COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS MASSACHUSETTS HEALTH CARE QUALITY AND COST COUNCIL REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS HEALTH CARE WEB APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT

Transcription

1 COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS MASSACHUSETTS HEALTH CARE QUALITY AND COST COUNCIL 2 BOYLSTON STREET, 5TH FLOOR BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS HEALTH CARE WEB APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT FOR THE MASSACHUSETTS HEALTH CARE QUALITY AND COST COUNCIL JANUARY 3, 2008

2 Table of Contents Notice to data vendors and other interested parties 3 RFP Required Specifications Comm-PASS Documentation I. General Background II. Proposal Requirements III. Program Requirements IV. Respondent RFP Attachments V. Objective Questionnaire and Essay Questions VI. Financial VII. Performance Guarantees VIII. Evaluation Criteria 34 IX. Rule for Award X. Appendices A. Massachusetts Statewide Health Care Quality and Cost Goals B. Health Care Quality and Cost Council Enabling Statute C. Mandatory Contract Language for Executive Department Solicitations related to the Acquisition of Information Technology Systems D. Vendor Flowchart E. Submission Checklist for the Procurement Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council Request for Proposals 2

3 NOTICE TO DATA VENDORS AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES January 3, 2008 Invitation is hereby given for proposals to provide health information management services to the Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council (Council) of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The vendor shall build, launch, support and maintain a consumer-friendly health information web application that provides users the ability to search and locate health care providers and search, review and compare quality and cost information of health care services, in accordance with the use cases, design specifications, navigation specifications, wireframe and site map developed by the Council s Communications and Web Design vendor. The web application will make available health care quality and cost data for specific health care providers that the Council s Operations vendor has aggregated into a single dataset. This contract will be for a 28-month period, beginning March 1, 2008, with two one-year extensions at the discretion of the Council. The full text of the RFP may be obtained via the Internet on or about January 3, 2008 using the Commonwealth s Procurement Access and Solicitation System (Comm-PASS). Comm-PASS is located at The file number for this RFP is 8CBHCQCCWebApplication. Its title is Health Care Web Application Development Manager for the Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council. Questions regarding the use of Comm-PASS should be directed to staff at the Comm-PASS Help Desk, (888) Questions regarding the RFP should be directed to Gilles Charest, Health Data Project Manager, Health Care Quality and Cost Council, , Gilles.Charest@state.ma.us. The Council will distribute paper copies of this RFP only if a potential respondent lacks access to Comm- PASS. A bidders conference will be held January 18th, 2008, from 1 PM to 3 PM, at 2 Boylston Street, 5 th floor, Daley Room, Boston. The Council reserves the right to reject any or all responses or to accept any proposal or portion thereof, if deemed to be in the best interests of the Commonwealth. Katharine London Executive Director Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council Request for Proposals 3

4 RFP - Required Specifications Unless otherwise specified in this RFP, all communications, responses, and documentation must be in English, all measurements must be provided in feet, inches, and pounds and all cost proposals or figures in U.S. currency. All responses must be submitted in accordance with the specific terms of this RFP. Best Value Selection and Negotiation. The evaluation team may select the response(s) that demonstrates the best value overall, including proposed alternatives, which will achieve the procurement goals of the Council. The team and a selected bidder, or a contractor, may negotiate a change in any element of contract performance or cost identified in the original RFP or the selected bidder s or contractor s response which results in lower costs or a more cost effective or better value than was presented in the selected bidder s or contractor s original response. Bidder Communication. Bidders are prohibited from communicating directly with any employee of the Council except as specified in this RFP, and no other individual Commonwealth employee or representative is authorized to provide any information or respond to any question or inquiry concerning this RFP. Bidders may contact the contact person for this RFP in the event this RFP is incomplete or the bidder is having trouble obtaining any required attachments electronically through Comm-PASS. Comm-PASS. RFP attachments that are referenced are available either as separate Word files with this RFP or in the Comm-PASS Forms section: Bidders are solely responsible for obtaining and completing the required attachments that are identified in this RFP and for checking Comm-PASS for any addenda or modifications that are subsequently made to this RFP or attachments. The Commonwealth and its subdivisions accept no liability and will provide no accommodation to bidders who fail to check for amended RFPs and submit inadequate or incorrect responses. Bidders are advised to check the "last change" field on the summary page of RFPs for which they intend to submit a response to ensure that they have the most recent RFP files. Bidders may not alter (manually or electronically) the RFP language or any RFP component files. Modifications to the body of the RFP, specifications, terms and conditions, or which change the intent of this RFP are prohibited and may disqualify a response. Costs. Costs that are not specifically identified in the bidder s response, and accepted by the Council as part of a contract, will not be compensated under any contract awarded pursuant to this RFP. The Commonwealth will not be responsible for any costs or expenses incurred by bidders responding to this RFP. Contract Expansion. If additional funds become available during the contract duration period, the Council reserves the right to increase the maximum obligation to some or all contracts executed as a result of this RFP or to execute contracts with contractors not funded in the initial selection process, subject to available funding, satisfactory contract performance and service or commodity need. Debriefing/Appeals: Debriefing. Non-successful bidders may request a debriefing from the Council only after the successful bidder has been selected and a contract has been executed. Debriefings are designed to identify weak areas of a bidder s response and suggest improvements for future procurements. Comparisons with other responses will not be made during a debriefing. Non-successful bidders aggrieved by the decision of the Council must participate in a debriefing as a prerequisite to an administrative appeal. Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council Request for Proposals 4

