Integrated HRIS, Payroll and Timekeeping Solution … objective of this project is to select and implement a new HRIS/HRMS ... and to report on activities or provide metrics for these

Integrated HRIS, Payroll and Timekeeping Solution Project Request for Proposal – AUGUST 18, 2017

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REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Integrated HRIS, Payroll and Timekeeping Solution Project

August 18, 2017

This Request for Proposal (RFP) is being sent to pre-qualified consulting firms to act as the Consultant in the completion of the Integrated HRIS, Payroll and Timekeeping Solution Project. Proposals for providing these services will be received until the close of business (4:30 P.M.) on Friday, September 8, 2017. Proposals are to be delivered to: Chandra Yadati, Director of Information Technology Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District 3900 Euclid Avenue Cleveland, OH 44115-2504 Attn: Lee Stankus Late submittals will not be considered. Each respondent can request a Pre-Proposal Meeting the week of August 28, 2017 in the George J. McMonagle Administrative Building at the 3900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio, with identified District stakeholders and Senior Management to refine respondents’ understanding of the District’s current environment, processes, constraints, and issues. Respondents are encouraged to submit questions prior to the Pre-proposal Meeting so that they may be addressed adequately and in a timely fashion by the District staff. All questions regarding this RFP shall be directed to Lee Stankus at the Pre-Proposal Meeting or at other times at [email protected]. The RFP is organized as follows: SECTION I. INTRODUCTION SECTION II. SCOPE OF WORK SECTION III. SCHEDULE SECTION IV. DISTRICT RESPONSIBILITY SECTION V. PROPOSAL FORMAT AND REQUIRED INFORMATION SECTION VI. EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS SECTION VII. SELECTION PROCESS SECTION VIII. OTHER INFORMATION SECTION IX. SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

mailto:[email protected]


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Integrated HRIS, Payroll and Timekeeping Solution Project RFP - Figures and Attachments The following attachments are included in this RFP: Attachment A Cost Summary Form Attachment B NEORSD Standard Clauses for Professional Services Agreements Attachment C Client Reference Worksheet Integrated HRIS, Payroll and Timekeeping Solution RFP – Appendices The appendices are provided for information purposes. Appendix A District’s Systems and Interfaces


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SECTION I – INTRODUCTION

Overview

The purpose of this request for proposal (RFP) is to seek proposals from software companies for an integrated human resource information system along with related implementation services to replace the current software solutions that are in place at the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District “District”. The objective of this project is to select and implement a new HRIS/HRMS software to address the District’s current and future Human Resource, Payroll, and Timekeeping needs. The new system is intended to be a solution that leverages current technology and includes features and functionality that will improve District operation, self service capabilities, and management reporting. This system will replace the District’s Human Resource functionality that currently resides in Oracle Human Resources Management, Oracle e-Business Suite. The selected solution should support the business processes of the District’s Human Resources department. Respondents must respond to the price component of this RFP for the following:

• Software/Subscription Acquisition and Installation

• Implementation Services

• Interface Costs and Support

• Projected ongoing costs for upgrades and maintenance

The Human Resource Management Software solution along with related implementation services for the District, includes, but not limited to:

• Human Resource Management o Employee Records o Benefits Administration o Payroll Management o Recruitment / Onboarding o Time and Attendance o Absence and Leave Management o Benefit Provider Transmittals o Compensation Administration o Performance Management (Employee Development) o Learning Management o HR Analytics


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• Manager & Employee Self Service o Personnel Changes o Earnings Statements/W-2s o Direct Deposits Elections o W-4 Elections o Benefit Elections o Standard Reports o Business Analytics o Dashboards

• Technology

o Ability to create/manage bi-directional interfaces with Oracle o Supports District’s standard technology stack o Ability to create inbound/outbound automated interfaces o Production and Testing environments o Conversion of historical data o Audit trail capabilities o Mobile and Web-enabled o Interfaces

Traditional information and business system stovepipes delivering a small segment of the work while requiring dedicated management and support cannot provide the level of integrated service needed to support future initiatives. Instead these District enterprise processes (i.e., position management, compensation, time & attendance, payroll, employee development, on and off-boarding) must operate in an integrated solution, create operational efficiencies for the users, be simple, consistent and cost effective, be easily improved, and yield high quality, accurate data to conduct predictive analysis in support the District’s success.


