CUYAHOGA COUNTY REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Transcription

1 CUYAHOGA COUNTY REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL Issue date: RFP title: RFP #JA EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM MAINTENANCE Department Address: Cuyahoga County Department of Public Safety and Justice Services 310 Lakeside Ave Suite 795 Cleveland, OH Sealed proposals will be received until October 4, 2013 until 4:30 PM All inquiries should be directed to Cuyahoga County Department of Public Safety and Justice Services Tammy Blau 310 Lakeside Ave. Suite 750 Cleveland, OH Phone: (216) PROPOSALS ARE TO BE MAILED OR HAND-DELIVERED DIRECTLY TO THE ISSUING DEPARTMENT SHOWN ABOVE. ANY PROPOSAL RECEIVED AFTER THE TIME AND DATE SPECIFIED ABOVE WILL BE RETURNED UNOPENED. All County contracts are subject to all applicable County ordinances, including, but not limited to, the Cuyahoga County Ethics Ordinance, Cuyahoga County Inspector General Ordinance, and Cuyahoga County Board of Control, Contracting and Purchasing Ordinance, and the successful bidder shall comply with all such ordinances as an integral part of all County contracts. Copies of all County ordinances are available on the County Council s web site at 1

2 PROPOSAL INFORMATION Background Statement Emergency Alert System (EAS) is a national public alert and warning system that allows communications to the public. EAS leverages communication capabilities of analog and digital radios, television, cable, satellite and wireline providers to for national emergencies and or local emergencies such as AMBER alerts and weather alerts. This system needs to be available during all conditions. Cuyahoga County Emergency Communications Systems is the contact point for all EAS broadcasts for Cuyahoga County and provides emergency alert notifications including amber alerts for 9 counties in Northeast Ohio. CECOMS is a 24 hour communication center. Problem Statement The EAS equipment is located at the Cuyahoga County Emergency Communications Systems (CECOMS). Due to the critical nature of the alert system, CECOMS has two EAS systems one, one for backup and is looking to enter into a maintenance agreement to ensure the EAS equipment is fully functional at all times and help troubleshoot and fix any issues that arise. Scope of Work The following will be included in the maintenance agreement: 1. Monthly review and testing of the equipment and all the associated parts (Microphones, cables etc) 2. Monthly status report provided to the CECOMS manager and supervisors indicating condition of the EAS system and any recommendations if needed. 3. Service Calls within 8 hours should there be any issues that arise that need specialized attention. 4. Repairs of any broadcast issues and equipment needs hour a day 7 days a week telephone support. 6. Training of CECOMS superviors and manager on the equipment. 7. Recommendations provided to CECOMS for housing the equipment both in the current location and any future locations. Deliverables Monthly written status provided to the CECOMS manager and supervisors 2

3 Training of manager and supervisors on how to operate system Service calls for repair/maintenance within 8 hours of call initiating request. 24 hour a day 7 days a week telephone support Work Schedule Work will begin immediately after County approval and award of a contract. Contract term will be for months. Minimum Vendor Qualifications Must possess extensive knowledge and proven experience in working with Emergency Alert Notification equipment and broadcast equipment Prior Experience Must have proven experience in maintaining communication equipment specifically emergency alert notification systems. Must have extensive knowledge of emergency alert systems. A vendor's failure to meet these minimum prior experience requirements will cause their proposal to be considered non-responsive and the proposal will be rejected 3

4 PROPOSAL SUBMISSION INFORMATION Proposal Format The County discourages overly lengthy and costly proposals. In order for the County to evaluate proposals fairly and completely, vendors should follow the format set forth herein and provide all of the information requested. Proposals that do not adhere to these formatting requirements may be considered non-responsive. Proposals should be submitted in a sealed envelope with the name of the vendor and the relevant RFP name and number on the front. Responses must be submitted with one original and 1 copy. All proposals submitted will become the property of Cuyahoga County and will not be returned. Proposals must remain open and valid for ninety (90) days from the opening date, unless the time for awarding the contract is extended by mutual consent of Cuyahoga County and the vendor. Cover page SECTION I - INTRODUCTION This must include the RFP number, title and the complete vendor name and mailing address. Executive Summary Provide a high level overview of your approach, the distinguishing characteristics of your proposal, and the importance of this project to your overall operation. SECTION II PROJECT UNDERSTANDING - 30 Points Provide the Following Information: What do you understand to be the purpose and scope of this project? Scope of Work/Solution/Project Narrative What is your proposed solution to the needs identified by the County? Deliverables Describe the deliverables in specific, and to the extent possible, measurable terms. 4