5 Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). All bidders responding to this RFP must agree to participate in the Commonwealth Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) program for receiving payments, unless the bidder can provide compelling proof that it would be unduly burdensome. EFT is a benefit to both contractors and the Commonwealth because it ensures fast, safe and reliable payment directly to contractors and saves both parties the cost of processing checks. Contractors are able to track and verify payments made electronically through the Comptroller s Vendor Web system. EFT applications can be found on OSD forms page (mass.gov/osd). Additional information about EFT is available on the VendorWeb site (mass.gov/osc: click on MASSfinance). Successful bidders, upon notification of contract award, will be required to enroll in EFT as a contract requirement by completing and submitting the Authorization for Electronics Funds Payment Form to this department for review, approval and forwarding to the Office of the Comptroller. If the bidder is already enrolled in the program, it may so indicate in its response. Because the Authorization for Electronic Funds Payment Form contains banking information, this form, and any information contained on this form, shall not be considered a public record and shall not be subject to public disclosure through a public records request. The requirement to use EFT may be waived by the TEAM on a case-by-case basis if participation in the program would be unduly burdensome on the bidder. If a bidder is claiming that this requirement is a hardship or unduly burdensome, the specific reason must be documented in its response. The EVAULATION TEAM will consider such requests on a case-by-case basis and communicate the findings with the bidder. Identifiable Health Information: HIPAA and Protected Health Information. Any department subject to the requirements of 45 CFR 160, 162, and 164 (the privacy provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)) that seeks bidders to perform a function or activity involving the use or disclosure of protected health information, must include a provision in the procurement solicitation document (i.e., RFP) informing bidders of their contractual obligations, if any, that the department will require to comply with HIPAA. For example, if the department seeks a bidder to perform business associate functions, as that term is used in HIPAA, then the department must include in the RFP a sufficient description of business associate obligations including, but not limited to, the bidder's obligation to: adequately safeguard the information (in whatever form it is maintained or used, including verbal communications) from inappropriate or unauthorized use or disclosure; provide individuals access to their records; and strictly limit use and disclosure of the information for only those purposes approved of by the department. Information Technology. All IT systems and applications developed by, or for Executive Department agencies or operating within the Massachusetts Access to Government Network (MAGNet), must conform with the Enterprise Information Technology Policies, Standards and Procedures promulgated by the Commonwealth s CIO. Non-conforming IT systems cannot be deployed unless the purchasing agency and their contractor have jointly applied for and received in writing from the Commonwealth s CIO or his designee, notice that a specified deviation will be permitted. The Enterprise Information Technology Policies, Standards and Procedures, with the exception of the Commonwealth s Public Access Architecture, is available at mass.gov/itd. The Commonwealth s Public Access Architecture is available in hard copy from the purchasing agency. Purchasing agencies may also obtain a current copy of the Public Access Architecture, on behalf of their contractor, by contacting the Information Technology Division (ITD) Customer Coordination Group (CCG: ). Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council Request for Proposals 5