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Background Information

NEORSD The Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District is a political subdivision of the State of Ohio created and operating under Chapter 6119 of the Ohio Revised Code. Originally named Cleveland Regional Sewer District, it was created in 1972 to assume ownership, operation and management of wastewater collection, treatment and disposal facilities serving the member communities in the Cleveland metropolitan area. District Administration is located at 3900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44118. This location also includes the Engineering & Construction, Operations &Maintenance Administration, Employee Resources, Finance, Legal and Information Technology Departments. In addition to the District Administration Building, the District owns and operates an Environmental and Maintenance Services Center (EMSC) and three wastewater treatment facilities:

Westerly Wastewater Treatment Plant, located at 5800 West Memorial Shoreway, Cleveland, 44102 (near Edgewater State Park);

Southerly Wastewater Treatment Center, located at 6000 Canal Road, Cuyahoga Heights, 44125 (near the Interstate 77/Interstate 480 intersection); and

Easterly Wastewater Treatment Plant, located at 14021 Lakeshore Boulevard, Cleveland, 44110 (near the Cleveland/Bratenahl border)

The Environmental and Maintenance Services Center (EMSC), located at 4747 East 49th Street (north of the Southerly Wastewater Treatment Center) houses the Sewer Maintenance & Control Department, the Water Quality & Industrial Surveillance Department, Analytical Services, Inventory Control and Vehicle Maintenance. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY The District utilizes Novell OES11 for network services such as authorization, file, print, and desktop management. Windows 2008/2012 servers are used for Active Directory and web/application servers. SuSE SLES11 and Oracle Enterprise Linux servers host Oracle database servers. VMware ESXi 5.x servers host virtual machines for production, test, and disaster recovery. Most of the physical servers are HP DL380 G7/Gen8. The District's desktop configuration is typically 4GB RAM with a processor speed of 3Ghz running Windows 7 SP1 32-bit and 64-bit. Standard applications include the Novell Client, MS Office 2016 (including Outlook), Visio and Project. The District uses Novell ZCM11 for user and workstation policy management, desktop imaging, desktop management, and application deployment. The District’s information system infrastructure consists of two physically separated networks: the business network and the process control network. The process control network supports


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plant automation and control processes at the District’s wastewater treatment plants and collection system. The District business network environment is the platform for the District’s business information systems supporting many District departments, including Finance, Human Resources, Operations & Maintenance (including the treatment plants), Engineering & Construction, Safety & Security, Purchasing, Regulatory Compliance, Analytical Services, and Customer Service. Key enterprise applications at the District are as follows: • Oracle eBusiness - Human Resources, Finance, and Purchasing • Oracle Work & Asset Management – Operations & Maintenance • Oracle Taleo – Human Resources and all other business departments • Oracle Planning & Budgeting Cloud Service – Finance and all other business

departments • Kronos – Finance, HR, and all other business departments • GIS (Geographical Information System) – Watersheds and various business departments • LABLynx (Laboratory Information System) – Analytical Services • ODMS (Operational Data Management System) – Operation & Maintenance • SharePoint – Engineering & Construction, Purchasing, Regulatory Compliance, Safety &

Security, Operations and Maintenance, and IT • ADP provides Payroll services; the District runs interfaces with ADP to provide

employee timekeeping and salary data The District maintains separate maintenance and support agreements with our application vendors to have access to application patches and upgrades. Finally, there are several interfaces providing data exchange amongst the District business systems. An overview of the District’s systems and interfaces is provided in Appendix A. Additional information about the District, its history and operations is available at the District’s Internet site at www.neorsd.org.


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Integrated HRIS, Payroll and Timekeeping Solution Project History Like many public-sector organizations, the current state of affairs at the District is the result of years of using processes and procedures that, while effective for their initial purpose, are inefficient and ineffective for their current needs. While the existing processes may complete the task at hand, both process and existing District systems need to change to modern approaches, processes, and current technology to meet the demands and the changes required at the District. Below are some of the key problems with the existing systems:

• Certain systems do not interface in a way that takes advantage of enterprise-class system strengths,

• Although some processes are automated, numerous manual processes still exist through the District. In some cases, this results in duplication of work or re-work and delays in processing information,

• The District is limited in its ability to share data for analysis and sees this integrated environment as a method that will help improve the quality of data,

• There are limitations in the District’s ability to accurately track the status of transactions and to report on activities or provide metrics for these items,

• Some work has been done to document current state workflows of processes, though the ideal future state hasn’t been fully defined due to limitations in current technology,

The District’s Integrated HRIS, Payroll and Timekeeping Solution Project includes, but is not limited to an integrated Human Resource, Payroll and Time and Attendance system with a common database, real-time view of data and transactions, technologies that support the integration systems, strategies designed to optimize services, ability for transactional and aggregated reporting, and ability to integrate with other systems and the new District data warehouse. The District is looking for a vendor who can meet the requirements of these processes and make recommendations for improving upon these processes based on best-in-class systems. Lastly, the solution should provide the District access to technology that can be sustained over time including the ability to easily maintain, upgrade, and integrate as the District evolves. The significant drivers for the Integrated HRIS, Payroll and Timekeeping Solution Project includes, but not limited to, the following:

• Risk Reduction o Inconsistencies in data o Ability to keep up with privacy and security o Audit findings o Deprecated application

• Functional Improvements

o Improve access for District employees o Better functional technology o Enhance data integration or interface structure


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o Ability for mobile access o Manager and employee self service o Pay Time Off (PTO) management

• New Capabilities

o Performance management o Compensation management o Position management o Disability tracking