5 Project Control Describe your approach to project control, including details of the methods used in controlling project activities. Project Reporting Describe your status reporting methodology including details of written and oral progress reporting. Interface with the County Describe your contact points with the County including types of communications, and level of interface. Risk Management Identify the potential risks and problems which, in your experience, occur on projects of this type. Identify steps that can be taken to avoid or mitigate these problems and steps to be taken should the problem occur. Incorporate activities in the project plan to reduce the occurrence, severity and impact of events or situations that can compromise the attainment of any project objective. 5

6 SECTION III QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE - 30 Points Vendor Qualifications Identify the qualifications that you bring to this project. Explain what differentiates your services from others in the market. Prior Experience Describe the adequacy of staff, equipment, research tools and administrative resources; quality and appropriateness of technical or support staff; and past performance of the organization relevant to this project. Does the firm have demonstrated experience in completing similar projects on time and within budget? Do the individuals assigned to the project have experience on similar projects? How extensive is the applicable education and experience of the assigned personnel? Customer References The vendor must submit 2 references, names and phone numbers for similar projects your firm has completed. Contract Performance If a vendor has had a contract terminated due to the vendor s non-performance or poor performance during the past five years, all such incidents must be described, including the other party s name, address and telephone number. If no such terminations have been experienced by the vendor in the past five years, so indicate. Subcontractors No subcontractors will be used for this project. Conflict of Interest Each vendor shall include a notarized statement indicating whether or not the organization or any of the individuals working on the contract has a possible conflict of interest and, if so, the nature of that conflict. The County reserves the right to cancel the award if any interest disclosed from any source could either give the appearance of a conflict or cause speculation as to the objectivity of the program to be developed by the vendor. The County s determination regarding any questions of conflict of interest shall be final. 6

7 SECTION VI PRICING - 40 Points Cost Proposal Estimate proposals are not acceptable. Payment Vendor must submit timely invoices to Cuyahoga County. Invoices must include a list of dates and actions that were performed on the system. 7

8 ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION RFP Contact All vendor communications concerning the RFP must be directed to the contact person listed below. Any oral communication will be considered unofficial and non-binding on the agency. Vendors should only rely on written statements issued by the County. Name Tammy Blau, Program Officer Agency: Department of Public Safety and Justice Services Address: 310 Lakeside Suite 795A Cleveland, OH Telephone: Fax: All questions must be submitted by September 9, 2013 Location of work Work to be performed at CECOMS 1255 Euclid Ave. Cleveland, OH

9 Proposal Rejection The County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals at any time without penalty. Withdrawal of Proposals Vendors may withdraw a proposal that has been submitted at any time up to the proposal closing date and time, by submitting a written request to the RFP contact listed above and the Office of Procurement & Diversity. Response Property of the County All materials submitted in response to this request become the property of the County. Selection or rejection of a response does not affect this right. No Obligation to Buy The County reserves the right to refrain from contracting with any vendor. The release of this RFP does not compel the County to purchase. The County is not bound to accept the lowest priced proposal or any of the proposals submitted. Cost of Preparing Proposals The County is not liable for any costs incurred by vendors in the preparation and presentation of proposals submitted in response to this RFP. Acceptance of Terms All the terms and conditions of this RFP are deemed to be accepted by the bidder and incorporated in its proposal except those conditions and provisions that are expressly excluded by the vendor in the proposal. Disclosure of Proposal Contents All documents submitted to the County as part of your proposal become public information after the contract is awarded, and available for review and inspection by anyone requesting to do so. The County does not encourage the submission of confidential/proprietary information in response to this proposal. However, written requests for confidentiality can be submitted to the RFP contact. Neither a proposal in its entirety, nor proposal price information will be considered confidential or proprietary. Under Ohio Revised Code Section , the County will make a determination of application for disclosure on an ad hoc basis.

