposal responses being mailed should be sent to P.O. Box 1839 Ashland, KY 41105. Proposals will be opened on Thursday, May 2, 2024, at 3:15 p.m. EST in the Ashland City Building Board of Commissioners' Chambers, 1700 Greenup Ave, Ashland, Kentucky. Proposals must be received by the designated date and time, and none will be considered thereafter. The City of Ashland,

hereinafter referred to as the "City", reserves the right to reject any and all proposals received, and to select that proposal which it determines to be in its best interest. The award of this proposal will be made based on the Best Evaluated Proposal as permitted in KRS 45A.365. Proposers are to submit their proposal in a clearly marked and sealed envelope. The City is not responsible for the premature opening of, or the failure to open, a sealed proposal not properly addressed or identified. Proposers are invited to be present for the opening of the proposals submitted. Vendors may present proposals at a later date determined by the COA. A detailed system requirement list will be provided upon request as long as a non-disclosure form has been signed by the Vendor. FOR THE CITY OF ASHLAND Michael Graese, City Manager Introduction The City is interested in receiving proposals from qualified information technology firms specializing in comprehensive managed services. Ideally, the City prefers firms with some familiarity with a municipal environment, however, will entertain a company or companies that can supply specific needs in the requested IT areas. Such providers should be able to provide responsive, high-quality services that are specific to the criteria listed or have the ability to show strengths in all criteria. Ashland IT Managed Services RFP City of Ashland Proposals Due: April 30, 2024 2 The City seeks to maintain the current infrastructure, enhance the current infrastructure, promote resiliency, and ensure a maximum return on its technologyrelated investments. The City of Ashland reserves the right to reject any or all submissions, to waive technical or legal deficiencies, to proceed or not with any proposal or process, and to negotiate such terms and conditions of any proposal, agreement, lease, or other contract that may be in the best interest of the City. The City reserves the right to terminate or amend this process at any time. RFP Process The City of Ashland, through its City Manager, reserves the right to: 1) accept the proposal in its entirety or to accept parts of multiple proposals; 2) reject any and all proposals received in response to this request for proposal; and 3) to waive any formalities in this proposal offering. The award of a contract shall be at the sole discretion of the City. The award will be made to the responsible Proposer whose proposal is determined to be the most advantageous to the City, taking into consideration the evaluation factors set forth in this proposal package. The city may make the award without further discussion of the proposals submitted. Therefore, the proposal should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms that the Proposer can propose with respect to price, product, service, and technical capability. The contents of the proposal of the selected Proposer will become the basis for the City's contractual obligation when the award is made. The City of Ashland is pleased to invite qualified Information Technology (IT) Services Providers to assist with IT related functions that are to include but no limited to PC Support, Endpoint and Printer Management, Server Management, Network Maintenance & Monitoring, Helpdesk support and onsite support, Cyber Security, Vendor Management, Network Architecture and Design and Phone System Management as well as comprehensive training plan for the users of the system. The City currently uses an outsourced approach to implement these services. Working knowledge and experience with municipal operations is preferred; the City currently uses several applications to supports its operations, including but not limited to: Microsoft Office 365. . The current firm providing managed services to the City supplies daily network and user needs, in addition to offsite 24 hour monitoring and ticketing. The preferred vendor will provide comprehensive support and expertise needed to ensure the Citys information technology systems enable municipal operations on a daily basis, as well as providing overall guidance for network enhancements and future growth. Proven diagnosis and assessment capabilities, expert technical skills, availability, and strong customer service are required. Regular communication, collaboration and coordination with the Citys Point of Contact is critical to the success of the chosen vendor. Preferred vendors must be able to illustrate experience working in dynamic, highpaced environments, including strategies used to ensure A. Summary of the Citys Objectives IT Managed Services RFP City of Ashland Proposals Due: April 30, 2024 3 work is properly coordinated and deployed. Proposals will be evaluated on all qualification criteria, including cost. The City of Ashland provides municipal services to approximately 20,000 residents, and the City depends upon a technology infrastructure that is linked between several locations which include City Hall, Fire (3), Police, Parks, Transportation, Water Plant and Waste Water Plant, etc, all connected via the Citys own network. The City also owns and operates several point to point wireless connections. The City implements an outsourced approach to management and development of its information technology resources along with a full-time IT Technician responsible for managing the direction of all out-sourced IT providers; management of all