• Cost Savings

o Reduce long-term support o Ongoing patching


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SECTION II – SCOPE OF WORK

The District is interested is executing a contract with a software vendor, who will, at a minimum, meet the requirements set forth in all of the below paragraphs. It is imperative that the proposed solution be compatible with the District’s strategic information technology initiatives and incorporates the following assumptions:

• The core functionality will be implemented in 12 – 16 months • The selected vendor:

o Will follow best practices as related to HR, Payroll and Time & Labor system development

o Will follow best practices in regards to software implementation and training o Identify opportunities to optimize system benefits o Create an implementation and change management plan that reduces risk o Demonstrate a commitment to user training and knowledge transfer

In addition, the solution should deliver a user-friendly set of tools that allows the District to focus on its core business. The District wants to use this opportunity to assess and improve business processes as well as encourage proposals that include recommendations for seamless integration with Oracle Financial, and other business processes, and systems. Major goals of this project include:

• Minimize functional gaps • Incorporate a more robust HR system that includes payroll and time reporting • Mobile and web-access • Implement additional industry best practices • Process change to modern approaches • Streamlined exchange of data with other enterprise systems

Deliverables and Specifications The Project will include, at a minimum, the following deliverables:

a) Project Plan The vendor will assign a single Project Manager for the project. The vendor Project Manager will provide a detailed project plan that includes all implementation tasks, deadlines, milestones, deliverables, etc. and will provide a scorecard or dashboard mechanism for reporting progress. The vendor Project Manager will meet with the District’s Project Manager on a regularly scheduled basis.

b) System Design Documentation The purpose of this document is to describe the following in detail:

• Provide standard out-of-the-box (OOTB) features and functionalities


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• Technical description of the hardware, software, infrastructure, interfaces, database schemas, and any required third party software dependencies

• Business process flows, job aids, procedures, and training materials to assist in transition from current processes

• Will comply with all Federal, State, and Local Payroll and HR regulatory requirements

c) Data Conversion

Current human resource data will need to be converted for historical purposes, and to populate master data records in the new system. This conversion will occur no less than three (3) times:

• Initial data conversion to validate conversion process and provide test data in new

system • Subsequent data conversion(s) after any corrections to the conversion process and

to refresh test data as necessary • Final data conversion at time of cutover

d) Test Plan

Based on experience with other customers and knowledge of the District processes, vendor will provide detailed test plan suggestions to be reviewed with Human Resource, Payroll, and other District staff. Once reviewed and refined together, test plans will be added to the project plan to track completion.

e) Cutover Plan The overall project plan will include a detailed Cutover Plan, which will contain a complete sequence of events required at the time of cutover. This should include systematic procedures for both systems and business processes to transition from our current system. The District also welcomes recommendations for a conference room pilot, parallel running, mock cutovers, proof of concept trials, or any other methods to ensure system readiness and ease the transition.

f) Ongoing Maintenance and Support The vendor will provide ongoing support and maintenance of the product. The proposal should include a description of the support packages offered and their associated pricing structures.

The proposals should reflect an understanding of the dynamic business environment required to support the District and should deliver a user-friendly set of tools that allows the District to focus on its core business.


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Technical Requirements The District is looking for a fully integrated solution. The software solution must be able to handle all the functionality required by the District in the various functional areas of HR, Payroll and Timekeeping. All OOTB functionalities should be provided by the respondents. If the proposal contains third party software, you should have experience integrating with the proposed software on another project. The following are the District’s technical preferences. Proposals that do not comply with these specifications should outline the discrepancies and provide a brief explanation of the reason for the discrepancy.

• Application should be a cloud-based solution • Application should be database independent, or, at a minimum should be compatible with

multiple industry leading database offerings. • Data should be available through direct database queries. Data dictionaries and schemas

should be provided to facilitate such access. • Software licensing allows use of the software without a maintenance contract, if so

desired. The District requires that the vendor and its subcontractor provide both the software and the implementation services for this project. The District expects that a project of this size will require a phased approach. Implementation should follow the best practices for an integrated implementation. It is the vendor’s responsibility in their proposal to outline which modules/processes are implemented in what order and the logic for that sequence. Core functionality should be implemented in 12-16 months. The District expects the vendor to utilize a discovery phase to work with the functional teams to review processes and document future state processes, based on best practice systems, not recreating current state processes. The District expects vendors to follow an approach that reduces risk, ensures a high-quality implementation, moves at a rapid pace, and is strategically planned to make transitions as seamless as possible. The District requires that the respondent describe the software lifecycle of their product including version control and any planned future releases and functionality. The District is looking for a long-term, sustainable solution that will meet the growing demands and changes of the District. Therefore, the solution provided must not be limited in its ability to grow and change over time. The District wants to engage with a vendor that uses standard software development and implementation practices.


