Request for Proposal (RFP) – IT Services – Washington State Association of Counties

1. Background/Introduction

The Washington Counties Building (WCB) is a separate entity created through a partnership with the Washington State Association of Counties (WSAC) and the Washington Association of County Officials (WACO) This joint venture agreement was created in 1984 to formalize the management of assets and maintenance needs of the property.

The Associations provide a variety of services to its member counties including advocacy, training, workshops and a forum to network and share best practices. The Associations serve elected county commissioners, council members and executives, treasurers, assessors, sheriffs, coroners, and auditors. WSAC also serves as an umbrella for affiliate organizations representing county road engineers, local public health officials, county administrators, emergency managers, county human service administrators, solid waste managers, clerks of county boards and others.

The Washington Counties Building is requesting proposals from qualified professional service providers to maintain our computer network and server, Office 365 licensing, VOIP phone system, provide ongoing desktop support coordination, and play an advisory role for the WCB in meeting its technology-related goals. This includes a detailed assessment of current configuration to recommend and implement beneficial system upgrades. The qualified vendor will assist the WCB in maintaining and improving information technology (IT) effectiveness, enhance its quality of services, minimize its support cost, and

maximize return on investment in IT. We are looking for a provider to replace our current vendor. We are required to abide by State regulations for the Public Records Act, so storage and retrieval of documents and emails is of significant importance.

2. Overview of Current Technology Environment

The organization currently has the following setup and assets:

Dell PowerEdge R440 -Windows Server 2019
Datto S4-X2
Watchguard Firebox M270
29 Microsoft Office 365 Licenses
5 Exchange Licenses
Barracuda
Approximately – 18 HP Laptops, 4 Lenovo, 3 Dell, and 5 MacBooks. There are other laptops inservice that are used during conferences and meetings to run Zoom meetings and PowerPoints that do not have assigned users and are not connected to the network. They may need occasional troubleshooting or updating.
Networked Printers (All are currently on separate contracts) Sharp MX-6070N, Sharp-MX7090, Konica Minolta BizHub c458
There are a few smaller desktop printers that need to be networked and some that do not need to be networked.
Regular use of the following software licenses: Adobe Creative Cloud, QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus. File Sharing: Dropbox, OneDrive, SharePoint. Other cloud based software: MIP Fund Accounting, ToucanTech Association Management
Yealink VOIP Phones
Cellular phones (iPhone and Android platforms)
Website Host: Kinsta.com
- Hosted Websites:
  wsac.org
  jobs.wsac.org
  wsalpho.org
  wsace.org
  countyleaders.org
  cdiwa.org
- Website domains registered on SiteGround.com
  Additional Domains:
  wamobile.org
  wsalpho.info
  wsalpho.net
  wsalpho.com
  wacounties.org
  cdiwashington.org
  wsacmetrics.org

3. Project Goals and Scope of Services

The following details the services requested by the WCB in the area of informational technology services:

