UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS PURCHASING OFFICE 2125 COLLEGE AVENUE STE. 2 CONWAY, AR 72034

Transcription

1 UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS PURCHASING OFFICE 2125 COLLEGE AVENUE STE. 2 CONWAY, AR REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL Information Systems & Technology Help Desk Services RFP#UCA PROPOSALS MUST BE RECEIVED BEFORE: 11:00 A.M. Central Time on Tuesday, October 24, 2017 Proposal Delivery and Opening Location University of Central Arkansas 2125 College Avenue Ste. 2 Purchasing Department Conway, AR PROPOSALS WILL BE ACCEPTED UNTIL THE TIME AND DATE SPECIFIED ABOVE. THE PROPOSAL ENVELOPE MUST BE SEALED AND SHOULD BE PROPERLY MARKED WITH THE PROPOSAL NUMBER, DATE AND HOUR OF PROPOSAL OPENING AND CONSULTANT'S RETURN ADDRESS

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Section 1 Administrative Overview 1.0 Background 1.1 University Mission 1.2 Purpose 1.3 Issuing Officer 1.4 Contract Administrator 1.5 Anticipated Procurement Timetable 1.6 Submission of Proposals 1.7 Presentation 1.8 Rejection of Proposals 1.9 Contracting Condition 1.10 Public Opening of Proposals 1.11 Contract Awarding and Signing 1.12 Payment and Invoice Provisions 1.13 Proposal Evaluation 1.14 Protest of Award 1.15 Payment and Invoice Provisions Section 2 Scope 2.0 Purpose 2.1 Executive Summary 2.2 Features and Functionality Deployment Methods Incident Management Knowledge Management Service Request Fulfillment Problem Management User Access and Authentication Notification Support Reporting Tools Escalation and Tiering Customizations Technical Requirements 2.3 Additional Questions 2.4 Vendor Demonstration 2.5 Cost Optional Add-On Costs 2.6 UCA Shall 2.7 Termination for Default 2.8 UCA s Remedies on Default

3 Section 3 Section Contracting Information Evaluation Process and Criteria 3.0 Evaluation Criteria 3.1 Experience 3.2 Project Understanding 3.3 Services to be Provided 3.4 Cost Proposal Submission 4.0 Documents to be Submitted 4.1 Proposal and Qualifications Section 5 General Terms and Conditions 5.0 Legal Considerations 5.1 Ethical Standards Law 5.2 Conflict of Interest 5.3 Warranty Against Broker's Fee 5.4 Offer of Gratuities or Kickbacks 5.5 Employment of State Personnel 5.6 Termination of Contract 5.7 Procurement on Termination 5.8 Services to be Provided 5.9 Contractor 5.10 Force Majeure 5.11 Disputes 5.12 Confidentiality of Information 5.13 Public Disclosure 5.14 Inspection of Work Performed 5.15 Subcontracts 5.16 Indemnification 5.17 Assignment 5.18 Waiver 5.19 State Property 5.20 Contract Variations 5.21 Attorney's Fees 5.22 Liability 5.23 Records Retention 5.24 Conditions of Contract 5.25 Access to Contractor's Records 5.26 Employment Practices

4 Section 6 Special Terms and Conditions Section 7 Rules 7.0 Rules of Procurement 7.1 Point of Contact 7.2 Written Questions Concerning the RFP 7.3 RFP Amendments 7.4 Cost of Preparing Proposals 7.5 Disposition of Proposals 7.6 Proposal Amendments and Rules of Withdrawal 7.7 Acceptance of Proposals 7.8 Evaluation of Proposals 7.9 Award Notice 7.10 Protest of Award Attachments Part I Signature Page Part II Proposer References Part IV Official Pricing Sheet Part V Addendum Acknowledgement Sheet

5 Section 1 Administrative Overview 1.0 Background Founded in 1907, University of Central Arkansas strives to provide strong academic programs to meet the diverse needs of nearly 11,700 students. Located in Conway, "The City of Colleges," the university is large enough to offer academic diversity, yet small enough to show personal interest and support. The student-to-faculty ratio at UCA is 17-to-1. UCA offers 82 undergraduate degree programs, 31 master's degrees, and six doctoral degrees. Study at UCA is broken into six different colleges - the College of Business, the College of Education, the College of Fine Arts and Communications, the College of Health and Behavioral Sciences, the College of Liberal Arts, and the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. In addition to courses taken in the six colleges, students requiring transitional support take courses delivered by University College, and students accepted into the university's Honors College take courses towards the completion of a minor in Honors. 1.1 University Mission The University of Central Arkansas, a leader in 21st-century higher education, is committed to excellence through the delivery of outstanding undergraduate and graduate education that remains current and responsive to the diverse needs of those it serves. The university s faculty and staff promote the intellectual, professional, social, and personal development of its students through innovations in learning, scholarship, and creative endeavors. Students, faculty, and staff partner to create strong engagement with the local, national, and global communities. The University of Central Arkansas dedicates itself to academic vitality, integrity, and diversity. 1.2 Purpose The University of Central Arkansas (the University ) is issuing this Request for Proposal ( RFP ) for the purpose of replacing their existing internally developed Help Desk System with a vendor provided Help Desk System. The vendor must be able to provide UCA a web-based Help Desk System. In order to simplify the University s task of evaluating all of the proposals we have developed a format in which all proposals must be prepared. Failure to adhere to this format or to omit any of the information that is required will result in your firm s proposal being disqualified. 1.3 Issuing Officer Meghan Cowan Phone: (501) Fax: (501) meghanp@uca.edu 1.4 Contract Administrator Project Officer: Dr. Chris Davis, VP for Information Systems & Technology Phone: cdavis@uca.edu