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Architecture The District prefers that respondents detail SaaS (vendor hosted) solution in the proposal. The respondent should describe all necessary environments needed for not only the implementation, but also the long-term sustainability and maintenance of the system. This should include but not be limited to the test environment, training environment, and production environments necessary to ensure there is version control, proper testing, and vetted code in production. The respondent should be clear to describe how this architecture is designed in a SaaS solution. Interfaces The new system should replace all of the HR, Payroll and Time & Labor systems within the District’s current environment. However, there are a few systems that the system will need to interface with during the replacement. Refer to the current-state diagram below, Appendix A, which includes systems that would need to be replaced and systems that need to be integrated in order to develop streamlined workflows. The following systems will be replaced, or integrated for exchange of data with*:

• Oracle Core HR • Oracle Taleo* • Oracle Planning & Budgeting Cloud Service* • Kronos • ADP • SharePoint* • Noetix* • Oracle Finance* • Oracle Work and Asset Management (WAM)* • Health Providers*

In addition, the respondent should provide details on any interfaces with third party software that you are proposing. Data and System Functionality As stated previously, the District currently functions with multiple systems and manual processes that require multiple points of re-entering data and do now allow for a comprehensive view of the District’s data. The District is seeking an integrated HRIS, Payroll and Timekeeping system to dramatically shift the work process and flow of data. The respondent should describe how their solution functions and addresses each module listed in Section 1: Introduction and how these modules are integrated. The District wants to make ensure that duplicate keying will not be required in multiple systems. The District requires that history of changes (e.g. salary, position) be maintained, accessible, and reportable in the system. The vendor should describe what data history is maintained, how it is accessible, and who can access it.


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Configuration/Customization While the District would like most the software and functionality to be “out of the box” and included in the base product, the District also understands that there may be a need to configure the system. The respondent should describe their process and approach to configuration – including how configuration requirements are gathered and confirmed, how and when configurations are implemented in the system, who has the ability and responsibility to make configuration changes, and how configuration changes are confirmed. The respondent should describe the process and approach for how configuration changes are made prior to system implementation and how these changes are made post-implementation.

Flexibility and Scalability The District is asking the respondent for standard functionality for the majority of HR, Payroll and Timekeeping modules. However, while the District wants to have a standard, best practice based designed solution, it is critical there is some flexibility and scalability to the solution. The respondent should describe how the solution can scale to accommodate the District’s requirements and users. Respondents should also discuss the level of customization that can be implemented and what limits there are to customizations. Security A high level of system and data security is a critical attribute of all District systems. Respondents should describe their security policies and protocols to ensure that District data would be protected. This should include: how you protect your systems from viruses, backup procedures, access logs, data store and transfer processes, and accessibility of audit trails. Data Ownership The District will maintain ownership of all its data. No District data should be made available or accessible to any third-party organization or data source other than those that have been authorized through this contract to work with the District and the selected vendor. In any case that a contract between the District and vendor is discontinued, the vendor must provide the District all its data within 30 days of the termination of the contract. Respondents should discuss in detail the protocol they will use to provide data to the District should the District and the vendor discontinue a contract. Disaster Recovery The respondent should describe disaster recovery plans and policies to ensure that any system the District purchases will be secure and available. The disaster recovery plans should include detail on all the off-site or redundant facilities, processes, and services the respondent has in place to ensure the District’s system and data are secure. Performance The new system will be critical to the District’s operations and must be available to carry out processes such as human resource end-of-year processes, time entry by deadlines, payroll administration, etc. Therefore, the District needs to understand service level agreements (SLA) that the vendor will commit to and performance the respondent has for clients, including system availability and performance monitoring processes. The District expects a SLA with 99.99%


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system availability for a solution that is hosted by the vendor. In addition, respondents should provide detail about system maintenance windows and how these are planned and communicated to clients. CHANGE MANAGEMENT / TRAINING / DOCUMENTATION REQUIREMENTS The Integrated HRIS, Payroll and Timekeeping Solution Project will have impact across the District administrative office, plant facilities, and every District department and employee. The new system will replace systems and processes that have been in the District for a long period. The District recognizes that a significant change management effort is necessary for the project to be successful. Therefore, the District would like the vendor to provide change management and training services to support the system implementation.

• Respondent should provide change management processes, tools, and techniques for managing the people-side of change,

• Respondent should specify if they are proposing a third-party to provide training and/or change management services,

• Respondent must provide on-site system implementation, application, and system training prior to and during system implementation. This support will be scheduled to meet the needs of the District. The vendor must provide all training materials to the District for future trainings,

• Respondent must provide training for all designated District system users and employees. Training must be provided for all application software,

• Respondent must prepare and provide a training plan with scheduled dates, timeframes and locations. All training must be done at District sites. The training plan must be submitted for approval and included in the overall implementation plan. A training course curriculum must also be submitted and approved by the District.

• Documentation for the utilization of all vendor supplied software must be provided. Documentation shall be submitted to the District for review and approval before distribution to users. Respondent is responsible for updating documentation to reflect any District approved changes/corrections which may be required after initial distribution.