telephones and various mobile providers; and overall coordination between City departments in regard to IT related matters. Personnel located in the Police Department are primarily responsible for end user support, LAN management, and maintenance of software and communications equipment integral to Police operations. We have one full-time GIS Technician located within the Department of Public Works who uses an outside vendor for their system management. Information technology services are provided across several locations throughout the City and include essential and emergency response functions that require 24/7 service such as Police, Fire, and the Department of Public Works. The City has historically relied upon a single vendor to provide daytoday operational and long term development support for the bulk of its information technology needs. Current IT set up is v endorsupplied IT support personnel who are dedicated to IT services, with remote help desk and network monitoring and maintenance provided during regular business hours. The City seeks a firm or firms that has the technical expertise, breadth of experience, and availability to support its information technology needs in a municipal organization, and provide advice to guide its critical infrastructure, security, and software decisions into the future. COAs administrative office building is located at 1700 Greenup Avenue, Ashland, KY 41101. COA has 15 sites that would have to be monitored also. The sites with some of the networked equipment will be provided upon request. Specialty Software System Requirements will be attached Access IT! (Access Controls) City Manager AS400 Finance AutoCAD - Engineering Avigilon (Camera System) Police, Transporation, and Finance B. Background Information IT Managed Services RFP City of Ashland Proposals Due: April 30, 2024 4 CFA Fleet Maintenance Management Software Central Garage FileMaker Pro (+server v14) Legal ESO Software Fire Department FuelMaster Central Garage Granicus Peak Agenda Management Legal Happy Software Assisted Housing Imagicle - Finance Informacast (Emergency Notification System) Police MAPCON Engineering/Utilities Pathfinder Office Software Engineering TerraSync Professional Software Engineering/Utilities TimeQPlus Finance WaterCAD - Engineering The scope of services is intended to ensure proper operation of the Citys networked computer system, equipment, and related network infrastructure. It is anticipated to include, but not be limited to the following: 1. ENDPOINT AND PRINTER MANAGEMENT The City maintains over 150 Desktops, Laptops and Tablets in various locations throughout the City. The City requires the following for endpoints: Inventory Control & Reporting Warranty Management Asset Tracking Patching and compliance for Operating Systems and Installed Applications Mobile Device Management Endpoint Encryption Antivirus & Antimalware management and remediation Security Policy Management Remote Monitoring of hardware and software for errors, warnings, or non compliance Installation and maintenance of UPS units Troubleshoot printer/scanning issues; interface with vendors to coordinate repairs 2. SERVER MANAGEMENT The City currently hosts several physical and virtual servers at different locations. Some servers are owned by third parties for applications running for specific clients and running specific programs. Providers should have employees holding certifications in one or more of the following: Microsoft Server, Microsoft Endpoint, or VMware vCenter and provided to the COA with C. SCOPE OF WORK IT Managed Services RFP City of Ashland Proposals Due: April 30, 2024 5 proposal. The Provider will manage backup services and provide database management services and server administration for servers operated by the City. Inventory Control & Reporting Warranty Management Asset Tracking Patching and compliance for Operating Systems and Installed Applications Endpoint Encryption for offsite servers Antivirus & Antimalware management and remediation Security Policy Management Remote Monitoring of hardware and software for errors, warnings, or non compliance 3x weekly backup audits provided to City Manager 3x weekly Offsite backup storage & Disaster Recovery of Citys data and applications Management of Citys Virtualization Servers More detailed information will be provided upon request. 3. NETWORK MAINTENANCE AND MANAGEMENT The City has a vast network that spans over several campuses The City also finds itself relying more heavily on wireless technologies as time goes on. This network and wireless technology is mission critical and needs to be monitored 24 hours per day. 24x7 Hour support with a 1 Hour Service Level Agreement is required for all network related outages. Providers should have employees holding certifications in one or more of the following. CCNA Routing & Switching, Cisco CCNA Wireless or CWNA. The scope of work includes, but is not limited to: Inventory Control & Reporting Warranty Management Asset Tracking Patching and compliance for Operating Systems, appliance upgrades and all network equipment including firewalls, switching, routing and wireless infrastructure Security Policy Management Remote Monitoring of hardware for errors, warnings, or noncompliance Monthly change control reporting Monthly reporting on configuration backup 4. HELPDESK SUPPORT The City supports over 150 End Users, who use approximately 35 applications. The vendor is expected to provide 24/7/365 fulltime help desk support in administering to the Citys IT needs. This includes end user support and cyber security training, department level systems and capital needs planning, and input into major system enhancements. Vendor will participate collaboratively