Treutlen County Schools. Treutlen County Schools

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1 Request for Qualification- Benefit Plan Brokerage/Advisory Services Solicitation Treutlen County Schools is conducting a search for an independent broker/advisor to assist with the design, implementation, communication and open enrollment of our employee benefits plan. Interested parties should answer each question in detail and submit their response to: Mary Jane Corbin, CFO Treutlen County Schools 5040 South 3 rd Street Soperton, GA Phone: mcorbin@treutlen.k12.ga.us All responses must be received by 4:00 p.m. on April 24, 2015 in order to be considered. All responses should be clearly marked RFQ # Enclosed on the outside of a sealed envelope. Treutlen County Schools reserves the right to waive any and all guidelines herein, to waive minor irregularities, and to reject any and all RFQ s if considered to be in the best interest of the school district. 1

2 Request for Qualification- Benefit Plan Brokerage/Advisory Services RFQ Scope of the Project Treutlen County Schools is soliciting Requests for Qualification (RFQ) for Employee Benefit Brokerage/Advisory Services. Response to this solicitation must be in a sealed envelope clearly marked RFQ # Enclosed with RFQ opening date and time shown. Sealed RFQ s from brokerage/advisory firms will be received by Treutlen County Schools, 5040 South 3 rd Street, Soperton, GA until 4:00 p.m. April 24, RFQ s received after the above date and time will be returned unopened. RFQ s may not be withdrawn for a period of thirty (30) days after the date of receipt of bids. Requests for Qualifications documents may be obtained on our website at the following location: Treutlen County Schools reserve the right to reject any or all bids; any part or parts of a bid, waive any technicalities/informalities, make modifications or specifications, and award any or all of the contract in a manner that is in the best interest of Treutlen County Schools. Questionnaire responses should thoroughly detail experience and qualifications in assisting Georgia school districts (especially those of similar size - approximately 200+ employees). The time frame for implementing the new benefit plan selection will be for open enrollment Fall 2015 for a January 1, 2016 coverage effective date. If needed, proposing brokerage/advisory firms could be asked to present in May. After presentations (if needed) are completed, a recommendation will be made to the Treutlen County School Board for approval. If you have any questions concerning this Request for Qualification, please contact Mary Jane Corbin via at mcorbin@reutlen.k12.ga.us by March 25. All questions will be answered and posted on the Finance Department portion of the website at the following link: on March 27. It is the responsibility of proposers to check the website for questions and answers. 2

3 1. Name and address of firm submitting proposal: 2. Provide a brief history of your firm and describe what makes your firm uniquely qualified to work with TCS (Treutlen County Schools). Please indicate what type of entity your company is (i.e. Agency, company, broker, consultant, etc.) 3. How many school systems do you currently work with in Georgia? 4. Provide a complete description of the organizational structure of the company and the method by which work is accomplished. Include an organizational work flow chart with description of duties of the proposed account team members. Briefly describe the level of service and support provided by your firm on a daily basis. 5. Furnish a list of five school systems including services you provide,the benefit plans, the time period you have serviced the account, the number of covered employees, and contact information. 6. In your opinion, what are the two major challenges School Systemsof our size face in managing the benefits program and how will your firm help meet those challenges? 3

4 7. What is your process in evaluating benefits in the marketplace? 8. How will your firm help TCS become more efficient in payroll, reporting, and overall benefit management? 9. How would you evaluate and monitor our plans on an ongoing basis? 10. What is your philosophy of employee benefits, and how would you improve our employee s perception of them? 11. How would you ensure that the plans offered would be in the best interest of the employees and employer? 12. What is your process that ensures TCS would receive the best overall quality and value with our benefits? 4

5 13. What is your solution to enhance the efficiency of billing, payroll, and generating reports on a monthly basis? 14. How do you support your clients in ensuring their employee benefit programs remain compliant with all federal and state laws? 15. Detail how you develop a benefit communication strategy with your clients. 16. How many employees does your firm have covered under any applicable online enrollment/management systems? Is the system managed by your firm or another entity? Is this system an independent system, or is it connected to an insurance carrier/provider/product? 17. Has your firm, or anyone in your firm, been subject to any lawsuits or settlements specific to disclosure or practices within the last five years? 5

6 18. What is your company s philosophy on accepting contingency/override compensation or any other sources of income from insurers relative to the placement of insurance programs and making available documentation of the commissions received from insurers? 19. Explain how you expect to be compensated for your services? 20. Describe our right to terminate a contract. Is there a minimum contract period? 21. Please provide a list of the products your company has brokered for your clients and the percentages of each company/carrier. 22. Will anyone who services, enrolls, or otherwise directly assist Treutlen County School employees in their benefit decisions receive or be subject to any of the following: Commissions Sales Goals Sales Quotas Bonuses Other incentives If so, what are the potential ramifications if they don t meet those goals (i.e. probation, dismissal, etc.)? 6

7 23. Provide any additional information regarding your organization or services that you feel would be beneficial in helping Treutlen County Schools select a benefits broker/advisor. 7