• Training must be available for four categories of employees: System End-Users, General End-Users, and System Administrators. System End-Users include staff from HR and Finance (Payroll and Time & Labor) that use the system as part of their job function. General System End-Users include all staff that will use employee and manager self-service functions.

• Training methods for General System End-Users should be covered through recorded modules that can be viewed online, user guide documentation, and train-the-trainer. Methods for all other categories should include in-person training as well as other training methods.

• Training must include the utilization of process flows, all screens and execution of all reports.

• A separate curriculum must be developed for the ad-hoc reporting utility. Users must be able to develop their own ad hoc queries without assistance from IT personnel.

• Training will include the designated Information Technology Department personnel(s). The curriculum and documentation must include utilization of any end-user tools. This includes System Administrators as applicable to the system proposed.


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HISTORICAL DATA IMPORT REQUIREMENTS The District has a need to move data from historical systems to the new ERP system for the purposes of reporting and inquiries. The vendor will work with the District to review applicable data sets and develop a detailed plan for importing historical data based on how the District needs to access and use this data. The District plans to transfer a minimum of three (3), but not to exceed five (5) years plus current year’s data to the new system. The vendor will work with the District to cleanse and prepare data for import. The respondent shall include historical data import in the project plan and testing plan. Historical data will be imported on a rolling basis, based on the implementation schedule of various modules of the system. The respondent should specify costs for historical data import in pricing.


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Project Administration

The Consultant shall provide coordination between the District and any Sub consultants selected to carry out project tasks. The Consultant shall be responsible for the overall quality of task work, including tasks performed by Sub consultants. The Consultant is expected to maintain a strong and responsive local presence to assure effective sub consultant management and prompt response to District questions and concerns. The following outlines specific subtasks for Task E. Project Organization and Management

Project Communications The Consultant shall develop a communications protocol between the Consultant, Sub consultants and the District staff assigned to this project, including but not limited to the Project Manager and the project team. This protocol shall include verbal and written communications, including meetings, presentations and communications between the Consultant, Sub consultants and other District staff. Project Schedule The Consultant shall develop and maintain a detailed master project schedule for the Integrated HRIS, Payroll and Timekeeping Solution Project in a standard project management format identifying milestones, deliverables, and key coordination meetings. The master schedule shall be regularly updated and forwarded to the District. A preliminary project schedule shall be submitted with the Consultant’s technical proposal. Project Staffing The Consultant and Sub consultants shall maintain the project staff as recommended in the proposal. Any changes in project staffing shall be notified to the District in advance, and they shall maintain an equivalent level of expertise as with the originally proposed staff. The Consultant shall also identify project staff authorized to incur reimbursable expenses such as travel expenses. Project Billing The Consultant shall prepare and promptly submit monthly master invoices for the project. The Consultant and all Sub consultants are responsible for assuring and certifying that invoices are correct and meet project invoicing standards for format and allowable costs. All invoices must be submitted within two (2) months of the effort being billed unless the District authorizes an extension.

The Consultant shall be responsible for identifying and addressing potential project budget, management, and schedule issues. If District action is required, the Consultant shall recommend a suggested course of action.


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Questions regarding invoicing procedures may be addressed to Lee Stankus at [email protected].

Project Cost Management Consultants and Sub consultants shall monitor their budgets closely. The Consultant shall be responsible for identifying and resolving all budget and invoicing issues, including sub consultant billing summaries affected by the issues, as soon as possible, before inclusion of costs in the project master invoice. Consultant and sub consultant budget issues shall be described in detail, and the Consultant shall recommend corrective actions before these issues affect invoicing.

To control project costs, any expected cost overruns within a task shall be justified in advance by the Consultant and approved by the District Project Manager, Lee Stankus.

Any additional work proposed by the firm awarded this engagement must be first presented in writing to the Integrated HRIS, Payroll and Timekeeping Solution Project Manager, Lee Stankus. If there is an agreement that the additional work should be performed, it must be approved by the assigned Project Manager and/or the Board of Trustees before being performed. Any requests for additional fees and/or expenses not so approved will be rejected by the District.

Project Management Documentation The Consultant shall be responsible for maintaining a complete project library and master files of all contract and subcontract actions and reports. The Consultant shall develop a District-approved report, on which all contract and subcontract budgets, billings, contract modifications and invoice actions will be tracked through the project. The Consultant shall provide summary reports and analyses of contract, subcontract, and budget issues upon request of the District. A chronological report of contract and subcontract actions, including fund transfers within contracts, is to be submitted to the District as part of contract closeout procedures. All lower tier subcontracts must be closed out prior to close out of the lead contract and higher tiered subcontracts. Interim contract action summaries are to be prepared at the District's request. Progress Meetings and Reports

Progress meetings between the Project Manager and team shall be held, in general, on a bi-weekly basis. The Consultant shall prepare bi-weekly status reports to be submitted to the Project Manager at least two (2) working days prior to the meeting. The project status reports shall set forth the following information, for both the Consultant and any Sub consultants: • Current scope of work completion status versus anticipated status, • Updated project schedule, • Current contract cost status versus anticipated status, • Project information and decision needs including the anticipated source,

expected response time and any issues or problems that could delay the expected response,