Initial Assessment
Review network architecture and system processes, including technology-related assets, and make recommendations to sustain or improve organization-wide IT system performance.
Office 365
Provide support and recommendations for utilizing resources to improve organization efficiency and performance. The WCB email client is maintained in Outlook via Office 365. This platform enables cross-collaboration, integration with the Microsoft Office programs, and allows latitude for the organization to grow, if need be. Peripheral apps currently utilized most often are OneDrive, Teams, and the Outlook web app. The WCB is interested in utilizing the full range of programs available on the Office 365 program more effectively.
Desktop Applications Support
Provide installation and set-up of PCs, laptops, PDAs, printers, other peripheral devices; installation of office automation software; diagnosing and correcting desktop application errors; configuring laptops and desktops; troubleshooting end user hardware problems; and ensuring maximum efficiencies and collaboration with available hardware and software assets. Provide WCB staff with software and hardware purchase recommendations and/or resources. Assist in the development of software/hardware policies and procedures.
Specialized Application Support
Provide support, maintenance, and updates to other web-based proprietary software and database programs. Manage and provide support for remote access, VPN, shared files, and concerns around efficiencies and collaboration for the WCB staff in other locations.
Server Administration Services
Manage computer systems and networks to include complex applications, database, Windows server backup, messaging, software, communications, potential web servers or other servers and associated hardware, and operating systems necessary for the quality, security, performance, availability, recoverability, and reliability of the system. Ensure scheduled preventive maintenance for equipment is properly and promptly performed, preferably at times when the least amount of users are to be affected; maintain the maintenance records on the equipment; develop operations, administrative, and quality assurance back-up plans and procedural documentation. Set up new users and edit or remove existing users on Active Directory to reflect on the server and on the Office 365 licenses. Manage user logins and security. Server performance and capacity management services with reporting when specified thresholds are reached. Configuration management, including changes, upgrades, patches, etc.
Network Administration Services
Scope of activity includes all WCB network equipment, including switches, firewalls, routers, and other security devices. The company is to maintain a positive and communicative relationship with WCB staff to ensure both parties are aware of network health, scheduled maintenance, and upgrades. Responsibility lies with the company in the primary installation and maintenance of printers, network copiers/scanners, etc.; primary maintenance, including regular analysis, routine configuration changes, and installation of patches and upgrades; alert notifications to WCB staff in the event of failure; complete proactive monitoring of network equipment, including bandwidth utilization and other performance indicators, with reporting when specified thresholds are reached; network performance and capacity management services, and network troubleshooting. Maintain network configuration documentation and procedures; these records should reflect the progression of development in the WCB network, from the beginning known point to the current state at any given time.
Security
Provide ongoing evaluation and recommendations for implementation and maintenance of virus detection programs on WCB servers, email platforms, and all other WCB computers and laptops. Perform security audits as requested and notify WCB personnel immediately of suspected breaches of security or intrusion detection. Configure WCB system to enable remote access in a secure environment and provide remote access administration as requested by designated WCB personnel. Maintain security certificates as required by WCB IT assets.
Strategic Planning
Engineer, plan, and design services for major system enhancements, including installations and upgrades of new or existing systems. Examples include major server upgrades, storage system upgrades, redesign of backup systems, etc. Provide technical leadership for server and network technology issues. Make recommendations for future purchasing and technology needs. Install new servers, software and hardware, and transfer data when acquired. Strategic planning, design, and installation/upgrade of core network systems. Examples include major network upgrades, provider changes, IP schema redesign, installation of “core” network devices, etc.
Other Considerations
a. Ensure transparency in the WCB network and IT environment setup and services, which may include but not limited to network diagrams, configuration records, updates and maintenance records of the network and the server, as well as software management records.
b. Provide advisory role to WCB staff member(s) to provide effective and responsive service aligned with the organization’s needs.
c. Webhosting and website services are provided through a separate third-party contract, and the IT service provider must be able to work with other providers such as webhosting, cloud security, plug-ins, DNS configurations, etc.
d. Perform decommission of computers and devices including purging of hard drive data and disposal of assets.

4. Bidders Conference and Questions

A bidder’s conference will take place on Friday, July 14, 2023, from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. This meeting will be held via Zoom and is open to all prospective bidders of the RFP to gain clarification on elements of the proposal. To facilitate a timely response to questions at the meeting, prospective bidders are encouraged to submit any questions in writing no later than July 10th. All questions and requests for an invitation to the webinar may be submitted to the following email address:

blockling@wsac.org
Subject Line: WCB IT Services Bidders Conference

Bidders Conference Zoom link: https://wsac-org.zoom.us/j/89741506172?pwd=MkNaY1FlU1R0Qk9YazkvMTZLcWpudz09&from=addon

Questions and answers from this meeting will be posted on the WSAC website within 5 business days of the meeting. We are accepting questions after the bidder’s conference through July 28th at 5:00 p.m. Responses to these questions will also be available on the WSAC website.

5. Anticipated Selection Schedule

A diverse stakeholder committee will be formed to oversee and direct the project, including the contractor selection process.

Within 10 days of the submittal deadline, the stakeholder committee will review the proposals and if necessary, schedule one-hour, in-person interviews with each qualified responding firm. After the initial interviews, the stakeholder committee may recommend selection of a firm or may schedule subsequent interviews.

Final selection is anticipated no later than September 5, 2023, with notification and contract negotiations to begin at that time.

6. Time and Place of Submission of Proposals

All submissions related to this RFP must be submitted by August 7, at 5:00 p.m. Submissions must be sent via email in .pdf format to the following email address:

blockling@wsac.org
Subject Line: WCB IT Services

All submissions must be received no later than the date and time listed above in this section in order to be considered responsive.

7. Timeline

The contract period for this service is anticipated at five years with extensions if satisfactory services are provided and new contract terms are mutually agreeable.