with various departments to fulfill service needs, work with vendors that we already use and will make recommendations for future purchasing and technology upgrades when advisable. Personnel providing services under this contract resulting from the RFP must be IT Managed Services RFP City of Ashland Proposals Due: April 30, 2024 6 fully qualified to perform the required work. A designated engineer is preferred. Helpdesk Support Remote must include: Service Call Tracking Monthly reports on problems, issues, affected users, and problem categories Application & operating system helpdesk services Guidance and user support pertaining to proper use of city applications and systems Guidance and user support pertaining to proper response to security concerns such as websites, emails, and application behavior Construction of a knowledge base of Support Resolutions and Instructional HowTo articles. The platform housing this data, and the data within the platform shall be owned by the City. Support during Business Hours: Support during business hours must include phone or remote support as needed to meet the requirements below. Business Hours are Monday through Friday, 8am until 5:00pm City Holidays are excluded. Support staff available to assist in user training and orientation on the first day of any newly hired City Employee Support of City Hall Employees by 8am each morning We realize many issues may arise that can be resolved remotely. However, should the need arise on-site support will be provided as needed. Support for basic phone problems Support to trouble shoot basic network issues with the use of the Citys remote monitoring system Support should have a good understanding of all the Internet connections and providers Support to rollout new computers/laptops Support to rollout replacement switches Support for reviewing cyber security logs Support for reviewing current IT Management systems (Switches, Network, Wifi) Support should understand basic knowledge of the Citys Vlan structure Onsite support staff will report to the Citys Manager 5. CYBER SECURITY The City has deployed a robust, multilayered approach to securityfocused technologies: DNS Security and content filtering, AntiMalware software deployed to all Endpoints, NextGen Antivirus & Security software deployed to Servers, Standard Antivirus software deployed to Endpoints and end user training via a Learning Management System (LMS). The City would like to ensure that enduser Cyber Security and PCI Compliance training is distributed to end users via an LMS system quarterly. Monitoring & Management of the existing DNS Security and content filtering system. Monitoring & Management of the existing AntiMalware System. Monitoring & Management of the existing NextGen Antivirus and Security system. Provide standard Antivirus software, and management of said software to all endpoint devices. Provide a Learning Management System for Citys employees, curate the trainings IT Managed Services RFP City of Ashland Proposals Due: April 30, 2024 7 provided to end users 6. VENDOR MANAGEMENT The City hosts various municipal vendor software applications that require at least one dedicated resource to become proficient in supporting the applications internal operations (application subject matter experts). The City also works with a number of vendors providing services to the City that fall under the scope of IT Management. The successful firm will be required: To meet with all City application vendors To read owners manual and training manual for all city Line of Business Applications To take vendor recommended inperson or online training pertaining to Line of Business applications used by the City To work with vendors in jointly resolving issues or problems with vendor supplied software, and to schedule updates and upgrades to provided services monitor vendor provided services and proactively reach out to vendors when and if those services stop working To create and curate a Knowledge Base of Problem Resolution and HowTo documentation for all line of business applications and for or all vendor provided services. The platform housing this data, and the data within the platform shall be owned by the city, and the city shall retain this information in the event of a severance of services by provider at a future date. 7. NETWORK ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN The Citys network architecture (components, technologies, etc.) and design (layout and organization) must evolve to meet several larger objectives and long term goals in our unique environment(s). The Citys Designated Point of Contact will work closely with the selected vendor to discuss, design, develop, and implement various improvements in regards to network topologies, hosting, services, security, redundancy, and disaster recovery (DR). This is in response to the requirements for continuity of operations for critical government operation during various types of disaster events. Help design and plan for new technologies, network upgrades, and evolving security standards, and assist current City IT resources implement evolutions to the current network up to an architecture that supports more redundancy and overall less dependence on any one physical location. Plan for strategic improvements regarding hosting, services, data storage, security, and the DR issues discussed above. Help plan testing of DR operations on a regular schedule. 