Request for Proposals: Information Technology Strategy February 2018 Table of Contents 1.0 OBJECTIVE... 2 2.0 BACKGROUND... 2 3.0 SCOPE... 2 4.0 BUDGET... 4 5.0 DELIVERABLES... 4 6.0 SCHEDULE... 4 7.0 EXPERTISE... 5 8.0 PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS... 5 9.0 SELECTION CRITERIA... 6 10.0 GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS... 6 11.0 ADMINISTRATION & INQUIRIES... 7 Appendix 1: Organizational Chart... 8 Appendix 2: Software... 9 Page 1 of 9
1.0 OBJECTIVE The Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority (CRCA) is seeking written proposals from qualified firms to complete an Information Technology Strategy. The objective is to provide a ten year strategy illustrating options to leverage existing technologies and ensure maximum value in future technology investments. All proposals are to be submitted no later than March 29, 2018. The specific requirements for the proposals and scope of work are outlined in this document. 2.0 BACKGROUND The CRCA has a staff complement of 30 staff members, working in three separate departments. The Information Technology business unit provides IT services to all departments and staff members, see Appendix 1. Staff work out of five different physical locations. Three buildings are located at Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area, in the City of Kingston and small satellite offices are located at Lemoine Point Conservation Area in the City of Kingston and Mac Johnson Wildlife Area in the City of Brockville. Staff provide a wide range of services to the public including; watershed strategies and management, mapping, technical assistance to landowners, conservation education programs, outdoor recreation, environmental land use planning, habitat protection, reforestation, flooding and erosion protection, and water quality and quantity monitoring. Staff expertise and requirements vary widely from full time office staff, to staff regularly working in the field. Technology currently used vary from desktop units to push-to-talk handheld units. 3.0 SCOPE The project scope will include; 1. System Architecture a. The proponent will be expected to document and inventory the IT system architecture and interconnection between facilities. Current and future bandwidth requirements are to be estimated on existing information and projected changes. b. Current network drawings and details will be provided to the successful proponent. The proponent will be responsible to verify and update the network drawings though the course of the project. Page 2 of 9
2. Hardware a. The proponent document and inventory the existing hardware and benchmark against industry standards. b. Benefits and challenges associated with using dedicated servers, virtualized servers or cloud-based servers/services will be evaluated and presented. 3. Software a. Existing software will be documented and inventoried by the proponent and benchmarked against industry standards, see Appendix 2. b. Benefits and challenges associated with using dedicated licenses, server license or cloud licensing will be evaluated and presented 4. ISP Providers a. Agreements with Internet Service Providers will be analyzed and compared to industry standards. b. Identification of future enhancements to agreements as required. 5. Mobile Devices a. The existing hardware and mobile device plan will be documented and inventoried against industry standards 6. Telephony a. The existing telephony system will be documented and inventoried by the proponent and benchmarked against industry standards. b. Alternate service providers will be interviewed and compared to existing service providers to determine if the CRCA is receiving the best value. 7. Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity a. The existing disaster recovery procedures and equipment will be evaluated in relation to disaster recovery and business continuity. b. The existing document management procedures will be documented and evaluated against industry standards. 8. Security a. The existing infrastructure, hardware and software applications will be documented and analyzed in relation to security best practices. 9. Internal Service Levels a. The existing level of service provided by the CRCA s in-house IT department will be analyzed and reviewed against industry standards. Service levels will be defined for each business unit within the CRCA. If warranted the proponent will suggest strategies to enhance the existing service levels; with an end goal of reducing maintenance and improving business continuity. Page 3 of 9
4.0 BUDGET The available budget for this project is $35,000. Updates on progress and expenditures will be provided from the consultant to CRCA based upon the project schedule described below. A payment schedule will be negotiated once a contract is awarded. 5.0 DELIVERABLES 1. Recommendations for enhancements, modifications, and replacements related to each of the technical components listed above will be developed. 2. Recommendations will include schedules, costs, internal and external personnel commitments. 3. Recommendations will be categorized, Short Term (1 year) Medium Term (2-4 years), Long Term (5+ years). 4. Recommendations will include impacts on affected business units and will provide details on workflow changes and training requirements. 5. Digital copies of all meetings, interview results/minutes. 6. The proponent will present findings to Full Authority board. 7. The final report will be provided in pdf and MS Word format. 6.0 SCHEDULE Request for Proposal Closing Date March 29, 2018 Selection of Consultant April 13, 2018 Startup Meeting April 20, 2018 Meet with Senior Management Team April 27, 2018 Project Status Meeting May 25, 2018 Project Status Meeting June 22, 2018 Final Report July 20, 2018 Presentation to Full Authority Board September 26, 2018 Page 4 of 9