10 Equal Opportunity Prospective vendors must comply with the applicable contract compliance procedures for equal employment opportunity as stipulated by Cuyahoga County. It is the policy of Cuyahoga County, to assure equal employment opportunity. Discrimination against any person in the recruitment, training, examination, appointment, promotion, retention, discipline or any other aspect of personnel administration because of race, religion, national origin, sex, ancestry, age, disability, sexual orientation, or veteran status is prohibited. Words of the masculine gender used in proposals shall be deemed and construed to include correlative words of the feminine gender. Evaluation Process All proposals will be reviewed to determine if they are responsive. They will then be evaluated by an Evaluation team. The team will evaluate and numerically score each proposal in accordance with the following evaluation criteria: Understanding of the project: 30 Points Experience and qualifications: 30 Points Pricing: 40 Points Only proposals which receive at least a score of 55 for criteria excluding cost will be considered technically responsive. The technically responsive proposal that is the lowest in cost will receive the maximum number of points allocated to cost. Points for other proposals will be allocated relative to the lowest cost proposal. The evaluation process is designed to award the contract to the vendor with the best combination of attributes based upon the evaluation criteria, not necessarily to the vendor with the lowest cost. More than one vendor may receive a contract. The team will rank proposals, and negotiations may be undertaken with the top ranked vendor. If agreement cannot be reached by a mutually agreed upon date, negotiations may commence with the next highest ranked vendors. Contract Negotiations The option of whether or not to initiate contract negotiations rests solely with the County. If the County elects to initiate contract negotiations, these negotiations cannot involve changes in the County s requirements or the vendor s proposal which would, by their nature, affect the basis of the source selection and the competition previously conducted. The vendor is responsible for their travel and per diem expenses during contract negotiations.

11 Failure to Negotiate If any contract cannot be negotiated within fifteen (15) days of notification to the designated vendor, the County may terminate negotiations with the vendor and negotiate a contract with another vendor. Contracting Requirements The successful vendor shall, upon notification of award, be required to enter into a contract with Cuyahoga County, Ohio and must comply with the contract terms and conditions defined herein. If the vendor is unwilling to agree to a proposed clause or term, then your cover letter must reference an appendix which identifies these clauses in dispute and should: a. Suggest a specific alternative term, clause or approach; b. Provide an explanation of your reasons. Contractor Must Complete the Following The successful vendor shall, upon notification of award, be required to enter into a contract with Cuyahoga County, Ohio and must complete the following: Provide a notarized signature authority or corporate resolution; this document is also known as a limited power of attorney, and will be submitted as an attachment to your contract/agreement or amendment. A sample of a notarized signature authority form is attached for clarification. Provide a Certificate of Liability Insurance; this document must be current. A Certificate of Liability Insurance must be submitted each year an agency does business with Cuyahoga County. Provide a Workers' Compensation Certificate; this document must be current. A Workers' Compensation Certificate must be submitted each year an agency does business with Cuyahoga County. Provide a W-9 Provide a Principle Owner Form Must be registered with the Cuyahoga County Agency of Inspector General. Please visit Registration.aspx for more information. Contract Processing The County department shall prepare the contractual agreement required by this informal RFP specification. This contractual agreement shall be fully responsive to the requirements defined in these informal RFP specifications.

12 Proposal as Part of the Contract Part or all of the successful proposal may be incorporated into the contract. Commencement of Contract Performance In order to protect the interests of Cuyahoga County a contract must be executed by the County Executive and/or his designee before the goods or services as set forth in this informal RFP specification can be provided.