6 1.5 Anticipated Procurement Timetable RFP Issued: September 28, 2017 Deadline for Questions on Proposal: October 4, 2017 Responses to Questions posted on website: October 6, 2017 Proposals Due: October 24, 2017 Tentative Date for Presentations if Needed: October 27, 2017 Contract Award after Legislative Approval: November 17, 2017 Contractor Commences Performance: TBD 1.6 Submission of Proposals No later than 11:00 a.m., on Tuesday, October 24, 2017 submit one original (marked original ) hard copy and four (4) electronic CD s or Flash drives copies of the proposal should be received by: University of Central Arkansas Purchasing Department 2125 College Avenue Suite 2 Conway, AR COST PROPOSAL MUST BE INCLUDED UPON SUBMISSION, BUT SEALED SEPARATELY. All proposals must be executed by an authorized officer of the proposer and must be held firm for acceptance for a minimum period of 90 days after the opening date. Addenda or amendments, if any, should be signed, dated and included with the respondent s proposal submission. Failure to do so may be cause for rejection of the proposal. Acceptance of request for proposal issued by the Director of Purchasing indicated by submission of a proposal by responder, will bind responder to the terms and conditions herein set forth, except as specifically qualified in any addendum issued in connection therewith. Any alleged oral agreement or arrangement made by a responder with any agency or Director of Purchasing, or an employee of the campus will be disregarded. 1.7 Presentation Vendors selected for final evaluation may be required to make an oral presentation. Such presentations provide an opportunity for Vendors to clarify their proposal and ensure mutual understanding. The University will schedule time and location for any required presentations. 1.8 Rejection of Proposals The University reserves the right to reject any and all proposals received as a result of this RFP. 1.9 Contracting Condition The successful vendor and any entity or person directly or indirectly controlled by, under common control with, or controlling the vendor will not acquire any interest, direct or indirect, which would conflict in any manner or disagree with the performance of its services hereunder. The vendor further covenants that in the performance of the contract no person having any such

7 known interest shall be employed. No official or employee of the State and no other public official of the State of Arkansas or the Federal Government who exercises any functions or responsibilities in the review of approval of the undertaking or carrying out of the project shall, prior to the completion of the project, voluntarily acquire any personal interest direct or indirect, in this contract or proposed contract Public Opening of Proposals A public opening of all Technical/Business proposals will be held on: Tuesday, October 24, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. at the location below: University of Central Arkansas Purchasing Department 2125 College Avenue, Suite 2 Conway, AR ANY CONFIDENTIAL, PROPRIETARY, COPYRIGHTED OR FINANCIAL MATERIAL SUBMITTED BY CONSULTANTS MUST BE MARKED AS SUCH AND SUBMITTED UNDER SEPARATE COVER. ALL SUBMITTALS BY CONSULTANTS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW TO THE EXTENT PERMISSIBLE, PURSUANT TO THE ARKANSAS FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT ET SEQ Contract Awarding and Signing Contract awarding and signing will be contingent upon the University receiving advice from approving authorities if necessary. The contract will be an incorporation of the contents of the RFP as well as negotiated terms and conditions Payment and Invoice Provisions All invoices shall be forwarded to the University of Central Arkansas -Accounts Payable Department and must show an itemized list of charges by specified category. Payment will be made in accordance with applicable State of Arkansas accounting procedures Proposal Evaluation The staff of the University of Central Arkansas and the Director of Purchasing will evaluate all proposals to ensure all requirements are met. The contract will be awarded on the basis of the proposal that receives the highest cumulative point total as defined in the evaluation criteria Protest of Award Within fourteen (14) calendar days after the opening date of proposals, the prospective offeror must file a formal written notice of protest with the Director of Purchasing. Failure to do so shall constitute a waiver of any rights to administrative decision under ACA Section Further details on protesting awards may be obtained by contacting the Issuing Officer Payment and Invoice Provisions All invoices shall be forwarded to the University of Central Arkansas Accounts Payable Department and must show an itemized list of charges by type of equipment, service, etc. Payment will be made in accordance with applicable State of Arkansas accounting procedures upon written acceptance by UCA Contract Administrator. SECTION 2 SCOPE