8. TELEPHONE SYSTEM MANAGEMENT The City has two servers, multiple virtual servers, Cisco phones, unified messaging voicemails accounts, Cisco ISR CUBE, voice gateways, and paging devices. The preferred vendor will provide services and support of City of Ashlands Unified Communications Infrastructure to include but not limited to the following: IT Managed Services RFP City of Ashland Proposals Due: April 30, 2024 8 Ensure all voice infrastructure and unified communications (UC) services are implemented, managed, and maintained consistently to standards and best practices. Configure and support UC infrastructure including moves, adds, changes and deletes (MACD) Maintain existing documentation regarding system architecture including drawings, DIDs, dial plans, call routing, system access and credentials etc. Maintain UC configurations to meet the City of Ashlands business requirements. Coordinate system outages for maintenance and changes pursuant to business requirements. Maintain UC devices and servers backups. Maintain CUBES and Voice Gateways up to code. Monitor, review, analyze and conduct proactive remediations as necessary. Work with third party vendors as necessary. Support IVR infrastructure, configuration, and overall functionality. Keep track of infrastructure license and support coverage Must have the below at a minimum. Cisco: Advanced Collaboration architecture Specialization Meraki CNMA VMware: Must be a VMware partner Microsoft: Must be a Microsoft partner 8. SERVICE DESK PRIORITIES The City requests incidents and service requests be triaged and prioritized to effectively resolve issues in a timely manner. Priority 1: System/device/service down causing work to cease and critical impact to the City or a whole department; no work around available; customer is in danger of or is experiencing a financial loss or the ability to make strategic business decisions is impaired; begin resolution activities immediately. 24x7 Support: Priority 1 incidents will be addressed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week basis including holidays. Priority 2: System/device/service down causing work to cease and potential business impact for an individual user; no work around available. Level of service degraded causing impact to the City or a whole department; no work around available. 24x7 Support: Priority 2 incidents will be addressed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week basis including holidays. Priority 3: Level of service degraded impacting an individual user; no work around available. IT Managed Services RFP City of Ashland Proposals Due: April 30, 2024 9 Operational impact to the City or a whole department though work continues as a result of implementing a work around or use of other system/device/service. A request to enable or configure a system/device/service within 2 business days. Incidents related to Backup system failures. Business Hours Support: Priority 3 incidents will be addressed during normal business hours Monday-Friday, 8:00am to 5 :00pm excluding holidays. The City would request Support from 7 am to 6 pm Monday Friday. Priority 4: Operational impact to the City, department or user exists though work continues as a result of implementing a work around or use of another system/device/service. A request to enable or configure a system/device/service within 5 business days. Business Hours Support: Priority 4 incidents will be addressed during normal business hours Monday-Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm excluding holidays. The City would request Support from 7 am to 6 pm Monday Friday. Priority 5: Operational impact to the City, department or user is minimal or is mitigated by a reliable workaround. A request to enable or configure a system/device/service beyond 5 business days from the date of the request. Requests that have longer lead times to implement than is possible within 5 business days. Business Hours Support: Priority 5 incidents will be addressed during normal business hours Monday-Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm excluding holidays. The City would request Support from 7 am to 6 pm Monday Friday. 9. OTHER DETAIL Accessibility and Inclusivity: COA would like to address accessibility requirements to ensure that city IT services and systems are accessible to individuals with disabilities, in compliance with accessibility standards such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), specifically for accessible websites, applications, and assistive technologies, which needs to be compliant. Data Governance and Privacy: COA would like guidance in preparing data governance policies and procedures to govern the collection, storage, processing, and sharing of citizen data. This includes data privacy safeguards, data retention policies, encryption standards, and mechanisms for ensuring data integrity and confidentiality. As an example, to ensure compliance with the Kentucky Open Records Act using the data retention rules from the Kentucky Library of Archives. Citizen Engagement and Service Delivery: COA seeks solutions for improving citizen engagement and service delivery, such as digital service platforms, online portals, mobile applications, and interactive communication channels. These technologies enhance accessibility, transparency, and efficiency in delivering municipal services to residents. IT Managed Services RFP City of Ashland Proposals Due: April 30, 2024 10 Smart City Initiatives: The COA would like guidance on opportunities for leveraging technology to support smart city initiatives, such as IoT (Internet of Things) sensors, smart infrastructure, data analytics, and predictive modeling. These initiatives enable data-driven decision-making, resource optimization, and improved urban planning and management. Interoperability and Integration: The COA would like guidance on interoperability and integration capabilities to ensure seamless communication and data exchange between different IT systems and departments within the city