Seattle Public Schools Contracting Services 2445 Third Avenue South Seattle, WA 98134 Telephone: (206) 252-0566 Fax: (206) 743-3018 contractingservices@seattleschools.org Request for Qualifications No. RFQ03857 Pay Card for Payroll Services for Seattle Public Schools Submittal Deadline: Date: April 6, 2018 Time: 10:00 a.m. Instructions
Table of Contents 1.0 INTRODUCTION... 4 2.0 SCHEDULE... 4 2.1 Schedule of Activities...4 3.0 QUESTIONS AND COMMUNICATION... 4 4.0 BACKGROUND... 5 5.0 PROJECT INFORMATION... 6 6.0 SELECTION PROCESS... 6 6.1 Method of Selection...6 6.2 Notifications...7 6.3 Seattle Schools Right to Reject...7 6.4 Procedures Requirements...7 7.0 SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS... 7 7.1 General Submittal Requirements...7 7.2 Contents of the Proposal...7 8.0 CONTRACT AND CONTRACTING PROVISIONS... 9 8.1 Standard Form of Contract...9 8.2 Additional Contract Document Requirements...9 8.3 Protest Procedures...9 Page 2 of 11
REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS NO. RFQ03857 PROPOSAL CERTIFICATION FORM TO: Diane T. Navarro, Contracting Services Manager The undersigned provider hereby certifies as follows: 1. That he/she has read the Seattle School District's Request for Qualifications No. RFQ03857 and the following Addenda and to the best of his/her knowledge has complied with the mandatory requirements stated herein: Addenda Number Issue Date 2. That he/she has had the opportunity to ask questions regarding the Request for Qualifications, and that if such questions have been asked; they have been answered by the District. 3. That the proposer s response is valid for 90 days. Dated at, this of 2018. (Signature) (Print Name) (Company Name) (Address) (City) (Title) (Email Address) (Telephone Number) (Fax Number) (UBI Number) (State) (Zip) Page 3 of 11
1.0 INTRODUCTION The Seattle School District No. 1 ( District ) is requesting Statements of Qualifications from qualified firms interested in providing PayCard Services as a vehicle to deliver payroll to District staff. The District intends to award a three (3) year contract to a single vendor with the option to extend the contract for one additional three (3) year contract. This Request for Qualifications (RFQ) describes the selection process and documentation required for submitting a Proposal. Any firm failing to submit their proposal in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Request for Qualifications may be considered nonresponsive. The selection of the consultant for these services will proceed in the following manner: Seattle Public Schools shall receive proposals no later than the due date and time specified in Section 2.1 of this RFQ. A screening by the District s Review Committee will follow resulting in a list of firms who will move to a second evaluation review and demonstration. Selection will be made solely on qualifications submitted. The District reserves the right to seek clarifications about the proposals. The District reserves the right to seek clarifications about the proposals. The District will select the successful firm based on the best interests of the District, all factors considered. The District reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, waive minor irregularities and informalities, and make the award in its best interest. 2.0 SCHEDULE 2.1 Schedule of Activities SCHEDULE Date March 20, 2018 March 27, 2018 March 28, 2018 April 6, 2018 Approx. Week of April 9, 2018 Approx. Week of April 16, 2018 Approx. April 20, 2018 Approx. May 1, 2018 Selection Process Advertisement for Request for Qualifications Published. (First Notice) Advertisement for Request for Qualifications Published. (Second Notice) Last day for Questions from Proposers by 2:00 p.m. Proposal Due by 10:00 a.m. Initial screening. Notification to shortlisted firms. Demonstrations. Notification sent to selected firm(s). Begin service to the District 3.0 QUESTIONS AND COMMUNICATION Page 4 of 11
All communication and/or questions shall be submitted in writing at the dates and times indicated herein to: U.S. Mail: Diane Navarro Contracting Services Seattle Public Schools M/S 22-337 P.O. Box 34165 Seattle, WA 98124-1165 Physical Location: Diane Navarro Contracting Services Seattle Public Schools M/S 22-337 2445 Third Avenue S. Seattle, WA 98134-1923 Phone: (206) 252-0566 Fax: (206) 743-3018 E-mail: contractingservices@seattleschools.org All questions must be submitted electronically by e-mail or fax to Contracting Services by the date and time indicated in Section 2.0. Reference the RFQ number in the subject of your email. The District will consider no telephone or in-person inquiries, except at the interviews (if deemed necessary). Answers to questions will be issued in the form of an addendum which will be provided electronically on the Builders Exchange website at Builders Exchange of Washington and on the Seattle Schools Current Solicitations website. Proposals must be submitted electronically to Contracting Services at contractingservices@seattleschools.org with the Request for Qualifications number and project title included in the subject heading. In the event that a firm attempts to contact any official, employee, or representative of Seattle Public Schools in any manner contrary to the above requirements, said firm may be disqualified for further consideration. This prohibition does not apply to: Telephone calls to the District to request copies of this RFQ, to confirm attendance, or request directions relative to an interview notification received from the District; Delivery of written questions about the proposal; Discussion at the interview (if deemed necessary); Delivery of the firm s proposal. 4.0 BACKGROUND Seattle Public Schools employs over 10,000 faculty, administration and support staff who are paid monthly. Over 7,500 staff participate in direct deposit and the remaining are paid by paper check, which are mailed via US Mail each month. The District will continue to encourage direct deposit but would also like to offer pay cards as a payment alternative to staff in lieu of paper checks. The District s intent to Page 5 of 11