8 2.0 Purpose The University of Central Arkansas (UCA) is seeking to replace their existing internally developed Help Desk System with a vendor provided Help Desk System. The vendor must provide to UCA a web-based Help Desk System. 2.1 Executive Summary Executive Summary Please provide an executive summary (no more than 1-2 pages) of the Help Desk software and why you believe it is the right choice for UCA. Please also include the following information: A. How many successful deployments of this software have you completed in the past five years? B. How many deployments of this software have you completed in the higher education market in past five years? C. What is the total number of customers in Arkansas to which you have successfully deployed this software? 2.2 Features and Functionality UCA has developed a list of features and functionality that it has an interest in seeing in potential Help Desk Software solutions. Tables have been developed with relevant features listed. UCA asks that you please provide information as to your product s Level of Support of each feature. Please use the following categories for Support Level Deployment Methods Please explain the options for deploying the software (i.e. on-site hosted, off-site hosted, or SaaS). If on-site hosted, please provide recommended infrastructure requirements Incident Management - An incident is defined as an unplanned interruption of an IT service or a reduction in the quality of an IT service. This definition extends to include the identification of the failure of a configuration item that has not yet impacted the IT service. Incidents are categorized to be able to identify who should work on them and to more easily identify trends that may be developing. The Incident Management process is focused upon restoring normal service as quickly as possible in order to minimize impact upon business operations. Place an X in the column that best describes your product s level of support of each of the following features and/or functions. Provide additional details beneath the table for any feature/function marked SM, PS, or NA. (FS) Fully Supported - Use this code when you determine the product fully meets the letter and intent of the Feature/Function. (SM) Supported by Other Means - Use this code when the product instead uses a different but equivalent or better means of meeting the Feature/Function. (PS) Partially Supported - Use this code when you determine the product does not fully meet the letter and intent of the Desired Feature, but provides some level of support relative to the Feature/Function.

9 (NS) Not Supported - Use this code when you determine the product does not meet the letter or intent of the Feature/Function. (NA) Not Applicable - Use this code when you determine that the Feature/Function does not apply to the specific product. # Feature/Function FS SM PS NS NA A B C D E F G H I J K L The software supports a multi-tiered escalation model for Incident Management. An automation capability exists to support incident escalation based upon the Service and subcomponent. All actions and steps taken to restore service to the IT customer are recorded for audit purposes and as background information for technical staff performing Problem Management related to the incident. The software must enable logging and tracking of the progress toward restoring of the service to the user. This status information must be available to the requestor through a Self Service interface. Ability for analysts to have a clear view of the incidents assigned to them and their priority. Ability to prioritize incidents based on specific customers. Ability to group incidents together to be managed as one problem. Ability to pre-populate forms with profile (end user, customer) information. Ability to assist the analyst with resolving incidents by rapidly returning relevant knowledge base articles based on the incident description, categorization or summary. Ability for supervisors, managers, directors to view all issues assigned to their team. Ability to search for different criteria, including incident number, date ranges, customers, analyst, topic, keyword, etc. Ability to save searches that can be used again but actively update with new content. Ability to automatically reopen a closed incident if the customer responds on that incident again. Ability to automatically create an incident or populate fields in a form.

10 M N O P Q R S Ability to close multiple incidents at once, as opposed to one at a time. Ability to transition from one analyst to another. Ability to configure screens easily to match UCA s requirements. Ability for analysts to set their own preferences and configure their own views of the system. Ability to customize the incident flow and processes without the requirement for external consultancy. Ability to capture the time spent working on the incident. This should be automatic but with the ability to update manually. Ability for customers to see all progress in incident without leaving the incident screen (self-service) Knowledge Management - Knowledge Management is defined as ensuring that the right person has the right information at the right time to deliver and support the services required by a business. This results in: more efficient services with improved quality, clear and common understanding of the value being provided by the services, and relevant information that is always available. Place an X in the column that best describes your product s level of support of each of the following features and/or functions. Provide additional details beneath the table for any feature/function marked SM, PS, or NA. (FS) Fully Supported - Use this code when you determine the product fully meets the letter and intent of the Feature/Function. (SM) Supported by Other Means - Use this code when the product instead uses a different but equivalent or better means of meeting the Feature/Function. (PS) Partially Supported - Use this code when you determine the product does not fully meet the letter and intent of the Desired Feature, but provides some level of support relative to the Feature/Function. (NS) Not Supported - Use this code when you determine the product does not meet the letter or intent of the Feature/Function. (NA) Not Applicable - Use this code when you determine that the Feature/Function does not apply to the specific product. # Feature/Function FS SM PS NS NA A B The solution includes a knowledge base component that can be easily extended with knowledge acquired during day-to-day operations. Ability to cut and paste from other knowledge sources.