• Anticipated tasks and accomplishments for the coming month, • Questions, comments, problematic issues, and suggestions, • Identification of out of scope task work, and


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• Invoicing issues and proposals to address such issues. The Consultant shall prepare agendas for progress meetings to be submitted with the monthly progress report. In addition, the Consultant shall prepare meeting minutes to be submitted to the District for review within two (2) working days following the meeting. Once they are reviewed and approved by the District, the minutes shall be distributed to the project team. In addition to the bi-weekly progress meetings, the Consultant shall conduct periodic coordination meetings with District staff and Sub consultants. The Consultant shall conduct up to three (3) presentations for District Senior Management to explain and receive input on project issues. Up to three (3) progress reports/presentations shall be prepared for presentation to the District's Board of Trustees. Prior to payment of the final invoice, the Consultant shall deliver to the District all plans, sketches, drawings, documents, reports, memoranda and reproducible related to the project and as required by the District's representative, as well as all non-expendable personal property purchased and approved by the District.


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SECTION III – SCHEDULE

Project Schedule – Integrated HRIS, Payroll and Timekeeping Solution Project

The Integrated HRIS, Payroll and Timekeeping Solution Project is envisioned as 12-16 months effort. A detailed schedule for the RFP evaluation and selection process is as follows: • Issue RFP to Consultant August 18, 2017

• Pre-Proposal Meeting (Interviews with District Stakeholders) August 28, 2017

• Submittal of Consultant Proposals September 8, 2017

• Short List Consultant Proposal Interviews September 18, 2017

• Consultant Contract Award – Notice to Proceed October 19, 2017 (Meeting of the Board of Trustees)

• Commence Scope of Work November 6, 2017 Consultants are to include a detailed preliminary project schedule in their technical proposal. The project schedule shall include anticipated completion dates for key task items. Consultants are free to include discussion on any recommended schedule modifications, citing reasons for any recommended schedule modifications. Dates listed above are subject to change at the discretion of the District. Respondents will be notified of changes to the schedule, as appropriate. The Project start date is subject to change at the discretion of the District with written notice to the awarded vendor. Pre-Proposal Meeting Each respondent can request a Pre-Proposal Meeting the week of August 28, 2017 in the George J. McMonagle Administrative Building at the 3900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio, with identified District stakeholders and Senior Management to refine respondents’ understanding of the District’s current environment, processes, constraints, and issues. Respondents are encouraged to submit questions prior to the Pre-proposal Meeting so that they may be addressed adequately and in a timely fashion by the District staff. All questions regarding this RFP shall be directed to Lee Stankus at the Pre-Proposal Meeting or at other times at [email protected].


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SECTION IV – DISTRICT RESPONSIBILITY

The District can provide documentation for the respondents’ use in preparing proposals. Any readily available documents may be examined by making an appointment with Lee Stankus at [email protected]. District personnel are available to meet with the Consultant’s teams to discuss the Integrated HRIS, Payroll and Timekeeping Project during the Pre-proposal Meeting scheduled during the week of August 28, 2017. Contact with District personnel shall be coordinated through the Project Manager, Lee Stankus. The District shall, at the Consultant's request, provide any information and material on file that is pertinent to the completion of the project. This may include project reports, project data documentation, established database standards, and other pertinent information that is not provided in the RFP or during the Pre-proposal Meeting.


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SECTION V – PROPOSAL FORMAT AND REQUIRED INFORMATION

Each Respondent shall submit an electronic copy of the technical proposal. One of these shall be visibly labeled "Master Copy - Cost Proposal". The following information shall be included in the technical proposal: 1. A discussion of the anticipated approach to the project. Section II - Scope of Work contains

several requests for items to be discussed in the proposal. In addition, the District invites alternatives to any approaches embodied in the Scope of Work. Any proposed alternatives shall be clearly identified in the technical proposal. In developing the level of effort (hours by tasks), the Scope of Work as provided herein shall be assumed as the base proposal. For each alternative task proposed, a total level of effort for the proposed alternative shall be separately identified and an appropriate deduction or addition of task hours shall be included. The Respondent shall also discuss expected challenges during the project and potential approaches to these challenges. This part of the proposal will be used to evaluate the extent to which the Respondent understands the project, its magnitude and its complexity.

2. A statement of the firm's qualifications, including a list of three (3) of the most recent similar

projects completed. The following information shall be included for each project: • Start and end dates of project; • Consultant’s role in the project, and similarities with the Integrated HRIS, Payroll and

Timekeeping Solution Project; • Contact information (name, address, phone number) of individual responsible for

project at the contracting agency. 3. The résumé of the proposed Project Manager and his or her proposed time commitment to

the project. The District reserves the right to approve the proposed Project Manager, and if that individual leaves the firm during the project, to subsequently approve their replacement.

