Information Technology Services Review RFP

Request for Proposal

Information Technology Services Review RFP

Purchasing Office University of Wyoming

Laramie, Wyoming 82071

PROPOSAL DUE:

December 1, 2003 2:00 pm Mountain Time

SECTION I

UNIVERSITY OVERVIEW University of Wyoming Background The University of Wyoming is the only four-year school in a state of nearly one-half million people. The University is dedicated to providing quality instruction to students, conducting valuable research programs, and serving Wyoming through a wide variety of educational and cultural programs. The University has more than 2,700 benefited faculty and staff dedicated to educating more than 11,000 students. Approximately 77 undergraduate and 85 graduate programs of study are offered with seven accredited colleges: Agriculture, Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Engineering, Health Sciences, and Law, plus a School of Environmental and Natural Resources. Major research facilities provide unique opportunities for teaching, research, and service for students and faculty members, as well as for individuals throughout the world. The main campus is located in Laramie. The University also extends its educational outreach off campus. Educational degree programs also are offered jointly with Wyoming's seven community colleges. Outreach programs are provided throughout Wyoming. Additional information regarding the University of Wyoming is available at http://www.uwyo.edu.

SECTION II

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION A. ISSUING OFFICE: This Request for Proposal (RFP) is issued for the University of Wyoming by the

Purchasing Office. B. INVITATION TO SUBMIT PROPOSALS: The University of Wyoming is hereby contacting

prospective Offerors whom the University deems potentially qualified to meet its needs. C. PURPOSE: This RFP provides prospective Offerors with sufficient information to enable them to

prepare and submit proposals for consideration by the evaluation team to satisfy the University's needs for Information Technology services review.

D. SCOPE: This RFP contains the instructions governing the proposal and the material to be included

herein; mandatory requirements which must be met to be eligible for consideration; and other requirements to be met by each proposal. This review is to examine the services, applications, architecture, system security, hardware and associated information technology personnel located across the University’s Laramie campus.

E. SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES

Activity

Date

Time

(Mountain Time)

1. RFP e-mailed to potential and interested retail providers.

October 28, 2003

2:00 P.M.

2.

Proposal submission deadline (both electronic and hard copies).

December 1, 2003

2:00 P.M.

This document will be appended to the final contract

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http://www.uwyo.edu/

F. INQUIRIES: Prospective Offerors may make inquiries concerning this RFP to obtain clarification of requirements. No inquiries will be accepted after the date and time indicated in the Schedule of Activities. Send inquiries to the attention of:

Greg Livingston

Senior Buyer Dept. 3605

1000 E. University Avenue Laramie, WY 82071-3605

E-mail: [email protected]

Fax: 307-766-2800 Voice: 307-766-5718

Please include the following reference on the face of your envelope or as the subject of your e-mail:

Information Technology Services Review RFP

Response to any Offeror's inquiries will be made in writing by the Purchasing Office in a timely manner to all prospective Offerors. Any oral interpretations or clarifications of this RFP shall not be relied upon. All changes to this RFP must be in writing to be valid. G. MODIFICATION OR WITHDRAWAL OF PROPOSALS: Proposals may be modified or withdrawn by

the Offeror prior to the established due date and time. H. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION: Responses should be submitted via email in Microsoft Word format or

other electronic media agreeable by the University. Electronic versions are mandatory. In addition to the mandatory electronic version, a signed copy of the RFP must be sent to the below address. The e-mail and original signed copy responses will be accepted up to but no later than 2:00 P.M. MDT on December 1, 2003. RFP must be received on or before this time. Late responses will not be accepted. The e-mail responses should be forwarded to the following e-mail address.

[email protected]

The proposal package shall be delivered or sent by mail to:

University of Wyoming

Purchasing Office Dept. 3605

16th and Gibbon Streets Laramie, WY 82071-3605

It is the responsibility of the Offeror to ensure that the proposal is received by the University of Wyoming Purchasing Office on or before the proposal submission deadline. Offerors mailing RFP copies are advised to allow sufficient mail delivery time to ensure receipt by the time specified.

Proposals must be submitted and sealed in a package showing the following information on the envelope.


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mailto:[email protected]

OFFEROR'S NAME RFP for Information Technology Services Review

December 1, 2003 2:00 pm MDT

The University of Wyoming Form of Bid, MUST be signed in ink by the Offeror or an officer of the Offeror who is legally authorized to bind the Offeror to the proposal. Proposals which are determined to be at a variance with this requirement may not be accepted.