11 C D E F G H I J Knowledge Management searches are available from within Incident Management, Problem Management, as well as through Self-Service functions. Ability to access appropriate articles based on the text that is typed in when an incident is generated. Ability to mine incidents and knowledge base articles to find previous problems of a similar nature or enable trends to be identified. Ability to rate the quality of a knowledge item by the frequency of use. Ability of knowledge base to search more than its own data. Ability for all users to rapidly search the knowledge base. Ability to provide customers with direct access to knowledge articles via links within a Closed Description of the log to customers. Ability to categorize knowledge articles by client, product area, or functionality Service Request Fulfillment - A service request is a request from a user for information, for advice, for a standard change, or for access to an IT service. The purpose of Request Fulfillment is to enable a user to make such request and receive these services; to provide information to users for how to request and obtain the services; to ensure the delivery of the services; and to assist with general information, complaints and comments. It includes tracking and logging progress on requests as well as the approval process required before fulfilling the request. Place an X in the column that best describes your product s level of support of each of the following features and/or functions. Provide additional details beneath the table for any feature/function marked SM, PS, or NA. (FS) Fully Supported - Use this code when you determine the product fully meets the letter and intent of the Feature/Function. (SM) Supported by Other Means - Use this code when the product instead uses a different but equivalent or better means of meeting the Feature/Function. (PS) Partially Supported - Use this code when you determine the product does not fully meet the letter and intent of the Desired Feature, but provides some level of support relative to the Feature/Function. (NS) Not Supported - Use this code when you determine the product does not meet the letter or intent of the Feature/Function. (NA) Not Applicable - Use this code when you determine that the Feature/Function does not apply to the specific product.

12 # Feature/Function FS SM PS NS NA A B C D E F G H The software supports customizable escalation and approval flows based on the selection of a specific service and subcomponent. The Help Desk Agent can be led through the flow or the system has the capability to automatically take the appropriate next action. Cut and paste from other knowledge sources is supported. Knowledge Management searches are available from within Incident Management, Problem Management, as well as through Self-Service functions. Ability to access appropriate articles based on the text that is typed in when an incident is generated. The software solution enables logging and tracking of the progress toward fulfillment of each service request. The fulfillment status is available to the requestor through a Self-Service portal interface. The capability to assign a technician to fulfill a service request is provided. Where such information in not explicitly included in the service order form it is customizable to add fields or templates for information that the University may need for auditing and other purposes. Capability exists to integrate business processes into workflows Problem Management - A problem is a cause of one or more incidents. As the specifics of the cause is not generally known at the time that a problem is created, the Problem Management process is responsible for further investigation. The primary goals of Problem Management are (1) to prevent problems from occurring, which reduces the number of new incidents that occur, (2) to resolve the causes of existing incidents so that they do not recur, and (3) minimize the impact of incidents that cannot be prevented. At UCA we would also like Problem to act as our internal and external event reporting method. When an event or problem occurs, the system would automatically generate notification internally and externally to customers when needed. Place an X in the column that best describes your product s level of support of each of the following features and/or functions. Provide additional details beneath the table for any feature/function marked SM, PS, or NA. (FS) Fully Supported - Use this code when you determine the product fully meets the letter and intent of the Feature/Function. (SM) Supported by Other Means - Use this code when the product instead uses a different but equivalent or better means of meeting the Feature/Function.

13 (PS) Partially Supported - Use this code when you determine the product does not fully meet the letter and intent of the Desired Feature, but provides some level of support relative to the Feature/Function. (NS) Not Supported - Use this code when you determine the product does not meet the letter or intent of the Feature/Function. (NA) Not Applicable - Use this code when you determine that the Feature/Function does not apply to the specific product. # Feature/Function FS SM PS NS NA A B C D E F G H I J K L Help Desk users are able to create a problem directly from the Incident Management process. The capability to relate a problem entry to a set of previously reported incidents is provided. The capability to attach artifacts related to investigation of the problem is included. This includes document attachments as well as screenshots. The capability to record and track all activities related to the management of each problem entry is provided. When the problem is assigned to a team rather than to an individual, any member of the team is able to add status and artifacts to the record. Ability for analysts to have a clear view of the incidents assigned to them and their priority. Ability to prioritize incidents based on specific customers. Ability to group incidents together to be managed as one problem. Ability to categorize incidents by various operational areas and assign to specific technician queues (systems administration, networking, instructional technology, etc.) Ability to pre-populate forms with profile (end user or customer) information. Ability to assist the analyst with resolving incidents by rapidly returning relevant knowledge base articles based on the incident description, categorization or summary. Ability for supervisors, managers, directors to view all issues assigned to their team. Ability to search for different criteria, including incident number, date ranges, customers, analyst, topic, keyword, etc. Ability to save searches that can be used again but

14 actively update with new content. M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Ability to automatically reopen a closed incident if the customer responds on that incident again. Ability to automatically create an incident or populate fields in a form. Ability to close multiple incidents at once, as opposed to one at a time. Ability to transition from one analyst to another. Ability to configure screens easily to match our requirements. Ability for analysts to set their own preferences and configure their own views of the system. Ability to customize the incident flow and processes without the requirement for external consultancy. Ability to capture the time spent working on the incident. This should be automatic but with the ability to update manually. Ability for customers to see all progress in incident without leaving the incident screen (self-service). Ability for customers and IT analysts to receive notifications ( , SMS, push, etc.) when specific actions take place on a ticket. Please explain. Ability to notify external customers and end users of known problems through self-service portal. Ability to create escalation notifications based on priorities defined by IT. Ability to create from mobile devices, such as ios and Android or mobile apps User Access and Authentication Place an X in the column that best describes your product s level of support of each of the following features and/or functions. Provide additional details beneath the table for any feature/function marked SM, PS, or NA. (FS) Fully Supported - Use this code when you determine the product fully meets the letter and intent of the Feature/Function. (SM) Supported by Other Means - Use this code when the product instead uses a different but equivalent or better means of meeting the Feature/Function.