offer a pay card option would be another convenient alternative for our employees while hopefully reducing processing time on the back end as re-issuing lost checks cause additional staff time and expense. 5.0 PROJECT INFORMATION The District has determined that pay cards are a desired alternative to paper checks for some staff. Seattle Public Schools would like to make this available for by May 1, 2018. The rough time line is below: March April May June July Release RFQ Complete evaluation Sign Agreement Receive startup materials Train staff Issue 1 st payroll using Pay cards to pilot group Issue Pay cards to early adopters Advertise Pay card availability District wide availability of Pay card 6.0 SELECTION PROCESS 6.1 Method of Selection Page 6 of 11 1. An initial screening of the qualifications by the Review Committee will be conducted to identify those firms deemed to be the most qualified. 2. Follow-up clarifications may be conducted by the Selection Committee to confirm qualifications, or to determine an agency s ability to perform the services. 3. The District will select a firm based solely on the written proposals and vendor demonstrations (if needed). 4. The following general selection criteria will be used in determining qualification: Overall response to Pay Card Requirements (Attachment 1) Fee schedule for PayCard users Simplicity of enrollment Customer service process and ratings Process to enroll bulk users in an SAP environment Training plan for Payroll staff
6.2 Notifications The District will provide timely notifications to firms responding to the Request for Qualifications. 6.3 Seattle Schools Right to Reject The District reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and re-advertise the RFQ at any time prior to approval of the recommended firm and the negotiated agreement. All costs incurred in the preparation of the Request for Qualifications process shall be borne by the proposing firm. Proposals submitted in response to this Request for Qualifications shall become the property of the District and be considered public documents under applicable Washington State laws. The District reserves the right to modify the scope of services as a result of the written submittals and/or interviews. 6.4 Procedures Requirements Any firm failing to submit information in accordance with the procedures set forth herein may be considered non-responsive. 7.0 SUBMITTAL REQUIREMENTS 7.1 General Submittal Requirements The submittal requirements shall be as follows: SUBMITTAL METHOD: The proposing firm, joint venture or other form of association ( firm ) shall submit an electronic copy of their Proposal to Contracting Services at contractingservices@seattleschools.org. The District prefers that the proposal is sent as one pdf document with bookmark tabs noted for each section below. The cover letter (including the Statement of Qualifications), table of contents, proposal certification form, and District provided forms and tabs do not count toward the page limits. Project cut sheets, including photos, are included in the page limits. Submittals exceeding the page limits may be considered nonresponsive. Each proposal is to be a maximum of twelve (12) pages (8-1/2 x 11 ) single sided, not smaller than 12 point type. 7.2 Contents of the Proposal 1. Signed Proposal Certification Form (page 3 of the RFQ). This does not count towards the page limit. 2. Table of contents (maximum 1 page). 3. Separate section: Executive Summary. Provide a summary highlighting the firm(s) and the product presented as detailed in the requested in the Request for Qualifications. Include the firm s address, telephone number, email address and date firm(s) were established. Page 7 of 11
4. Separate section: Product Qualifications. Include a completed ATTACHMENT 1, Pay Card Requirements Form. Include a summary of the product features and how they meet the requirements and qualifications listed. 5. Separate section: Enrollment process. Describe the process for enrolling employees into the program. Describe the process for deactivating employees from the program. 6. Separate section: Team Organization and Implementation approach. Explain your proposed team organization, roles and responsibilities, and personnel qualifications in the following manner: Organization: Provide an Organization structure and detail the implementation team: Primary point-of-contact/coordinator/account manager for the overall engagement Primary Training point-of-contact/coordinator. Technical Lead/ coordinator for bulk implementation and enrollment services Primary Customer Service point-of-contact/coordinator for front line questions Give a brief description of the roles of personnel on the team and the amount of time each would be available for this project. Implementation: Provide a narrative of the implementation approach including: Initial setup: pilot, early adopter, district wide availability, bulk enrollment Training Plan Communication Plan Customer Service Plan Transition to Operations 7. Separate Section: Rates and Fees. This section does not count towards the page limit. Provide rate and fees sheet(s) for Pay Card Users/Seattle Public Schools. If multiple fee sheets exist please provide those that meet requirements as described in Attachment 1. 8. Separate section: ATM, Money Order, and Check Cashing Networks. This section does not count towards the page limit. Provide a nationwide listing and map representation of the ATM Network, Money Order network, Check/Pay Card cashing locations. Indicate free and fee based locations. Provide a Washington State specific listing and map representation of the ATM Network, Money Order network, Check/Pay Card cashing locations. Indicate free and fee based locations. Page 8 of 11