I. ADDENDUM OR SUPPLEMENT TO REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL: In the event that it becomes

necessary to revise any part of this RFP, an addendum will be mailed (and/or faxed if deemed appropriate) to each Offeror who received or requested the original RFP. It is the responsibility of Offerors, prior to bid date, to inquire as to addenda issued and to ensure their bid reflects any and all changes. The Purchasing Office will maintain a register of holders of this RFP. Any party receiving this RFP in a fashion other than by receipt from the Purchasing Office should inform Purchasing of its interest to ensure receipt of any addenda.

J. ACCEPTANCE OF RFP TERMS: A proposal submitted in response to this RFP shall constitute a

binding offer. Acknowledgment of this condition shall be indicated by the signature of the Offeror or an officer of the Offeror legally authorized to execute contractual obligations. A submission in response to this RFP acknowledges acceptance by the Offeror of all terms and conditions including compensation, as set forth herein. An Offeror shall identify clearly and thoroughly any variations between its proposal and the University's RFP. Failure to do so shall be deemed a waiver of any rights to subsequently modify the terms of performance.

K. CONFIDENTIAL/PROPRIETARY INFORMATION: Any restrictions on the use or inspection of

material contained within the proposal shall be clearly stated in the proposal itself. Written requests for confidentiality shall be submitted by the Offeror with the proposal. The Offeror must state specifically what elements of the proposal are to be considered confidential/proprietary. Confidential/proprietary information must be readily identified, marked, and separately packaged from the rest of the proposal. Co-mingling of confidential/proprietary and other information is NOT acceptable. Neither a proposal in its entirety, nor proposal price information will be considered confidential/proprietary. Any information that will be included in any resulting contract cannot be considered confidential. The Purchasing Office will make a written determination as to the apparent validity of any request for confidentiality. The written decision of the Purchasing Office will be sent to the Offeror as required.

L. RFP RESPONSE MATERIAL OWNERSHIP: All material submitted regarding this RFP becomes

the property of the University of Wyoming. Proposals may be reviewed by any person after the "notice of Intent to Make an Award" letter has been issued, subject to the terms of law. The University of Wyoming has the right to use any or all information/material presented in reply to the RFP, subject to limitations outlined in Proprietary/Confidential Information. Disqualification of an Offeror, or submission of an unsuccessful proposal, does not eliminate this right.

M. SELECTION OF PROPOSAL: All Offerors will be notified in writing regarding the results of the RFP

evaluation. Upon review and approval of the evaluation committee's recommendation for award, the Purchasing Office will issue a "Notice of Intent to Make an Award" letter to the apparent successful Offeror.

N. AWARD OF CONTRACT: The award will be made to that Offeror whose proposal, conforming to

the RFP, will be the most advantageous to the University of Wyoming. The University reserves the right to accept or reject any and all proposals and to waive any irregularities or informalities and to award the contract in the best interest of the University. The University does not forfeit its sovereign immunity through the execution of the contract.


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O. ACCEPTANCE OF PROPOSAL CONTENT: The contents of the proposal (including persons specified to implement the project) of the successful Offeror will become contractual obligations if acquisition action ensues. Failure of the successful Offeror to accept these obligations in a contract may result in cancellation of the award and such Offeror may be removed from future solicitations.

P. STANDARD CONTRACT: The University of Wyoming reserves the right to incorporate standard

UW contract provisions (Special Provisions) and other provisions noted in this RFP into any contract resulting from this RFP.

Q. RFP CANCELLATION: The University reserves the right to cancel this Request for Proposal at any

time, without penalty. R. OWNERSHIP OF CONTRACT PRODUCTS/SERVICES: Proposals, upon established opening

time, become the property of the University of Wyoming. All products/services produced in response to the contract resulting from this RFP will be the sole property of the University of Wyoming. The contents of the successful Offeror's proposal will become contractual obligations.

S. INCURRING COSTS: The University of Wyoming is not liable for any cost incurred by Offerors prior

to issuance of a legally executed contract. No property interest, of any nature, shall accrue until a contract is awarded and signed by all concerned parties.

T. MINORITY PARTICIPATION: It is the University's goal to maximize participation of minorities in the

procurement process. Accordingly, minority enterprises are to be utilized when possible. By the submission of a proposal the Offeror shall agree to utilize the maximum amount of minority business firms that the Offeror finds to be consistent with the efficient performance of any resulting contract.

U. NON-DISCRIMINATION: The Offeror shall comply with all applicable state and federal laws, rules

and regulations involving non-discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, or sexual orientation.