6 Please Note: Given the pace of information technology innovation, purchasing agencies and their contractors are encouraged to contact the Information Technology Division (ITD) Customer Coordination Group (CCG: ) to signal a system or application design and development initiative. Such advance notice helps to ensure conformance with the relevant Enterprise Technology Policies, Standards and Procedures. Contractor delivery of IT systems and applications that fail to conform to the Commonwealth s Enterprise Information Technology Policies, Standards and Procedures, absent the Commonwealth CIO s grant of written permission for a deviation, shall constitute breach of any contract entered as a result of this Request for Proposals and any subsequent Request for Quotes. The Commonwealth may choose to require the contractor, at his own cost, to re-engineer the non-conforming system for the purpose of bringing it into compliance with Commonwealth Enterprise Information Technology Policies, Standards and Procedures. Information Technology - Clarification of Language in Section 11, Indemnification of the Commonwealth Terms and Conditions. Required for the following object codes (or their successors) within the Expenditure Classification Handbook as issued by the Office of the Comptroller (or it successor): E08 - Telecommunication Services, Voice EE8 - Telecommunication Services, Data E09 - Software purchases H03 - IT consulting & Maintenance J08 - IT Cabling/installation & maintenance K01 - IT equipment purchases L01 - IT TELP L21 - IT Rental or Lease L41 - IT Technical Support Pursuant to Section 11. Indemnification of the Commonwealth Terms and Conditions, the term other damages shall include, but shall not be limited to, the reasonable costs the Commonwealth incurs to repair, return, replace or seek cover (purchase of comparable substitute commodities and services) under a contract. Other damages shall not include damages to the Commonwealth as a result of third party claims, provided, however, that the foregoing in no way limits the Commonwealth s right of recovery for personal injury or property damages or patent and copyright infringement under Section 11 nor the Commonwealth s ability to join the contractor as a third party defendant. Further, the term other damages shall not include, and in no event shall the Contractor be liable for, damages for the Commonwealth s use of contractor provided products or services, loss of Commonwealth records, or data (or other intangible property), loss of use of equipment, lost revenue, lost savings or lost profits of the Commonwealth. In no event shall other damages exceed the greater of $100,000, or two times the value of the product or service (as defined in the contract scope of work) that is the subject of the claim. Section 11 sets forth the contractor s entire liability under a contract. Nothing in this section shall limit the Commonwealth s ability to negotiate higher limitations of liability in a particular contract, provided that any such limitation must specifically reference Section 11 of the Commonwealth Terms and Conditions. Pricing: Federal Government Services Administration (GSA) or Veteran s Administration Supply. The Commonwealth reserves the right to request from the successful bidder(s) initial pricing schedules and periodic updates available under their GSA or other federal pricing contracts. In the absence of proprietary information being part of such contracts, compliance for submission of Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council Request for Proposals 6

7 requested pricing information is expected within 30 days of any request. If the contractor receives a GSA or Veteran s Administration Supply contract at any time during this contract period, it must notify the Commonwealth contract manager. Pricing: Price Limitation. The bidder must agree that no other customer of similar size and similar terms and conditions shall receive a lower price for the same commodity and service during the contract period, unless this same lower price is immediately effective for the Commonwealth. The bidder must also agree to provide current or historical pricing offered or negotiated with other governmental or private entities at any time during the contract period upon the request of the contract manager. Public Records. All responses and information submitted in response to this RFP are subject to the Massachusetts Public Records Law, M.G.L., c. 66, 10, and to M.G.L., c. 4, 7, sub- 26. Any statements in submitted responses that are inconsistent with these statutes shall be disregarded. Reasonable Accommodation. Bidders with disabilities or hardships that seek reasonable accommodation, which may include the receipt of RFP information in an alternative format, must communicate such requests in writing to the contact person. Requests for accommodation will be addressed on a case-by-case basis. A bidder requesting accommodation must submit a written statement, which describes the bidder s disability and the requested accommodation to the contact person for the RFP. The EVAULATION TEAM reserves the right to reject unreasonable requests. Subcontracting Policies. Prior approval of the Council is required for any subcontracted service of the contract. The Council may define required deliverables including, but not limited to, documentation necessary to verify subcontractor commitments and expenditures. Respondents are asked to include expenditures commitments and copies of subcontracting agreements, Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) and otherwise binding commitments between the Respondent and subcontractors. Contractors are responsible for the satisfactory performance and adequate oversight of its subcontractors. Subcontractors are required to meet the same state and federal financial and program reporting requirements and are held to the same reimbursable cost standards as contractors. Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council Request for Proposals 7

8 Procuring Department: Address: Comm-PASS Documentation Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council 2 Boylston Street, 5th floor Boston, MA Telephone Number: Fax Number: or Internet Address: RFP File Name/Title: RFP File Number: Procurement Team Leader/RFP Contact: Procurement Category: 1. Description or purpose of procurement: Gilles.Charest@state.ma.us Health Care Web Application Development for the Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council 8CBHCQCCWebApplication Gilles Charest Health Data Project Manager Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council Healthcare - Related Equipment, Personnel, Services & Supplies EQUIPMENT and SERVICES-IT Systems-Healthcare The vendor shall build, launch, support and maintain a consumer-friendly health information web application that provides users the ability to search and locate health care providers and search, review and compare quality and cost information of health care services, in accordance with the use cases, design specifications, navigation specifications, wireframe and site map developed by the Council s Communications and Web Design vendor. The web application will make available health care quality and cost data for specific health care providers that the Council s Operations vendor has aggregated into a single dataset. This contract will be for a 28-month period, beginning March 1, 2008, with two one-year extensions at the discretion of the Council. 2. Identify acquisition method (choose one of the following): Outright Purchase [ ] Fee For Service [ X ] License [ ] Tax Exempt Lease Purchase [ ] Lease Purchase [ ] Term Lease [ ] Rental (not to exceed 6 months) [ ] Other (specify): 3. Identify whether single or multiple contractors are required for contract(s): Single Contractor [ X ] Multiple Contractors [ ] [Joint bids are welcome.] Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council Request for Proposals 8