7.0 EXPERTISE Each proponent should demonstrate the capability, capacity and experiences of the corporation to provide the services described in the Project Scope. Proponents should provide information on the following; (a) a brief description of the proponent; including corporate profile, organizational chart and areas(s) of expertise as a Consultant; (b) Provide examples demonstrating relevant experience gained within the last 5 years. Examples shall be similar in scope, size, and complexity. 8.0 PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS The submitted proposal, excluding curriculum vitae, references, and corporate literature, should not exceed five (5) pages in length. A digital PDF copy of the proposal is to be submitted to the CRCA by March 29, 2:00 PM local time (contact information provided below). The written proposal is to include: (a) a description of the consultant s understanding of the assignment; (b) a description of the issues the consultant would expect to face in undertaking the work; (c) a detailed work plan for the project, including: a. proposed work schedule that includes meetings with the CRCA and expected timelines for project completion; b. an itemized cost breakdown under an upset limit of $35,000 (including all fees but excluding applicable taxes); an estimated budget to accomplish the project as outlined, c. Time/task matrix for all staff that will be working on the project that aligns with the project schedule. (d) a summary of any related work the consultant has undertaken; (e) curriculum vitae for all staff who would be participating in the project; and (f) contact information for three references to previous projects of a similar nature. Page 5 of 9
9.0 SELECTION CRITERIA Proposals will be evaluated by the CRCA based on the following criteria, not listed in any particular order: Quality and content of written proposal and work plan; Understanding of the assignment; Cost; Expertise of primary consultant, project manager, and any other staffing to be involved; and Satisfactory references related to the involvement of the consulting firm/assigned staff in similar types of projects. All consultants who provide a proposal prior to the submission deadline will be notified by the CRCA in writing of the decision. 10.0 GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS 10.1 Acceptance of Proposals This RFP neither expresses nor implies any obligation on the part of the CRCA to enter into a contract with any consultant submitting a proposal. 10.2 Rejection of Proposals The CRCA reserves the right to reject any or all proposals for failure to fully satisfy the specifications and requirements for the RFP. Any award resulting from this RFP is subject to the successful completion of a contract between the consultant and the CRCA. 10.3 Right to Amend The CRCA reserves the right to amend or supplement this RFP document, giving equal opportunities to all consultants who have been invited to bid, by way of an issued addendum. 10.4 Acceptance or Non-Acceptance of Proposal Neither the lowest priced nor any proposal shall necessarily be accepted, and the decision of the CRCA is final. If the CRCA decides to accept a proposal, then this acceptance and the making of an award will be in writing. Unless and until such written notification has been given, there is no successful consultant and no award has been made. 10.5 Associated Costs There will be no payment to consultants for the work related to and material supplied in the preparation of responses to this RFP. 10.6 Previous Communications This RFP document and attachments and any addenda contain the entire requirements relating to this RFP. Other information and/or documentation provided to a prospective consultant or Page 6 of 9
obtained by a prospective consultant prior to the release of this RFP or any other time shall not have any force or effect. 10.7 Conflict of Interest It is the consultant s responsibility to ensure that no perceived or real conflict of interest exists for any of the company s personnel involved in the study. 10.8 Cancellation of RFP Due to unanticipated expenditure constraints, this RFP may be canceled at any time without liability by the CRCA to prospective consultants or to any other entity. 10.9 Authorization To be considered a valid response, a consultant s submission must be completed and signed by an authorized company official. 10.10 Irrevocable Bid submissions will be irrevocable for a period of thirty days from the closing date. 10.11 Insurance When requested, the consultant will provide certification of commercial general liability insurance, automobile insurance, and professional errors and omissions liability insurance, as well as a valid WSIB Clearance Certificate. 11.0 ADMINISTRATION & INQUIRIES 11.1 Addenda Proponents wishing to receive addenda and/or submit questions and receive official responses should register with the undersigned by submitting their email address. 11.2 Proposals Digital proposals should be submitted to the attention of: Travis York Supervisor, Information Technology Cataraqui Region Conservation Authority 1641 Perth Road, P.O. Box 160, Glenburnie ON KOH 1SO (613) 546-4228 ext. 248 tyork@crca.ca www.crca.ca / Page 7 of 9
Appendix 1: Organizational Chart Page 8 of 9
Appendix 2: Software Software Name License(s) Microsoft Office 365 Enterprise E3 (Nonprofit Staff Pricing) 45 Symantec Endpoint Protection 40 Sage 300C 3 Microsoft SQL Server Standard Edition 2015 1 ESRI ArcGIS Server Standard Enterprise 1 ESRI Desktop Advanced / Basic 3 Adobe Creative Cloud 2 Adobe Acrobat Pro / Standard 11 Kisters Wiski-Soda 1 Autodesk Suite 2 Veritas Backup Exec 1 Legacy Software Lotus SmartSuite Millennium Edition Page 9 of 9