15 (PS) Partially Supported - Use this code when you determine the product does not fully meet the letter and intent of the Desired Feature, but provides some level of support relative to the Feature/Function. (NS) Not Supported - Use this code when you determine the product does not meet the letter or intent of the Feature/Function. (NA) Not Applicable - Use this code when you determine that the Feature/Function does not apply to the specific product. # Feature/Function FS SM PS NS NA A B C D Ability to support consistent processes across campus wide operations while retaining the flexibility to easily support departmental business models. Ability to access the system via a web interface. Ability to access the system via mobile devices (handheld and tablet). Ability to access the solution via a mobile app. Please provide details on platforms, feature sets, and cost of app. E F G H I Ability to set different roles and maintain granular sets of permissions based on roles. Ability to authenticate customers. Ability for customers to create their own tickets. Please provide details on how this is accomplished, in which platforms it takes place, and what actions can be set to automatically occur after the ticket creation (i.e. notifications, s, etc.) End user training and/or training materials are readily available. Systems administration training and/or training materials are readily available Notification Support Place an X in the column that best describes your product s level of support of each of the following features and/or functions. Provide additional details beneath the table for any feature/function marked SM, PS, or NA. (FS) Fully Supported - Use this code when you determine the product fully meets the letter and intent of the Feature/Function.

16 (SM) Supported by Other Means - Use this code when the product instead uses a different but equivalent or better means of meeting the Feature/Function. (PS) Partially Supported - Use this code when you determine the product does not fully meet the letter and intent of the Desired Feature, but provides some level of support relative to the Feature/Function. (NS) Not Supported - Use this code when you determine the product does not meet the letter or intent of the Feature/Function. (NA) Not Applicable - Use this code when you determine that the Feature/Function does not apply to the specific product. # Feature/Function FS SM PS NS NA A B C Ability to have multiple notification options (i.e. , SMS, push, mobile app notification, etc.) alerting both IT staff and the user when tickets are assigned, resolved, etc. Please specify what options are available in your solution. Ability to send outgoing notifications using configurable templates and control over when those go out based on certain actions. Ability to configure the system so as to trigger outgoing notifications only when specific types of updates to the incidents occur Reporting Tools Place an X in the column that best describes your product s level of support of each of the following features and/or functions. Provide additional details beneath the table for any feature/function marked SM, PS, or NA. (FS) Fully Supported - Use this code when you determine the product fully meets the letter and intent of the Feature/Function. (SM) Supported by Other Means - Use this code when the product instead uses a different but equivalent or better means of meeting the Feature/Function. (PS) Partially Supported - Use this code when you determine the product does not fully meet the letter and intent of the Desired Feature, but provides some level of support relative to the Feature/Function. (NS) Not Supported - Use this code when you determine the product does not meet the letter or intent of the Feature/Function. (NA) Not Applicable - Use this code when you determine that the Feature/Function does not apply to the specific product. # Feature/Function FS SM PS NS NA A Ability to leverage out-of-the-box reports. Please provide example reports.

17 B C D E F G H Ability to create ad hoc reports via a guided experience. Please provide example reports. Ability to calculate the cumulative time spent on an incident or a problem and track how long it was open. Ability to drill down from graphical dashboards to individual items. Ability for customers to create personal dashboards for their own use. Please provide examples. Ability to have automated reports ed out at scheduled times. Ability to report on every piece of data in the system (i.e. FCR, resolution time). Ability to create display dashboards that can be run on an external display without using a license Escalation and Tiering Place an X in the column that best describes your product s level of support of each of the following features and/or functions. Provide additional details beneath the table for any feature/function marked SM, PS, or NA. (FS) Fully Supported - Use this code when you determine the product fully meets the letter and intent of the Feature/Function. (SM) Supported by Other Means - Use this code when the product instead uses a different but equivalent or better means of meeting the Feature/Function. (PS) Partially Supported - Use this code when you determine the product does not fully meet the letter and intent of the Desired Feature, but provides some level of support relative to the Feature/Function. (NS) Not Supported - Use this code when you determine the product does not meet the letter or intent of the Feature/Function. (NA) Not Applicable - Use this code when you determine that the Feature/Function does not apply to the specific product. # Feature/Function FS SM PS NS NA A B C Ability to automatically alert specific analysts, supervisors, and/or managers if the incident is related to a particular customer. Ability to automatically escalate if a particular time limit is breached against an open call of a particular priority. Ability to send escalation alerts via multiple channels ( , SMS, mobile app alerts, etc.)