9 4. Identify whether single or multiple departments will be able to use: Only Procuring Department May Contract Under RFP [X ] Option to Allow Other Departments/Political Subdivisions to Contract Under RFP [ ] Statewide Contract [ ] Multi-Department User Contract [ ] Pre-Qualification List [ ] 5. Expected duration of contract: Initial Duration (1st or one time purchase): [ 2 ] year(s) and [ 4 ] month(s) Renewal Options (indicate number): [ 2 ] Renew for [ ] month(s) each option Renew for [ 1 ] year each option 6. Anticipated expenditures, funding or compensation for expected duration: Estimated Value of Total Procurement: A. Contract will have [ X ] will not have [ ] a Maximum Obligation Amount B. (Rate Contract) Contract will be [ ] will not be [ X ] Subject to Quotes by Pre-Qualified List of Contractors Federal Funds will be [ ] will not be [ X ] used to fund Contract(s) 7. Indicate contract performance and business specifications: See all sections of the RFP, generally, but refer to the appendices for program specifications. 8. Instructions for submissions of responses: See Section II of the RFP Proposal Requirements 9. Deadline for responses (or procurement calendar): Indicate deadline date: February 6, 2008 Indicate deadline time: 12:00 P.M. Will a Bidders Conference be offered? Yes [ X ] No [ ] Bidders Conference Date: January 18, 2008 from 1 PM to 3 PM. at the Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council, 2 Boylston Street, 5th floor, Daley Room, Boston MA. Please refer to Comm-PASS to check for changes, as this date is tentative. Will Opportunity for written questions be offered? Yes [ X ] No [ ] Questions should be sent to Gilles Charest at the Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council prior to the Bidders Conference on January 18th, The final deadline for all written questions is January 23 at 12:00 noon. Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council Request for Proposals 9

10 10. RFP Proposal Attachments In addition to complying with the requirements in this text file, the following forms/certifications must be submitted with the proposal in order for the proposal to be considered complete. These forms can be obtained by going to the Commonwealth s centralized procurement web site and selecting the following links: Browse Solicitations. Browse All Open Solicitations, By Entity/Department, once on this page please select Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council. At this point, select this procurement, Providing Health Information Services and you will then see six tabs. The Forms & Terms tab contains all the necessary attachments. Respondents are solely responsible for obtaining and completing required attachments that are identified in this RFP and for checking Comm-PASS for any addenda or modifications that are subsequently made to this RFP or the required attachments. a. Commonwealth Terms & Conditions b. Standard Contract Form c. Contractor Authorized Signature Verification Form d. (W-9) Taxpayer ID # and certification e. EO481 Contractor Certification Prohibiting the Use of Undocumented Workers on State Contracts f. Certificate of Tax Compliance Bidders may apply for a Certificate of Tax Compliance from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue online at: or by submitting the attached form Request for a Certificate of Good Standing and/or Tax Compliance Out of state bidders must submit equivalent certificate from their home state. g. Certificate of Non-Collusion h. Authorization for Electronic Funds Payment i. Program Requirements Certification j. Prompt Pay Discount Form (optional) k. Additional Environmentally Preferable Products/Practices (optional) Important note: Please make sure that the printed forms you use in your bid have the complete text as you see it on your PC; occasionally the downloaded version drops important language usually part of the signature section of the state contract form so please check your documents carefully. Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council Request for Proposals 10

