REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS FOR WEBSITE REDESIGN & HOSTING West Chester Township, Butler County, OH April 14, 2015 Inquiries and Qualifications to: West Chester Township Board of Trustees c/o Barbara Wilson Director, Integrated Multimedia & Marketing (513)759-7308 Fax (513)779-9369 bwilson@westchesteroh.org Deadline Submittal: April 30, 2015 at 3:00 p.m.
Overview West Chester Township, Ohio, is a community of approximately 61,000 residents and 3,000 businesses. Ranked four times by Money Magazine as one of America s best places to live, West Chester is a premier community for economic development and residential investment. West Chester Township takes pride in being transparent, communicative and innovative. The community s website is a critical resource and should reflect these attributes. The Township s website (WestChesterOH.org) was last designed in 2009 with only small modifications since that time. The current website, while highly functional, is overloaded with information and does not embrace the user. The platform, navigation, content management system and overall visual appearance all need to be updated to complement West Chester Township s brand/image. West Chester seeks, as part of this project, a responsive website that is graphically pleasing, easily navigated and populated with current content reflective of our customers interests and attractive to potential new businesses and residents. Request West Chester Township Board of Trustees (Client) seeks and requests qualifications from website firms to design, implement and host a high-functioning responsive website. The website s content and design should be directed toward the community s residents, businesses, visitors, prospective businesses and residents and any person or agency seeking to obtain information about West Chester Township. Statement of Need West Chester wishes to re-create and greatly enhance the Township s existing website to be resourceful, informative, and community-building and serve as a marketing asset emphasizing West Chester s exceptional services. West Chester is seeking a Firm that can provide a website that will meet the following criteria: o Offers an attractive and professional look reflective of the community s brand/image o Is informational and accessible o Provides for consistent, intuitive navigation so that information can be easily found o Can be easily updated, maintained and administered by Township staff, and o Is quick to load on the visitor s browser, compatible with all browsers (previous versions and current), and is responsive to mobile devices 2
Scope of Services The following items are requirements and can be accommodated directly by the Firm or through integration of complimentary web-based solutions coordinated by the Firm. The actual and complete scope of services will be determined by West Chester Township. o Presentation o Design that integrates the Township s logo and matches the image/brand of the community o Consistent look and feel o Dynamic homepage o Dynamic department pages o Site Search and Translator tools o Integration of social media o Subscription registration o Online tool for customer interaction o Online tool for facility reservations, permit applications, program registration etc. with payment feature. o Online tools for tracking budgets, managing video resources and displaying crime data o Ability to integrate content using iframes o Staff directory tools o Form/survey tools o Emergency Notification System o Navigation o Consistent and easily understood navigation o Full text site search o 3-clicks to content rule when possible o Dynamic site map o Content o FAQs o How do I? Section o Calendar o News/Announcements o Services Directory o Interactive GIS web pages o Capability to maintain an archive of existing and past records such as agendas, minutes, etc. o Gallery options for images o Automated page/content expiration 3
o Technical Specifications & Support o Available tech support 365/24/7 o One-hour turnaround on help desk tickets o Pages load quickly regardless of browser o Simple URLs o Search engine friendly o Continuous operation with exceptions for scheduled maintenance, 99.999% uptime annually o Responsive, or even mobile-first, design o Ability to provide video streaming in a variety of formats o Easy-to-use content management system allowing for multiple users to update content o Website hosting with responsible back-up systems Proposals Must Include: o Statement of Qualifications including, but not limited to, a detailed explanation of the team members qualifications, experience and expertise in developing high-functioning websites, and experience in creatively integrating multiple web-based tools into a cohesive website design. o Demonstration of expertise and knowledge in responsive, and even mobile-first, website design and management. o Examples of previous similar projects with public sector clients and references, along with evaluations regarding firms ability to control costs, ability to meet deadlines and responsiveness. Selection Process The criteria used in evaluating qualifications will include: o Qualifications of key personnel assigned the project, o Similar project history, o Review of functional design capability, cost estimate accuracy and ability to remain with budget on previous projects, o Design achievement on previous projects, o Current workload and ability to meet deadlines and be responsive, o Demonstration of the thorough understanding of the project, o Proven successful history with respect to controls, quality and timeliness on projects 4
Interviews A team consisting of key Township personnel will evaluate submissions by the selected finalists and reserve the right to interview firms as necessary. Interviews and presentations will be conducted in mid-june, 2015. Questions All questions must be submitted in writing to Barbara Wilson at BWilson@WestChesterOH.org. Submissions All responses shall be to: West Chester Township c/o Barbara Wilson Director of Integrated Multimedia & Marketing 9113 Cincinnati-Dayton Road West Chester OH 45069 Five complete copies of the proposals, including the attached signed statement, are to be received no later than 3 p.m., April 30, 2015 5
WEBSITE REDESIGN & HOSTING REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS PLEASE ENCLOSE AS PART OF YOUR PROPOSAL Submit to: West Chester Township c/o Barbara Wilson Director of Integrated Multimedia & Marketing 9113 Cincinnati-Dayton Road West Chester OH 45069 Five complete copies of the proposals are to be received no later than 3 p.m., April 30, 2015 COMPANY: ADDRESS: CITY/STATE/ZIP: PHONE: EMAIL CONTACT: Signature acknowledges the Firm understands the following: o West Chester reserves the right to accept or reject any proposals o By submission of proposal, the Firm agrees the proposal shall not be withdrawn or altered without the written permission of the client for ninety (90) days after submission o Compensation will be negotiated after objective selection of most qualified Firm. If compensation cannot be reasonably agreed upon, West Chester has the right to negotiate with the next most qualified Firm. o There will be no reimbursement for costs incurred by the Firm prior to selection by the Client. o The Firm must assure the Client that it is an equal opportunity employer and that it does not and will not discriminate in any fashion in regard to race, sex, national origin, political affiliation, disability, or age where protected by law, or other non-merit or nonoccupational related factors. Signature/Print/Date 6