18 D Ability to start and stop timers on escalations, (i.e. business hours) Customizations Place an X in the column that best describes your product s level of support of each of the following features and/or functions. Provide additional details beneath the table for any feature/function marked SM, PS, or NA. (FS) Fully Supported - Use this code when you determine the product fully meets the letter and intent of the Feature/Function. (SM) Supported by Other Means - Use this code when the product instead uses a different but equivalent or better means of meeting the Feature/Function. (PS) Partially Supported - Use this code when you determine the product does not fully meet the letter and intent of the Desired Feature, but provides some level of support relative to the Feature/Function. (NS) Not Supported - Use this code when you determine the product does not meet the letter or intent of the Feature/Function. (NA) Not Applicable - Use this code when you determine that the Feature/Function does not apply to the specific product. # Feature/Function FS SM PS NS NA A B C D Ability to leverage a drag and drop graphical environment to customize the application without the need for intensive coding and scripting. Should be someone at the front line who can make these changes. Ability to easily preserve customizations with upgrades. Ability to perform customizations with minimum levels of technical prowess and training. Ability to build out related processes using the application with minimal effort Technical Requirements Place an X in the column that best describes your product s level of support of each of the following features and/or functions. Provide additional details beneath the table for any feature/function marked SM, PS, or NA. (FS) Fully Supported - Use this code when you determine the product fully meets the letter and intent of the Feature/Function. (SM) Supported by Other Means - Use this code when the product instead uses a different but equivalent or better means of meeting the Feature/Function. (PS) Partially Supported - Use this code when you determine the product does not fully meet the letter and intent of the Desired Feature, but provides some level of support relative to the Feature/Function. (NS) Not Supported - Use this code when you determine the product does not meet the letter or intent of the Feature/Function.

19 (NA) Not Applicable - Use this code when you determine that the Feature/Function does not apply to the specific product. # Feature/Function FS SM PS NS NA A B C D E F G H Software is web-based, requiring no software installation on local client machines. Web applications support current and recent past versions of all major browsers (i.e., Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, and Google Chrome). Provide tools or API for data imports. Provide tools or API for data exports. Data is encrypted on servers and in transit. Ability to integrate with Active Directory for authentication as well as CAS to facilitate single sign-on through the campus portal. Backup procedures for the application and database (in case the entire system needs to be recovered) should allow recovery to a point and time no greater than 12 hours in the past. Solution provides a process of protecting data security to include but not limited to the compliance with federal and state statutes; regulations of the university s policies; and FERPA. Please provide additional information which demonstrates vendor s commitment to and process for protecting data security. I J K The software provides various levels of security and authorization allowing or preventing view and update capability for forms and data depending on user roles, needs and the level of authority. UCA is able to administer security settings. Ability for a security administrator to immediately change security access as employee s roles change. 2.3 Additional Questions A. UCA s supported system is Gmail with the primary client for use being a standard web browser. Does your system have any specific integration with G Suite? B. What methods are available for users to manage incidents (web, , SMS, mobile app, etc.) and what functions are available in each? C. Can sensitive data be encrypted or masked in the log files and database?

20 D. What performance tracking software is available within the application? What is the overhead for using this tool? E. Are there monitors on the server for us to track things like average system utilization, license thresholds, etc.? Please describe. F. Do you have a product support system with knowledgeable staff and reasonable times for service response? G. Do you have 24/7/365 technical support? If not, what level of support is available? H. We typically do not provide unmonitored system access for vendors. Is Web-ex or systems that allow us to monitor while the vendor does work acceptable? I. What forums and user conferences are available? J. Do you provide notification to clients via lists on upcoming releases, changes, and retirements? K. Do you provide documentation that outlines security and permissions within the application? L. Is it possible to create or copy permissions within the application? M. Can users be imported from the current system to your system? N. Can existing tickets, knowledgebase, and other information be imported from the current system to your system? O. Do you provide fine grain access to data fields? P. Does the system provide the ability to restrict user settings by user through roles? Q. Does the system provide group based security? R. Please explain your security administration setup. S. If the solution is deployed on-premise: a. do you support deployments on Windows 2012R2 (or above)? b. do you support deployments on RedHat Linux? c. do you support deployments in VMware 6.0 or higher? d. what database platforms are utilized/supported? Is the required database licensing included as part of the solution purchase? e. what is the typical on-premise FTE required to support the system at an enterprise level (database administrators, developers, systems programmers, and client support services)? 2.4 Vendor Demonstration Vendors who are identified as finalists will be required to demonstrate the functionality and feature set of the software to UCA. This demonstration will be held via web conference through a mutually agreed upon web service. The demonstration should provide the following: A. Introduction to the vendor and executive summary of the software. B. Overview/demonstration of the features and functionality in sections in the RFP. C. Answering additional questions posed by UCA. 2.5 Cost A. Licensing model must provide 40 licenses for IT analysts and unlimited end users. B. Outline all of the following costs in detail: a. Software License, both first year and ongoing b. Cost of additional analyst licenses c. Annual maintenance