4. Résumés of key staff members and/or sub consultants proposed to work on the project. The

roles proposed for each sub consultant as well as their qualifications in that area shall also be identified in the proposal. The District fully expects that personnel included in the proposal will be assigned to the project. Any personnel added to the project team or changes of personnel in significant roles shall be subject to advance approval by the District.

5. Description of your firm’s availability for the Integrated HRIS, Payroll and Timekeeping

Solution Project and the commitment of resources for the Integrated HRIS, Payroll and Timekeeping Solution Project. A discussion of the commitment and availability of key project personnel (Project Manager and designated task leaders) shall also be included.

6. The locations of the office(s) where the various project services are to be performed. The

level of staffing dedicated to a local office shall be clearly stated.


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7. Statements confirming that no personal or organizational conflicts of interest are known to exist between the District and the Consultant and Sub consultants.

8. One completed Cost Summary Form (Attachment A) shall be completed and included only

with the Master Copy of the proposal in paper and electronic form. It shall be labeled "Master Copy - Cost Proposal" and sealed. The District will open only the Master Copy proposal of the respondents selected for the short list.


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SECTION VI – EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS

Proposals submitted to the NEORSD for the Integrated HRIS, Payroll and Timekeeping Solution Project shall be evaluated by the Selection Committee utilizing the following criteria. By submitting this proposal response, I acknowledge, on behalf of the entity submitting this proposal, that I have familiarized myself with the District’s Code of Ethics which is located on the District’s web page and certify that, to the best of my knowledge, there is no conflict of interest involving my entity and that I have authority to make such certification. I understand that any conflict or potential conflict of interest, must be reported to the District’s contact person for this request for proposal in writing prior to the submission of the proposal response. I further understand that conflict of interest or potential conflict of interest information may be considered by the District in evaluating a proposal response.

Pass/Fail Screening Criteria

Proposals not in compliance with the following pass/fail criteria will not receive additional consideration:

1. Compliance with the Equal Employment Opportunity Policy of the District.

2. Avoidance of personal and organizational conflicts of interest as prohibited by State and local law.

3. Proposals received have followed the District’s Proposal Format and Required Information.

The Selection Committee will review all proposals to determine if the proposals are responsive to the District’s needs. The evaluation process will be completed in four parts:

1. Review & scoring of the proposed solution 2. Review & scoring of the cost proposal 3. Reference checks 4. Vendor Demonstrations

Proposals that comply with the above will be scored based upon the criteria presented below. Scoring Criterion I Experience, qualifications, and commitment of proposed solution 30% of total score. Scoring will be based on consideration of the following: 1. Depth of knowledge and experience implementing a SaaS HR, Payroll and Timekeeping

solution.

2. Depth of knowledge and experience in applicable business process.


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3. Depth of knowledge and experience in the operations of a utility and/or municipal government and/or utility.

4. Record of accomplishment of on-time and on-budget implementations under firm, fixed contracts.


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Scoring Criterion II Method of accomplishing the Scope of Work 30% of the total score Scoring will be based on consideration of the following: 1. Proposed organization of the work effort, including:

• ability of the software solution meeting District requirements • collection, organization, and display of data, • allocation of project staff to the different tasks and subtasks, • project communications, • problem definition, alternative development and alternative ranking

2. Innovations, alternatives, and enhancements to the Scope of Work as presented in the proposal. 3. Unique capabilities with likely high-impact applicability to the project. 4. Understanding of the appropriate levels of effort (hours) for various task areas. This

evaluation will be based upon the estimated hours of effort for task areas as presented in the proposal.

5. Appropriate project financial and management controls.

Scoring Criterion III Experience and past performance of the firm on similar projects 15% of the total score This score will be based on:

1. The firm's experience in conducting projects of similar nature and complexity.

2. The ability of the firm to draw upon this experience to benefit the project.

3. The firm’s history of innovations in applicable project areas from the customer references provided.

Scoring Criterion IV Quality of the oral presentation of the proposal 15% of the total score The primary basis for the score will be: • Identification of project-specific risks and a plan to manage them, • Quality and clarity of presentation of the selected approach and of the qualifications of key

project personnel, • Answers to questions that may arise from the Integrated HRIS, Payroll and Timekeeping

Solution Project Selection Committee during the interviews, • Respondent’s ability to communicate project understanding, and • Demonstration of the project team's understanding of the District's goals for the project.


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Scoring Criterion V Investment 10% of the total score Scoring will be based on the proposed costs associated with purchasing, implementing, and integrating the Respondent’s software solution within the District, as well as ongoing license/subscription maintenance and support costs after the proposed system is rolled out.


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SECTION VII – SELECTION PROCESS

Once all proposals have been received, the following steps will be followed to select the Consultant: 1. Technical proposals will be reviewed by the Integrated HRIS, Payroll and Timekeeping

Solution Project Selection Committee. Additionally, a phone survey may be conducted to evaluate the past performance of the participating firms on similar jobs.