8. Elements of Proposal

All submissions must meet the requirements of this section to be considered. The response to this RFP must be complete. Partial or incomplete responses will significantly impact the scoring and consideration of the proposal. Responses should be concise, clear and relevant. Submittals must be on standard letter-size paper and pages must be numbered.

A submission must, at a minimum, include the following elements in the following order:

A letter of interest summarizing the proposer’s business model and capacity to provide services and the following information:
1. Length of time in business
2. Length of time in business providing proposed services
3. Total number of clients
4. Total number of public & nonprofit sector clients
5. Number of full-time personnel in:
  - Consulting
  - Installation & training
  - Sale, marketing, and administrative support
6. Tech to end user ratio
7. Location of headquarters and any field offices
8. Location of office which would service this account
A detailed description of the proposer’s relevant experience and qualifications. Provide a list and narrative of at least 3 projects (including project size and complexity) that demonstrate the proposer’s experience in providing the services as needed in the scope of services listed. Please provide contact information for each project to serve as a reference.
Resume or bios of key personnel. In addition, describe the level of technicians/support staff and what relevant experience or training is required to achieve these levels.
Support Services
Please answer the following:
1. Is help desk support available?
2. What is the help desk request process? (explain the process for minor as well as emergent problems)
3. When is support available? (Indicate XX a.m. to XX p.m. in Pacific Standard Time and days of the week)
4. How are the charges for support structured, documented, and tracked?
5. Do you provide a toll-free support number?
6. What is the integration of an in-house staff IT contacts with your support role?
7. Please describe your problem escalation process, including:
  1. Initial problem identification (hand-off from help desk)
  2. Triage for priority and severity of the problem
  3. Steps for resolving problem escalation when a solution is not forthcoming or an implemented solution is unsatisfactory
  4. Final authority regarding conflicts
8. How do you document and retrieve past service tickets so that recurring issues arehandled more efficiently?
9. Indicate your response time and goal and your statistics regarding meeting thatgoal.
Other Services
Beyond the scope of this RFP, what services (related or otherwise) does your organization provide that may be of interest to WCB?
Terminated Contracts or Contract Defaults
1. If your company has had a contract terminated for default during the past five years, all such incidents must be described. Termination for default is defined as notice to stop performance due to the vendor’s nonperformance or poor performance; and the issue was either (a) not litigated or (b) litigated, and such litigation determined the vendor to be in default. If default occurred, list the complete name, address, and telephone number of the party. If NO such terminations for default have been experiences by the vendor in the past five years, declare that
Cost of Services
- Hourly and/or monthly rates for proposed services- if monthly, specify what is and is notincluded in monthly plans
- Description of how your services are priced, and any specific pricing you are able to provide
- Define any additional charges (e.g. travel expenses)
- The fee schedule may also contain any packaged plan fees, or other specific pricing optionsyou are able to provide.
- Include any discounts or considerations in fees based on nonprofit status, monthly usageevaluation, etc.
- Describe the process or standard for ongoing fee increases.
- Specify any additional charges or options you see as beneficial for this type of service not otherwise noted in the required elements.
Transition Planning Considerations
Describe the following items regarding transition planning from WCB’s current IT service vendor
1. Timeline and list of required information
2. Any costs that may be incurred that are not outlined in the cost of services fee schedule
3. Step by step breakdown of transitioning from the current vendor to selected Bidder

WCB reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and/or to waive technicalities and informalities at the sole discretion of WCB.

9. Evaluation Criteria

The successful firm will (in no particular order):

Possess the experience, knowledge, skills, and qualifications necessary to complete the project scope of services;
Understanding of services to be provided
Qualified staff to provide services
Satisfaction of current clients/end users
Provide a competitive cost and value of services.

10. Miscellaneous

This RFP is not in itself an offer of work, it does not commit the WCB to fund any proposals submitted, nor is the WCB liable for any costs incurred in preparation or research of proposals. Submittal of a proposal does not constitute a contract with the WCB. The contract award will not be final until the WCB and the successful proposer have executed a mutually satisfactory contractual agreement. The WCB reserves the right to offer an award to the next highest rated proposal if a contract cannot be successfully negotiated, or to renegotiate or reissue an RFP.

Responders to the RFP will be notified via email upon successful selection of a proposal. Any concerns or appeals of the decision must be made in writing within 7 days of notification of selection to the procurement contact person.

11. Budget

There is not a set budget for these yearly services as it is dependent on the final selection of services. Value for service is a deciding factor in the selection of a provider.

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