V. REJECTION OF PROPOSALS: The University of Wyoming reserves the right to reject any or all

proposals and to waive informalities and minor irregularities in proposals received and to accept any portion of a proposal or all items proposed if deemed in the best interest of the University of Wyoming as may be negotiated by all parties.

W. PARENT COMPANY: If an Offeror is owned or controlled by a parent company, the parent

company name, main office address, and parent company's tax identification number shall be provided in the proposal.

X. NEWS RELEASES: News releases pertaining to this RFP shall NOT be made prior to execution of

the contract without prior written approval by the University. Y. CERTIFICATION OF INDEPENDENT PRICE DETERMINATION:

1. By submission of this proposal, each Offeror, and in the case of a joint proposal, each party thereto, certifies as to its own organization, that, in connection with this procurement:

a. The prices in this proposal have been arrived at independently, without consultation,

communication, or agreement, for the purpose of restricting competition, as to any matter relating to such prices with any other Offeror or with any competitor;

b. Unless otherwise required by law, the prices which have been quoted in this proposal

have not been knowingly disclosed by the Offeror and will not knowingly be disclosed by


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the Offeror prior to opening, directly or indirectly, to any other Offeror or to any competitor; and

c. No attempt has been made or will be made by the Offeror to induce any other person or

firm to submit or not to submit a proposal for the purpose of restricting competition.

2. Each person signing the Form of Bid form of this proposal certifies that:

a. He is the person in the Offeror's organization responsible within that organization for the decision as to the prices being offered herein and that he has not participated, and will not participate, in any action contrary to (1 a) through (1 c) above; or

b. He is not the person in the Offeror's organization responsible within that organization for

the decision as to the prices being offered herein but that he has been authorized in writing to act as agent for the persons responsible for such decision in certifying that such persons have not participated, and will not participate, in any action contrary to (1 a) through (1 c) above, and as their agent does hereby so certify; and he has not participated, and will not participate, in any action contrary to (1 a) through (1 c) above.

3. A proposal will not be considered for award where (1 a), (1 c), or (2) above has been deleted

or modified. Where (1 b) above has been deleted or modified, the proposal will not be considered for award unless the Offeror furnishes with the proposal a signed statement which sets forth in detail the circumstances of the disclosure and the head of the agency, or his designee, determines that such disclosure was not made for the purpose of restricting competition.

Z. CONFLICTS OF INTEREST: The holding of public office or employment is a public trust. A public

officer or employee whose conduct departs from his fiduciary duty is liable for his or her actions. AA. TAXES: The University of Wyoming, as purchaser, is exempt from all federal excise taxes and from

all state government use taxes. BB. ASSIGNMENT: Neither party to any resulting contract may assign any portion of the agreement

without the prior written consent of the other party. CC. AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS: Financial obligations of the University payable after the current fiscal

year are contingent upon funds for that purpose being appropriated, budgeted, and otherwise made available. In the event funds are not appropriated, any resulting contract will become null and void, without penalty to the University of Wyoming.

DD. BID BONDS/SECURITY: Not required for this proposal. EE. CONTRACTOR'S PERFORMANCE BOND: Not required for this proposal. FF. INSURANCE: The Contractor shall procure, at its own expense, and maintain for the duration of

the work, the following insurance coverage; the University shall be issued certificates as an additional insured.

1. Standard Workman's Compensation and Employers' Liability as required by State Statute

including occupational disease, covering all employees of Contractor at University.

2. General Liability (BI, PL & PD) (Minimum):

a. Combined single limit - $1,000,000 written on an occurrence basis.


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b. Any aggregate limit will not be less than $1,000,000.

c. Products and completed operations - $1,000,000

3. Contractor must purchase additional insurance if claims reduce the annual aggregate below $1,000,000.

4. Insurance shall include provisions preventing cancellation without 60 days prior notice by

certified mail to the University of Wyoming.

5. Automobile Liability (Minimum). Contractor to carry a minimum of $1,000,000 combined single unit owned, non-owned, and hired auto insurance. Automobile and General Liability may be combined in a single policy.

A Certificate of Insurance shall be provided to University evidencing the required coverages. The Certificate shall be provided to: University of Wyoming Risk Management Dept. 303 1000 E. University Ave. Laramie, WY 82071

3. INDEMNIFICATION: To the extent authorized by law, the contractor shall indemnify, save and hold

harmless the University, its employees, agents and representatives, against any and all claims, damages, liability, and court awards including costs, expenses, and attorney fees incurred as a result of any act or omission by the contractor or its employees, agents, subcontractors, or assignees pursuant to the terms of the contract resulting from this RFP.