21 d. Implementation/Professional Services provide detail as to what is included and the timeframe to implement. e. Training provide detail of what time of training, how many, etc. f. Any required third party software Optional Add-Ons A. UCA may at its discretion consider additional software and services as part of this RFP. Accordingly, please provide additional information in order to provide UCA with a clearer understanding of the overall functionality and scalability of the Help Desk software package. B. Is the solution scalable to a full ITSM solution (please explain)? If so, please provide additional information on the following: a. available features or modules (please specify whether included in the base price or optional) that allow for the facilitation and administration of a formal IT change management process. b. available features or modules (please specify whether included in the base price or optional) that allow for the facilitation and administration of and IT project management solution. c. available features or modules (please specify whether included in the base price or optional) that allow for asset tracking. d. available features or modules (please specify whether included in the base price or optional) that allow for centralized license management. e. available features or modules (please specify whether included in the base price or optional) that allow for the creation and management of an IT service catalogue. C. If applicable, please provide detailed pricing information of your off-site hosting model. 2.6 UCA Shall Not in any way be liable for any cost, liability, damage or injury, including cost of suit and reasonable expenses of legal services, claimed or recovered by any person whomsoever or whatsoever as a result of any operations, works, acts, or omissions performed by the Vendor, its agents, or employees. 2.7 Termination for Default The Vendor shall be in the default under this Contract upon failure to perform, keep or observe any of the terms, covenants or conditions within seven (7) days (or such longer period as may be necessary to cure provided that cure is commenced within the initial seven (7) days) after notice from UCA specifying the nature of the deficiency with reasonable particularity and the corrective action that it to be taken within such period to cure the deficiency. This paragraph does not limit any other legal right of the University to terminate the contract. 2.8 UCA s Remedies on Default In the event of default by the vendor, UCA may terminate this contract by submitting thirty (30) days notice in writing to the Vendor notice of intention to terminate. In the alternative, UCA may elect to keep the contract in force and work with the Vendor to cure the default. UCA s decision to terminate will be at their sole discretion based on a determination of what is in the best interest of the University.

22 The failure by either party to exercise any right or rights accruing to it by virtue of the breach of any covenant, condition or agreement herein by the other party shall not operate as a waiver of the exercise of such right or rights in the event of any subsequent breach by such other party, nor shall such other party be relieved thereby from its obligations under the terms hereof. No director, officer, agent, or employee of either party hereto shall be charged personally or held contractually liable by or to the other party under any term or provision of this contract or of any supplement, modification or amendment to this contract because of any breach thereof or because of its or their execution or attempted execution of the same. 2.9 Contracting Information Any subsequent contract is made for the sole and exclusive benefit of UCA and the Vendor, their successors and assigns, and is not made for the benefit of any third party. In the event of any ambiguity in any of the terms of this contract, it shall not be construed for or against any party hereto on the basis that such party did or did not author the same. Any subsequent contract, which is the entire agreement between the parties hereto, supersedes any prior agreements, understanding, warranties or promises between the parties hereto, whether written, spoken, or implied from the conduct of the parties hereto. Nothing in this contract shall be construed as in any way limiting the general powers of UCA to fully exercise their governmental functions or their obligations under any bond covenants or federal state or local laws, rules or regulations. SECTION 3 REQUIREMENTS 3.0 Evaluation Criteria The proposals will be evaluated and awarded points based on a comparative formula of relative weighting as detailed below: Criteria Weight 1. Qualifications, experience and performance on projects of similar nature and scope by the project manager and other key individuals proposed 50% 2. Respondent s understanding of work to be performed. 30% 3. Cost of the overall solution, both one-time and on-going 10% 4. Financial stability for continued and on-going support. 10% The following approach will be used in evaluating the proposals: Review the proposals Contact selected references Select finalist(s) TOTAL POSSIBLE 100

23 Schedule presentations of finalist if needed Select the vendor The third phase will be the opening of the cost proposal by the UCA Purchasing Department, and review by the evaluation committee appointed by the University of Central Arkansas. The awarding of points will be determined by the following formula: a/b x c = d (Dividing lowest price (a) by the next lowest price (b) and multiplying by the total points for cost (c) will equal the number of cost points awarded (d). The effect of the formula is to insure that the lowest proposal receives the maximum number of points and each of the other proposals receive proportionately fewer points based on proposed bid price. 3.1 Experience The proposal must detail the respondent s familiarity and proven experience with this type of contract and demonstrated the ability to serve the University s needs for services associated with these activities. The respondent must detail its familiarity and ability to provide quality service meeting industry and governmental guidelines. 3.2 Project Understanding The proposal must specify the respondent s capability to perform the work requested. The proposal should provide detailed plans for meeting the objectives of the contract to include time frames for services, and each activity and requirement to be used in achieving those objectives. A description of resources available to the University, staff dedicated to account (with credentials) as well as other point of contact and troubleshooting options should be included as well. 3.3 Services Provided All services to be performed and materials to be produced under the contract will be accomplished in consultation with and under the direction of the University. All procedures developed and products provided under the contract will be subject to final approval by the University. All records and data pertaining to the contract will remain the property of the University. The Vendor will conduct meetings with University staff in Conway, AR as necessary to complete the project. Vendor shall include all pertinent pricing schedules and information, so as to completely communicate the cost of the vendor s proposed services. 3.4 Cost All charges associated with the work to be performed shall be included on the Official Bid Price Sheets and shall be valid for 90 days following the bid opening. The University will not be obligated to pay any costs not identified on the Official Bid Price Sheet. Any cost not identified by the bidder, but subsequently incurred, will be borne by the vendor. SECTION 4 PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS 4.0 Documents to be Submitted There are five parts to the proposal.