11 I. General Background Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council Request for Proposals 11

12 Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council The Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council is a quasi-independent state agency established by Chapter 58 of the Acts of The Council is governed by a 13 member body comprised of seven experts on health care quality and cost appointed by the Governor, and six state officials, including the Attorney General, State Auditor, Inspector General, Secretary of Health and Human Services, Commissioner of Insurance and the Executive Director of the Group Insurance Commission. The Council is located administratively within the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, and is chaired by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The Health Care Quality and Cost Council is mandated under Massachusetts General Law chapter 6A: To establish statewide goals for improving health care quality, containing health care costs, and reducing racial and ethnic disparities in health care (see Appendix A); To demonstrate progress toward achieving those goals; and To disseminate, through a consumer-friendly website and other media, comparative health care cost, quality, and related information for consumers, health care providers, health plans, employers, policy-makers, and the general public. The Council receives input and advice from an Advisory Committee that includes representation from consumers, business, labor, health care providers, and health plans. The Council reports annually to the Legislature on its progress in achieving the goals of improving quality and containing or reducing health care costs, and promulgates additional rules and regulations to promote its quality improvement and cost containment goals. The Council s mission is to develop and coordinate the implementation of health care quality improvement goals that are intended to lower or contain the growth in health care costs while improving the quality of care, including reductions in racial and ethnic health disparities. The Council s vision is that by June 30, 2012 Massachusetts will consistently rank in national measures as the state achieving the highest levels of performance in care that is safe, effective, patient centered, timely, efficient, equitable, integrated, and affordable. Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council Request for Proposals 12

13 II. Proposal Requirements Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council Request for Proposals 13

14 Each respondent must submit a proposal containing the following specific sections and information: Transmittal Letter and Certifications The Transmittal Letter should contain a brief summary or executive overview of the respondent s proposal and should be signed by an individual authorized to bind the firm contractually. The letter must also provide the name, title, address, address, and telephone and fax numbers of the respondent s corporate contact for the proposed plan. The Council will assume this individual will be available to respond to requests for additional information if necessary. The Certifications and other forms (see list in Appendix 2) are required and should be signed and included in this section. Please note all original documents must be signed in blue ink. Proposal Development This RFP requires that respondents submit a number of documents and answer a number of questions. These documents must be provided and these questions must be answered before a proposal will be considered complete. The Council may choose not to evaluate an incomplete proposal. Depending on the nature of the omission, the evaluation team may decide to a) continue with the evaluation of the proposal; b) suspend consideration of the proposal until the respondent supplies the omitted information; or c) terminate consideration of the proposal. A respondent s final score will be determined by an evaluation of the responses to the RFP. Respondents should address each item thoroughly, yet concisely. Brevity, where appropriate, is appreciated. However, if a respondent fails to answer a question fully, there may be no further opportunity to supplement the answer. If a respondent fails to answer a question, the Council will assume that the respondent s answer would have received the lowest possible score. All proposals must be based upon the requirements and specifications contained herein. The data requested by this RFP, financial and otherwise, must be aggregated as requested and provided in the specified formats. Failure to do so may result in disqualification of the proposal. No commissions or fees will be paid to any agent or broker and such commissions or fees should not be included in the price and cost estimates submitted in a respondent s proposal. NO COST INFORMATION IS TO BE INCLUDED ANYWHERE IN THE TECHNICAL PROPOSAL. EACH VENDOR MUST SUBMIT A SEPARATE SEALED PRICE PROPOSAL. BIDDERS WILL NOT BE PERMITTED TO INCREASE THEIR PROPOSED PRICE AFTER SUBMISSION EXCEPT UNDER AGREEMENT WITH THE COUNCIL. Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council Request for Proposals 14

15 RFP Schedule The schedule for the RFP and subsequent program implementation is subject to change. Once a vendor is selected, however, it is expected that any changes, if necessary, would be mutually agreed upon. Web Application Development Manager Procurement Schedule (Subject to revision) January 3, 2008 January 18 th, 2008 January 23, 2008 at 12:00 noon January 28, 2008 February 6, 2008 at 12:00 noon Data Vendor RFP available on Comm-PASS Bidders Conference Deadline for submission of written questions Deadline for reply to written questions by Council (all questions and answers will be posted on the state s central procurement web site; Proposals due at Council 1 st /2 nd Week of February Proposals read and scored, Finalists chosen Friday, February 15, 2008 February 20, 2008 Finalists interviews conducted Council meeting vendor selected March 1, 2008 Effective date of contract A Bidders Conference is scheduled for January 18 th at the Council s offices at 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM at 2 Boylston Street, 5th floor, Daley Room, Boston, MA. The Bidders Conference will be an open forum for potential respondents to ask questions about this RFP. It is helpful if potential respondents submit questions prior to the date of the conference to: Gilles Charest Health Data Project Manager Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council 2 Boylston Street, 5th floor, Boston, MA Or via Gilles.Charest@state.ma.us Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council Request for Proposals 15