2. Pre-proposal Interview Meetings will be held with potential respondents interested in

responding to the District RFP. These interviews will allow each respondent to verify and validate business processes, current technical environment, and goals for the project. Potential respondents should contact the assigned Project Manager, Lee Strankus, at [email protected] to registered and coordinate the interview. Interviews will be limited to a maximum of two hours per session.

3. Demonstration Interviews will be held with the short-listed firms submitting technical proposals. These interviews will allow each firm to make a presentation on their qualifications, elaborate on or emphasize important parts of their technical proposal, and provide any supplemental information relevant to this project. Key project personnel will be expected to take the lead in presenting and answering questions regarding the technical proposal. The interviews will also enable the Selection Committee to ask questions about the technical proposals and project approach. Interviews shall be limited to 2.5 hours in length – 2 hour for Consultant presentations and 30 minutes for a question and answer session.

4. Each member of the selection committee will rank the Consultants based upon the

predetermined selection criteria. The selection committee will then meet to conduct its formal selection process based upon the predetermined selection committee ranking.

5. The results of the selection process will be presented to the District’s Board of Trustees and

permission will be requested to conduct contract award with the highest ranked firm. 6. Negotiations will be conducted with the highest ranked firm to agree upon a final Scope of

Work and the fees for those services as proposed in the Master Copy Cost Proposal. The District intends to negotiate a not-to-exceed price for this project. After the final Scope of Work and fees have been negotiated, the maximum not-to-exceed price of the contract shall not be increased without written authorization by the District. Upon satisfactory completion of the contract, the District shall retain all remaining unused funds. Negotiations shall adhere to the following guidelines:

• One completed Cost Summary Form (Attachment A) shall be with the Master Copy

Proposal. The total cost given on the form shall cover costs for all work described in the RFP. An electronic spreadsheet file in Excel™ format of the Cost Summary Form accompanies this RFP.

mailto:[email protected]


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• Reimbursable expenses for traveling, lodging and meals shall adhere to District Guidelines for such expenses. These guidelines are described in the Project Invoice Standards (Attachment A).

6. Assuming successful negotiations, the Integrated HRIS, Payroll and Timekeeping Solution

Project Selection Committee will report to the Board of Trustees and will make a recommendation to enter into a contract based on the outcome of the negotiations. If negotiations cannot be concluded successfully, permission will be requested to negotiate with the next highest ranked firm following the same procedure.


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SECTION VIII – OTHER INFORMATION

• The District reserves the right to waive any informalities in the proposals submitted and other areas of the procurement process.

• The selected Consultant shall indemnify, keep, and save harmless the District and its

respective officers, agents and employees against all suits or claims that may be based upon any injury to persons or property that may arise out of any alleged error, omission or negligent act of the Consultant, its employees, agents, Sub consultants or other representative of the Consultant. Also, the selected firm shall, at its own expense, satisfy and cause to be discharged such judgments as may be obtained against the District or any of its officers, agents, or employees.

• The District requires public liability insurance and liability insurance for each automobile

used on the project with limits in each case not less than $500,000 for injury or death of one person, not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence on account of injury or death of two or more persons, and property damage not less than $200,000.

• The District reserves the right to request professional liability insurance of $1,000,000 during

the performance of this project. Candidates shall include in their proposal a statement of how much professional liability insurance they carry. Project specific liability coverage will be accepted to supplement a smaller amount of existing coverage, but the policy must be effective for a five (5) year period beginning on the date of the design contract, and the policy form must be approved by the District's General Counsel. Project specific insurance, in addition to professional liability insurance, may include all other coverages required by the District, including comprehensive general liability, auto and property in the required amounts, with not less than a five (5) year tail.

• The District reserves the right to specifically negotiate the price for the Scope of Work for

any consultant or contractor. The District also reserves the right to require that a consultant or contractor be removed or replaced for reasons including, but not limited to, inability to negotiate price and scope or past unsatisfactory performance.


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SECTION IX – SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS

An electronic version of the technical proposal on CD-ROM or USB and one (1) sealed Master Copy with Cost Proposal are to be delivered to: Chandra Yadati, Director of Information Technology Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District 3900 Euclid Avenue Cleveland, Ohio 44115-2504 Attn: Lee Stankus Deadline for submission of proposals is 4:30 p.m. on September 8, 2017 Late submittals will not be considered. All questions regarding this RFP shall be directed to the Project Manager, Lee Stankus, via e-mail only at [email protected].

END OF RFP

ATTACHMENTS AND APPENDICES TO FOLLOW

[Insert Project Name here] Request for Proposal – INSERT ISSUE DATE HERE

Attachment A

Cost Summary Form


Attachment B

NEORSD Standard Clauses for Professional Services Agreements


Appendix A

District’s Systems and Interfaces


END OF ATTACHMENTS AND APPENDICES

Documents

Integrated HRIS, Payroll and Timekeeping Solution … objective of this project is to select and implement a new HRIS/HRMS ... and to report on activities or provide metrics for these