24 Part I is the (Signature Certification Page), which is included in this RFP. In order for your proposal to be considered, you must sign this page and return it to UCA with the other parts of your proposal. Part II (References) are included in this RFP as forms to be completed and returned with your proposal. Part III there is no form for (Proposal and Qualifications). You should prepare a PDF or Word document with your responses to the items listed in section 2.0, and attach samples of your work. Part IV is the Cost Proposal which must be a detailed cost proposal submitted in a separate sealed envelope marked Cost Proposal. Part V is the Addendum Acknowledgement which must be signed and submitted in response to any addendum s that are posted via the UCA Purchasing website at in regards to this Request for Proposal. 4.1 Proposal and Qualifications Provide straightforward and concise responses to the following using separate tabs for each category: A. Qualifications and Experience of Firm. Discuss how your firm s overall experience demonstrates your ability to successfully complete the Scope of Services. Provide a detailed list of Online Course Evaluation services you have provided to clients over the past three years. B. Qualification of Staff/Resumes. Identify the staff members who will provide the services required by the proposal, including years and type of experience for each person. Experience should include number of years at current firm as well as all prior service. C. Comparable Projects. Provide a brief list and description of comparable clients and their Help Desk Service projects which were successfully concluded within the last three years. SECTION 5 GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS 5.1 Legal Considerations The proposed contract shall be construed according to the laws of the State of Arkansas. Any legal proceedings against the University regarding this request for proposal or any resultant contract shall be brought in the State of Arkansas administrative or judicial forums. Venue will be Faulkner County, Arkansas. 5.2 Public Disclosure Failure to make any disclosure required by Governor s Executive Order 98-04, or any violation of any rule, regulation, or policy adopted pursuant to that Order, shall be a material breach of the terms of this contract. Any contractor, whether an individual or entity, who fails to make the required disclosure or who violates any rule, regulation, or policy shall be subject to all legal remedies available to the agency. 5.3 Ethical Standards Law

25 The following sections of this request for proposal reference sections within the Arkansas Ethics in Public Contracting Laws found in Arkansas Code Annotated (ACA), Sections et seq. definitions used in this law can be found in Section of the statues. It shall be a breach of ethical standards for a person to be retained, or to retain a person, to solicit or secure a University/State contract upon any agreement or understanding for a commission, percentage, brokerage or contingent fee, except for retention of bona fide employees of bona fide established commercial selling agencies maintained by the contractor for the purpose of securing business. Any violation of this ethic statement can result in the cancellation of any contract with the University. 5.4 Conflict of Interest No official or employee of the University of Central Arkansas and no other public official of the State of Arkansas or the Federal government shall participate directly or indirectly in any proceeding or application; request for ruling or other determination; claim or controversy; or other particular matter pertaining to any contract or subcontract, and any solicitation or proposal thereto in which, to the employee s knowledge: A. The employee or any member of the employee s immediate family has a financial interest; B business or organization has a financial interest in which business or organization the employee or any member of the employee s immediate Family has a financial interest; or C. Any other person, business, or organization with whom the employee, or any member of the employee s immediate family is negotiating or has an arrangement concerning prospective employment. Direct or indirect participation shall include but not be limited to involvement through decision, approval, disapproval, recommendation, preparation of any part of a procurement standard, rendering of advice, investigation, audit, or in any other capacity. Where an employee or any member of the employee s immediate family holds a financial interest in a blind trust, the employee shall not be deemed to have a conflict of interest with regard to matters pertaining to that financial interest, provided that disclosure of the existence of the blind trust has been made to the Director of the Department of Finance and Administration. 5.5 Warranty Against Broker s Fee The contractor warrants that it has not been retained or retained a person to be retained, to solicit or secure a State contract upon agreement or understanding for a commission, percentage, brokerage, or contingent fee, except for retention of bona fide employees or a bona fide established commercial selling agencies maintained by the contractor for the purpose of securing business. For breach or violation of this warranty, the University shall have the right to annul this contract without liability or, in its discretion, to deduct from the contract price or consideration, or otherwise recover the full amount of such fee, commission, percentage, brokerage fee, gifts, or contingent fee. 5.6 Offer of Gratuities or Kickbacks It shall be a breach of ethical standards for a person to be retained or to retain a person, to solicit or secure a State contract upon an agreement or understanding for a commission, percentage, brokerage, or contingent fee, except for retention of bona fide employees, or bona