16 Finalist Interview Finalists will be required to participate in an interview at the Council offices and to host on-site visits by Council staff, if deemed necessary. Proposal Submission Process Five copies of the proposal, in addition to two unbound, un-punched archival copies, and one electronic copy of the technical proposal on CD, must reach the offices of the Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council no later than January 25 th, 2008 at 12:00 p.m. (noon) Attachments, exhibits, and/or appendices should be bound and labeled separately. Proposals should be addressed to: Health Care Quality and Cost Council 2 Boylston Street, 5 th floor Boston, MA Attention: Gilles Charest A complete proposal must contain the following elements: a. Transmittal Letter, with all executed certifications b. Program Requirements Certification (page 22) c. Responses to Objective Questionnaire d. Responses to Essay Questions e. Financial Bid Forms, with Performance Guarantee Proposals (under separate cover) f. Respondent RFP Attachments g. Submission Checklist (Appendix E) Any bidder whose proposal arrives at the Council offices after 12:00 p.m. (noon) on January 25th, 2008 will be disqualified. Proposal Evaluation Process Council staff, for the purpose of recommending the bid that represents the highest value to the Council, will review the proposals submitted pursuant to this RFP. The Council will select the winning vendor, by majority vote, after a review of the staff recommendation. The Council reserves the right to reject any or all proposals or to accept any proposal or portion thereof, or to request additional information from any or all of the respondent firms, if deemed in the best interest of the Commonwealth. Proposals will be evaluated in five major areas: 1) ability to meet program requirements; 2) assessment of submitted materials; 3) respondent qualifications (including references and interview); 4) technical proposal (questionnaire and essays); and 5) cost proposal and performance guarantees. The team will evaluate the minimum qualifications, prior experience, financial stability, organizational qualifications and technical proposal independently from the cost proposal and performance guarantees. The price proposal and performance guarantees must be submitted under separate cover labeled Sealed Price Proposal Do Not Open. All proposals received will be considered within the framework of this RFP and all other relevant factors. Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council Request for Proposals 16

17 III. Program Requirements Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council Request for Proposals 17

18 The contracted health information vendor shall fulfill the following basic program requirements. For each requirement listed below please confirm that your organization is either currently able to meet the requirement or will be able to by March 1, 2008 by completing the certification signature section (page 22). If your organization is currently unable to meet a requirement, on a separate sheet of paper (numbering each), please tell us which requirements your organization will be unable to meet by March 1, 2008 and the steps you will take to build that capability. General Requirements 1. The effective date of the contract shall be March 1, Proposals will be for a 28 month contract period with two one-year extensions at the discretion of the Council. 2. The vendor shall build, launch, support and maintain a consumer-friendly health information web application that provides users the ability to search and locate health care providers and search, review and compare quality and cost information of health care services, in accordance with the use cases, design specifications, navigation specifications, wireframe and site map developed by the Council s Communications and Web Design vendor. The web application will make available health care quality and cost data for specific health care providers that the Council s Operations vendor has aggregated into a single dataset. (See Vendor Flowchart diagram in Appendix D.) 3. The vendor shall develop, support and maintain a web application that updates and supports health related data published within the Council s consumer health information website. The purpose of the website is to disseminate comparative health care costs, quality and related information for consumers as required by Massachusetts General Law Chapter 6A, Section 16L(a). Secondary audiences include health care providers, health plans, employers, policy-makers, and the media. The vendor shall comply with all relevant Massachusetts General Laws and regulations, including regulations promulgated by the Health Care Quality and Cost Council. Architecture 4. The web application must be developed in a 3 tier System Architecture using Microsoft.NET. A SQL database will reside in the back end. 5. The web application system architecture must comply with all EHS Technical Standards. All technical standards may be found at 6. The vendor s web application system architecture should allow for as many extensions as possible. 7. The vendor s web application must be designed in a way to allow support foreign language adaptation in the future. Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council Request for Proposals 18

19 Web Site Functionality requirements Note: The Council has submitted an application for a waiver from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( Portal and Enterprise Applications Environment requirements. Search Capability 8. The vendor will develop a web application with search/query capability by criteria including but not limited to freeform text, diagnosis, zip code, procedure code, provider name and/or facility name. Search capabilities must allow users the ability to type in free form text to allow users the ability to search for Health Care Providers by name. 9. The vendor will develop a web application with Smart search capabilities such as the ability to detect misspellings. The Search capability shall allow a user find a provider by typing a provider name or partial name in free form text. Design Requirements: 10. The vendor will develop a Web application in accordance to all design, navigation, wireframe and site map specifications developed by the Council s Communications & Web Design vendor. 11. The web application must take advantage of industry standard navigational methods such as providing users the option of using mouse or keyboard. 12. The vendor will develop a web application where navigation through each field on a screen is consistent and in order of presentation. 13. The vendor will develop a web application that clearly indicates to users any missing or incorrect steps or data specific to a screen or search query. 14. The vendor will develop a web application where search/query fields are entirely visible. The web application must avoid requiring users to scroll to access additional information. If scrolling is required, the system must provide information prompting users to do so. 15. The vendor web application must include on-line help functionality. The online help should be screen, field and measurement indicator sensitive and direct users to documentation pertaining to the screen, field or measurement. 16. The vendor will develop a web application that supports dynamically and provides updated comparative cost and quality information on a regular basis. In this regard, the council will provide the vendor with website design specifications and input in the form of a sitemap as well as graphic composites of key pages. 17. The vendor will develop a web application that comply with all design and functional web site specifications approved by the Council including but not limited navigation, content, content format and location and web page format and design. 18. The web application must provide a user feedback capability. Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council Request for Proposals 19