government. This includes compatibility with existing legacy systems, standardization of data formats, and APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) for system integration. Disaster Preparedness and Business Continuity: COA requests comprehensive provisions for disaster preparedness and continuity planning. This encompasses risk assessments, contingency planning, backup infrastructure, redundancy measures, and protocols for maintaining essential services during emergencies or disruptions. Emergency & After-Hours Response Protocol: COA requests emergency response visits and development of a detailed protocol (including time limits, and phone numbers) outlining how the IT vendor will respond to non-critical incidents, such as response to departments working round-the- clock, and critical incidents such as cyberattacks, network outages, or data breaches, outside regular business hours. Risk Management: CoA Risk Management Department requests direct assistance and guidance, when requested, with the following actions directly related to cyber security protection measures and methods. Review and recommendations for vendor support and/or protection measures associated with new software and/or cloud-based support services to be used either city wide or on a departmental basis. Review and completion of an application questionnaire (survey) detailing current IT resources, protection, and training practices for annual renewal and/or new insurer submission for cyber liability (breach protection) insurance coverage in support of city risk management efforts. Research and provide recommendations for cyber liability coverage limits in support of city risk management efforts, based on current City of Ashland exposures, current industry coverage trends, and public entity claims experience based on historical data trends at the national level. Review current IT and Cyber Security Policies with recommendations and/or policy template texts provided to CoA and a review established on an annual basis. On quarterly calendar basis, and upon request, provide: o 1) An updated list of cyber security protection measures and methods in place, including but not limited to, hardware protection devices, software protection measures, implemented protection methods, and implemented policies. o 2) An updated list of additional cyber security measures, like those detailed in #1, planned for implementation with target dates, and any additional vulnerabilities that have been identified but yet to be fully evaluated. IT Managed Services RFP City of Ashland Proposals Due: April 30, 2024 11 Finance: The Finance Department utilizes Server running a proprietary program for Budgetary, Payroll, Business License, and Cash Receipts systems to collect, organize, and account for funds used in the daily operations of the City of Ashland. Proposers of this bid will need to be familiar with Finance operations, and be responsible for maintenance, updates, and planning for future upgrades. They will also be responsible for creating and maintaining user credentials for the database, and troubleshooting issues that may arise through normal operations including the supporting hardware (Receipt printers, scanners, Impact printer) as well as the user interface software. Assisted Housing: The Assisted Housing Division of CED utilizes software to track rental units, and their tenants for the Section 8 program. They also produce checks for landlords and tenants and perform property inspections using iPads that link to the server. The Proposer will be responsible for maintaining the server, iPads, network connectivity between the two. Updates to the Housing software may be necessary, as well as a yearly license key change. Proposers should address each component of the scope of work, indicating how they meet the minimum standards set forth therein, and demonstrating how their personnel, experience, and expertise can best fulfill the Citys specific needs. The City will take into consideration the aforementioned requirements for each topic, and the Citys desire to move from reactive support model. Submittal requirements are intended to enable the City to make an objective comparison of each proposal, and to select a partner or partners that best meets the Citys stated objectives. The selected partner or partners will be expected to execute a services agreement with the City immediately following selection. 1. COVER LETTER The cover letter is the proposers official letter transmitting the complete proposal to the City. The cover letter must include: the full name and address of the proposers organization(s); the state of incorporation or in which it is licensed to operate; and the form of business, and the name and contact information for your organization or team for this proposal. A concise statement indicating whether the proposer is prepared to supply all services set forth in the Scope of Work or only some. State clearly which sections of the Scope of Work are included in your proposal with reference to the numbering D. Submittal Content Requirements IT Managed Services RFP City of Ashland Proposals Due: April 30, 2024 12 above. 2. COMPANY PROFILE Please provide detailed information regarding the proposers company, including: organizational structure number and tenure of all employees, including key staff that will fulfill services contained in this proposal. a list of personnel certifications (including those held by key staff) a list of the number of fulltime personnel qualified to support each element of the scope of services (e.g. cybersecurity, 1 FTE) total number of current clients total number of current municipal clients a list of three current references (including contact information) with similar networks. financial information the city may elect after reviewing proposals to ask for financial information, to be submitted confidentially, from vendors to ensure financial resources and stability prior to further consideration. 