13 CONTRACT TERMS AND CONDITIONS The following terms and conditions shall apply to the contractual agreement between the successful vendor and the Cuyahoga County: 1. The contract shall be subject to interpretation under the laws of the State of Ohio, and subject to the review of the County Prosecutor's Office as to legal form and correctness. 2. The successful vendor shall agree to indemnify and save the County of Cuyahoga, Ohio harmless from suits or actions of every nature and description brought against it, for or on account of any injuries or damages received or sustained by a party or parties or from any act of the contractor, his servants or agents. 3. The County of Cuyahoga shall not assume responsibility for the payment of any personal property taxes for any materials not owned by the County of Cuyahoga, nor shall the County of Cuyahoga pay any insurance premiums for any coverage of any property not owned by the County of Cuyahoga, Ohio. No conditions shall alter this statement. 4. The County of Cuyahoga is a tax-exempt No. 29 political subdivision of the State of Ohio (Federal I.D. No ). Necessary tax exemption blanks will be furnished to the successful vendor when the contract is signed. 5. Acceptance of performance is a condition of the agreement. It shall be understood and agreed that an agent for Cuyahoga County shall determine finally the satisfactory quality of the services and/or materials furnished under the agreement. Failure to meet performance requirements is a reason for termination of the agreement, and the contractor shall be liable to the County for any excess cost and/or expenses incurred by the County thereafter. 6. In the event that the contract is terminated by the County of Cuyahoga, Ohio, thirty (30) calendar days advance written notice shall be given to the contractor. The contractor shall provide all services and/or materials required by the contract and the specifications to the date of termination. Under no circumstances shall the County of Cuyahoga, Ohio be responsible for any type of penalty payment upon the cancellation of the contact. The contractor, however, shall be paid for all services and/or materials provided to the date of termination. 7. By submitting a proposal, the vendor agrees on behalf of the submitting business entity, its officers, employees, subcontractors, sub-grantees, agents or assigns, that all resulting contract documents requiring County signatures may be executed by electronic means, and that the electronic signatures affixed by the County to said documents shall have the same legal effect as if that signature was manually affixed to a paper version of the document. The vendor also agrees on behalf of the aforementioned entity and persons, to be bound by the provisions of Chapters 304 and 1306 of the Ohio Revised Code as they pertain to electronic transactions, and to comply with the electronic signature policy of Cuyahoga County.

14 8. Anti-discrimination: The contractor agrees that in the employment of labor, skilled or unskilled, under this Agreement, there shall be no discrimination exercised against any person because of race, religion, national origin, sex, ancestry, age, disability, sexual orientation, or veteran status, and that violation thereof shall be deemed a material breach of said Agreement. 9. Americans with Disability Act (ADA): The Contractor shall certify that they are in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of The Contractor assures that their facilities and services provide reasonable access to all persons with a disability or that reasonable accommodations can be made to provide access. The Contractor agrees to make any and all modifications (that do not impose an undue hardship) to assure access. 10. Social Security Act: The Contractor shall be and remain an independent contractor with respect to all services performed hereunder and agrees to and does hereby accept full and exclusive liability for payment of any and all contributions or taxes for social security, unemployment insurance, or old age retirement benefits, pensions, or annuities now or hereafter imposed under any Local, State or Federal Law which are measured by the wages, salaries, or other remuneration paid to persons employed by the Contractor for work performed under the terms of this Contract and further agrees to obey all lawful rules and regulations and to meet all lawful requirements which are now or hereafter may be issued or promulgated under said respective laws by and duly authorized State or Federal officials; and said Contractor also agrees to indemnify and save harmless Cuyahoga County from such contributions or taxes or liability. 11. Labor and Material: The Contractor shall well, truly and promptly pay or satisfy the just and equitable claims of all persons who have performed labor or furnished materials or equipment for said Contractor in the execution of this Contract, and all bills, costs or claims of whatever kind which might in law or equity become a lien upon said work. 12. Assignment: The Contractor shall not assign, transfer, convey or otherwise dispose of this Contract, or his right to execute it, or his right, title or interest in or to it or any part thereof, or assign, by power of attorney or otherwise, any of the monies due or to become due under this Contract without approval of the Board of County Commissioners by resolution. 13. Ownership of Contract Products: All products produced in response to the contract will be the sole property of the County.