20 19. The vendor web application must provides the ability to print pages and/or reports. 20. The web application must provide for ability to web pages and reports. 21. The web application must provide bookmark a page/query capability. 22. The web application must provide the ability to save reports. 23. The web application must provide information in a variety of formats as approved by the Council including but not limited to table, graphic, text, picture and grid. 24. The web application must have Contact us capability. 25. The web application must be able to process user survey information as approved by the Council. 26. The vendor will develop a web application that tracks Web site usage including but not limited to the ability to track and report statistics on usage associated with search queries, report queries and specific web pages. Content Management: 27. The web application must be capable of processing content information such as recent articles and patient testimonials Accessibility: 28. The web application must comply with the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Information Technology Division s Web Accessibility Standards. These standards are available at See requirements listed in Appendix D. hnical+guidance&l3=accessibility+guidance&l4=it+acquisition+accessibility+compliance+program&sid= Aitd 29. As specified in these Accessibility Standards, the web application must meet JAWS and BOBBI testing requirements. 30. The vendor must submit the web application for testing by the ITD Accessibility Lab to ensure compliance with Accessibility standards, and make any revisions required to meet these standards. Development and Test Environment: 31. The Vendor must establish a development and test environment. 32. The Vendor must provide HCQCC designated staff access to the test environment for testing purposes. 33. The vendor s web application must be thoroughly tested, certified and piloted prior to implementation and will adhere to strict accuracy, timeliness and presentation guidelines as approved by the Council. Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council Request for Proposals 20

21 Web Browser: 34. The vendor must be able to support IE and Firefox web browsers at a minimum. Hosting 35. The vendor may host the web application or the Commonwealth of Massachusetts may host the web application. If the vendor wishes to bid on hosting the web application, the application shall: a. Be available for online web-use 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; b. Accommodate a minimum of 100 concurrent users; c. Provide an average web application response time of 5 to 10 seconds with a target response time of 5 seconds. A maximum response time for transactions involving certain long running processes should have a target response time of 1 minute or less; d. Limit unplanned outages to no more than four hours with a target outage time of not more than 1 hour. Unplanned application downtime should not occur more than once every 6 months; e. Limit planned outages such as those necessary for system upgrades to no more than 3 hours; f. Include appropriate security systems including: i. appropriate administrative safeguards, including procedures and mechanisms to prevent and detect breaches in data security and other fraudulent acts, security incident procedures, and a disaster recovery plan to ensure that the web application developed under this contract is restored in full within 1 week of a disaster; ii. physical safeguards, including facility access controls, a data backup and storage plan, disposal and media reuse procedures, and iii. technical safeguards, including transmission security, encryption, access control, and audit controls. g. Include a hosting price in the optional services section of the sealed price proposal. Staffing: 36. The Vendor will assign a Project Manager to manage all aspects of this contract. 37. The vendor will assign staff to meet the requirements of this contract. The vendor will delineate roles, responsibilities and time commitment of staff assigned to support this contract. Account Management: 38. The vendor will develop a project management plan detailing all tasks, subtasks, staff assignments and timelines for the project. 39. The vendor s Project Manager and team where applicable, will hold regularly scheduled meetings with Council Staff to review project status, and issues and develop solutions to ensure that tasks are monitored closely and completed in a timely and comprehensive manner. Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council Request for Proposals 21