3. PROJECT NARRATIVE Provide a detailed narrative description of your approach to each component of the Scope of Work. Information to be provided should include experience with the task, quality and experience of specific personnel proposed to fulfill each respective function (include resumes), project management skills and quality control strategies, and estimated cost/range of cost options, by task. The City seeks IT support services that are responsive, reliable, proactive, and forwardlooking, while maximizing cost effectiveness. 4. COST OF SERVICES The City anticipates entering into a monthly cost for services engagement, with a minimum term of one year; the City will also consider a multipleyear term if advantageous to the City. Please provide a total monthly fee and associated breakdown by task. For the Help Desk/On Site Support Scope, please break down your proposed fee for each element separately (e.g. on site support should be a standalone item). While the City requests this contract be all inclusive, it recognizes that there any be instances where services may exceed those considered in a basic monthly scope of work. Please provide your firms opinion on what types of services might fall into this category, and provide appropriate pricing examples could include: site visits outside of prescheduled visits; after hours, emergency response visits; additional discounts for multiyear agreements; other special circumstances. Cost proposals shall be submitted in a separate, sealed envelope labeled Cost Proposal. IT Managed Services RFP City of Ashland Proposals Due: April 30, 2024 13 Cover letter of interest and transmittal not to exceed two pages in length. Legal name of the consultant firm, address, phone, fax, and email address, year the firm was established, and type of business. An organization chart indicating roles of all individuals and firms involved in this project, as appropriate. Include brief resumes for all individuals identifying their qualifications and experience. The name of the person intended to be the project coordinator for this Strategic Plan and a list of recently completed projects relevant to the scope of the RFP. A clear articulation to the firm's approach to be used in this project including a proposed schedule and description of the proposed methods of public involvement. A summary of qualifications, related experience, and references. Proposed scope of work, project approach, and plan to accomplish the work. Describe in detail your firm's project approach and methodology in managing and implementing a project of this size and scope and experience of developing and supporting the implementation of a comprehensive strategic plan. Key elements include: o Project understanding o Project methodology and deliverables o Roles and Responsibilities o Project management A minimum of three (3) examples of relevant written work related to strategic planning, with no less than one example, prepared on behalf of a local government organization or comparable entity. Fee schedule and proposed fee to accomplish the work (separate, seal envelope marked fee scheduled). Proposals must be complete to be considered by the evaluation committee. The City of Ashland's project team will review and evaluate all properly submitted proposals that are received on or before the deadline. The project team will first review each proposal for compliance with the minimum qualifications and mandatory requirements of the RFP. Failure to comply with any mandatory requirements may disqualify a proposal. The project team shall participate in the analysis of RFPs, the interview process, and the final recommendation of the selected consultant for the project. Upon successful negotiations with the selected consultant, the contract will be recommended for approval by the project team to the City Commission for final approval. The committee will rank proposals based on the criteria stated below: 1. Responsiveness of the proposal to the project objectives. 2. Responding firm's experience in completing work of a similar size and scope. 3. Specific qualifications of the primary staff who will manage, supervise, and provide services, including experience on projects of similar size and scope. 4. Public sector experience and qualifications of the firm. This includes past project F. SELECTION PROCESS E. Submittal Process and Requirements IT Managed Services RFP City of Ashland Proposals Due: April 30, 2024 14 experience and/or research projects conducted for recognized industry associations. 5. Proposer's project management methodology and experience 6. Proposer's familiarity with the strategic planning needs of the City of Ashland. 7. Responses of the client references. 8. Project approach and methodology. 9. Cost of services and payment policies. Such other information that may be required or secured The City reserves the right to undertake such investigation as it deems necessary to evaluate the proposers and to evaluate its submittal. The City reserves the right to request additional information as part of this selection process. The City of Ashland also reserves the right to reject any or all submissions, to waive technical or legal deficiencies, to proceed or not with any proposal or process, and to negotiate such terms and conditions of any proposal, including cost, or contract that may be in the best interest of the City. The City reserves the right to terminate or amend this process at any time. G. RESERVATION OF RIGHTS