9. Separate section: Terms and Conditions. Provide your proposed agreement that would be between the vendor and the Seattle School District. Provide a sample copy of the terms and conditions that would apply for a new pay card user. 10. Separate section: References. Provide at least three (3) references from clients that have similar requirements to Seattle Public Schools. References must be from clients that have utilized your firm s services for at least three (3) consecutive years and no references may be less than three (3) years old. 11. Separate section: Customer Service. Provide end user customer survey results for at least three (3) active clients over the three (3) years. Provide the average fee paid by end users for clients of similar size to Seattle Public Schools. Please also note that the District reserves the right to ask questions and seek clarifications about the Proposal, to request post-proposal modifications, and to engage in negotiations with a selected short list of firms. 8.0 CONTRACT AND CONTRACTING PROVISIONS 8.1 Form of Contract The District is willing to consider the vendor s proposed form of contract. Please note: The District reserves the right to reject any firm that is not willing to accept the District s terms and conditions as noted in the standard form of contract. 8.2 Additional Contract Document Requirements The selected firm shall be required to provide the following documents to the District prior to execution of a contract: W-9 Form Washington State Business License Certificate of Insurance (includes general liability and employee dishonesty coverage) 8.3 Protest Procedures 1. Any actual or prospective Vendor who is aggrieved in connection with the solicitation or award of this contract may protest to the District in accordance with the procedures set forth herein. Protests based on the terms in this Request for qualifications, which are apparent prior to the date established for submitting the proposal must be received seven (7) days prior to the submittal deadline. Protests based on other events must be received within three (3) working days after the aggrieved person knows, or should have known, of the facts and circumstances upon which the protest is based; provided, however, that in no event shall a protest be considered if all proposals are rejected or if the protest is received after the award for this contract. Page 9 of 11
2. In order to be considered, a protest shall be in writing and shall include: the name and address of the aggrieved person; the contract title under which the protest is submitted; a detailed description of the specific grounds for protest and any supporting documentation; and the specific ruling or relief requested. The written protest shall be mailed to: JoLynn Berge Assistant Superintendent for Business and Finance Seattle School District No.1 MS 33-300 P.O. Box 34165 Seattle, WA 98124 Or delivered to: JoLynn Berge Assistant Superintendent for Business and Finance Seattle School District No.1 MS 33-300 2445 3 rd Avenue South Seattle, WA 98134 And shall be labeled: Protest 3. Upon receipt of a written protest, the District shall promptly consider the protest. The District may give notice of the protest and its basis to other persons, including Proposers involved in or affected by the protest; such other persons may be given an opportunity to submit their views and relevant information. If the protest is not resolved by mutual agreement of the aggrieved person and the District, the District will promptly issue a decision in writing stating the reasons for the action taken. A copy of the decision shall be mailed by certified mail, return receipt requested, or otherwise promptly furnished to the aggrieved person and any other interested parties. The District decision may be appealed to the Superintendent by written notice together with all supportive evidence, received at the address set forth in paragraph 2, not more than two (2) working days after receipt of the decision. The Superintendent s decision shall be final and conclusive. 4. Strict compliance with the protest procedures set forth herein is essential in furtherance of the public interest. Any aggrieved party that fails to comply strictly with these protest procedures is deemed, by such failure, to have waived and relinquished forever any right or claim with respect to alleged irregularities in connection with the solicitation or award. No person or party may pursue any action in court challenging the solicitation or award of this contract without first exhausting the administrative procedures specified herein and receiving the District s final decision. 5. Any Proposer submitting a proposal shall be deemed to have accepted these procedures. Page 10 of 11
End of Request for Qualifications ATTACHMENTS Attachment 1: PayCard Requirements Form Attachment 1 is available to view at Builders Exchange of Washington Page 11 of 11