22 40. The vendor will address all application issues directly with HCQCC staff. The vendor will provide the Council with a written summary documenting all issues along with a concurrent action plan to remedy each issue. 41. The vendor shall conduct regularly scheduled check-in calls with Council staff and attend an operations meeting to be held at least quarterly. 42. The vendor will hold regularly scheduled meetings with the Council s Communications and Web Design Vendor in order to review design, navigation, wireframe and site map specifications developed by the Communications and Web Design consultant. 43. The vendor will work closely with HCQCC staff and the Council s Operation s Vendor to troubleshoot, diagnose and resolve performance issues both hardware and software. 44. The vendor will work closely with the Council s Operation s Vendor to optimize all system components both hardware and software --used to support the Council s web application. 45. The vendor shall provide the Council with a Quarterly Status Report no more than 15 calendar days after the close of each quarter that will include, but not be limited to, highlighted events, current application issues, resolved application issues. Privacy and Data Security 46. The vendor shall take the necessary precautions to provide for the physical security of Council data. 47. The vendor must have a disaster recovery plan. Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council Request for Proposals 22

23 Program Requirements Certification On behalf of, I certify that agrees to fulfill (name of vendor) (name of vendor) the mandatory requirements as described above no later than October 1, 2007, and in accordance with the timetable agreed to with the Council. (Name) (Title) (Date) (Authorized Signature) Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council Request for Proposals 23

24 IV. Respondent RFP Attachments Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council Request for Proposals 24

25 The Council requires the submission of the following information in order to assess the ability of a responding vendor to capably handle the tasks required by the RFP. Label each document as listed below. I. Description of Company Please provide a brief history of the firm, including the type of business structure, an annotated client list, and a description of its full book of business, including the types of services provided for each client and the years that the services were provided. Identify the number of employees with the firm and each member who is expected to work on this contract. In addition please provide: II. Organizational chart of parent company and all subsidiaries; Organizational chart illustrating the major departments and areas of the organization, by function, along with the names and titles of senior management; Organizational chart for the Council account team. Company Financial & Legal Status Please provide a summary of financial information for the company for calendar years 2005 and 2006 and include any mergers and acquisitions undertaken during the last two years or any proposed mergers that may affect the financial stability or organizational structure of the organization. Please confirm that your company has carrier and liability coverage for errors and omissions in effect for the duration of this contract and provide a summary of status of actual and threatened litigation and regulatory agency actions taken, involving the company, since 2006 (pending and closed). III. Account Management Team Please submit a biography or resume for each member of the company who is expected to work on this engagement, name, title, work to be performed for this contract and geographic location. IV. Respondent References Please provide three (3) client references for similar scope projects; public sector entities are preferred. For each reference, provide the name of the client, the address, the contact person, his/her telephone number, address, and the nature and scope of the product provided (preferably similar services to those requested in this RFP) on the attached Business Reference Form. Please provide three (3) professional references for the proposed Council account manager. V. Additional Documentation Proposal caveats - Bidders are required to provide an attachment listing all exceptions, caveats, etc. to the proposal citing each RFP section to which the caveat refers. Please provide a written explanation if any of the program requirements cannot be met. These caveats will not necessarily be agreed to by the Council. Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council Request for Proposals 25

26 V. Objective Questionnaire and Essay Questions Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council Request for Proposals 26

27 For the subset of questions below requiring a numerical response your answers should be based on your entire book of business or current service offerings. Software and System Security 1. Does your system have online access monitoring capabilities to track web site usage? Yes Offsite No Onsite 2. Does your system have online access monitoring capabilities to detect unauthorized access? Yes No 3. Does your system have online access monitoring capability to track application query/response performance? Yes No 4. Which browsers does your system support? Account Management 5. What days and hours of technical application support services are available once the application is operational 6. Where is the technical support team located? Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council Request for Proposals 27

28 Please answer each of the following questions. Respondents must restate each question before providing an answer. Do not cross-reference language in a previously answered question or attachment repeat the language again. 1. Describe your process or System Development Life Cycle methodology for developing web based applications. Describe each step of your methodology including a typical timetable and identify the positions within the organization responsible for each step. 2. Describe you plan for Search Engine optimization once the web site is launched. 3. Describe tasks and activities you will support that may be related to the launching of the Web site to ensure a smooth and successful implementation. 4. Describe your plan for gathering and documenting application requirements. Provide specific examples of your experience in requirements gathering and documentation other clients. 5. Describe your process for building website search engine capability and provide users an intuitive and friendly means to obtain, view and print accurate, reliable and timely comparative health cost and quality data. Provide specific examples of search engines you developed for other clients. 6. Describe the policies you have in place to maintain the data and to ensure system and data security. How you will protect the confidentiality of data? Outline your disaster recovery plan, including when it was last tested. Include a copy of the standard disaster recovery plan in your submission. 7. Please provide a detailed proposed work plan, based on a selection decision made no later than February 20th, 2008, for a start date of March 1 st, The plan should reference specific start and finish dates for tasks and indicate organizational and individual responsibilities. Massachusetts Health Care Quality and Cost Council Request for Proposals 28