4. VENUE: The laws of the State of Wyoming, USA, shall govern in connection with the formation,

performance, and legal enforcement of any resulting contract. 5. SUPPORTIVE MATERIALS: Offeror may submit other supportive materials that will assist the

evaluation of the RFP.

SECTION III

Detailed Specifications

Background Information Over the last few years, different University of Wyoming departments have developed individual in-house computing operations and other information technology infrastructures. The development often began as one or two small projects or applications that were needed to meet specific and unique departmental needs. In some instances these various systems naturally evolved in size and complexity to the point where some departments are now administering complex computer operations and infrastructures. The University’s information technology infrastructure has grown to a distributed system that is partly centralized and partly decentralized. Decentralization of information technology often results in greater departmental control and responsiveness while centralization creates economies of scale and increased system stability. An objective of this review is to evaluate the University’s current balance between these two concepts and


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make recommendations for creating the appropriate balance to best meet the University’s mission. The best strategic use of information technologies will enable the campus community to effectively leverage limited resources, better manage information as the expensive and essential resource it is, and allow the campus to function at its maximum potential. As an example of the growth of decentralized systems, there are more than 60 unique, administrative servers located in various non-IT departments across campus serving a variety of functions. Additionally, there is approximately the same number of information technology titled positions residing in non-IT departments as there are within the University’s Division of Information Technology. In some cases, these departmental computing operations house critical or sensitive University of Wyoming data that may not be appropriately maintained or properly secured. In other instances, some of the services provided by these operations duplicate other centralized University resources, operations, applications, hardware, software or personnel. Some departments have recognized problems with their growing infrastructure and have considered moving parts of their operations to the Division of Information Technology. Because of limited Information Technology resources and other barriers they have been unable to make the move. There is concern that cost efficiencies that could finance new technology for the university may be lost through duplication of resources (personnel, physical space allocation, hardware and software). While there are legitimate reasons for stand-alone departmental information technology operations, an extensive and growing distributed computing environment that is not strategically integrated is unnecessarily costly and reduces efficiencies. There is further concern about the effect of decentralized operations and infrastructure on the planning and coordination of large technology projects that are intended to be campus-wide. Examples include the implementation of the network firewall, properly patching systems vulnerable to viruses and the integration of decentralized systems into campus-wide resources such as electronic calendars, e-mail lists, and directory services. An integrated plan for campus-wide system administration and maintenance is needed to control costs, ensure integration, and provide comprehensive security and data protection. Decentralized operations and infrastructure increases the difficulties in establishing technology policies and common standards for computing platforms, workstation and server management, software compatibility, licensing and training intended to achieve reliability and stability of the campus IT infrastructure. The University’s need for technology is ever increasing. Associated institutional costs also increase as the need for technology increases. The University must develop an overall information technology infrastructure strategy and plan that best meets the University’s mission in the most efficient and cost effective manner. The University of Wyoming’s auditing firm and Information Technology have recommended a review of the University’s overall information technology structure and operations. The purpose of this review is to conduct an evaluation and make recommendations to create efficiencies where possible without sacrificing departmental needs. The purpose does not reflect a specific desire to centralize operations, but to ensure that information technology support and services are cost-effective, consistent and integrated across campus, and properly balanced between centralized and decentralized services. Scope This review is to examine the services, applications, architecture, system security, resources and associated information technology personnel throughout the University’s Laramie campus. Included in a general review are approximately 60 servers located in roughly 25 departments and approximately 80 servers located in the Division of Information Technology. Areas to be assessed include but are not limited to:

1. Security architecture and administration.


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2. System architecture and scalability. 3. Backup and recovery processes, plans and priorities. 4. Data integrity, protection and retention. 5. Domain services for both the employee and student domains. (There are roughly 30 UW

domains that trust the two primary UWYO and UWSTUDENT domains.) 6. Duplication of services (DNS, email, DHCP, Web servers, database servers, file servers, print

servers, SMS Servers, application servers.) 7. Consistency of database architectures where possible. 8. Departmental networking infrastructures including wireless. 9. Environmental: Machine Rooms, Air Conditioning, Wiring, UPS and Power Supplies, Redundant

Network Connectivity. 10. Standardization of hardware purchases for better compatibility, and easier support and

maintenance (desktop, server, printers, etc.). 11. End user software and hardware support (i.e. User Consultants). 12. Server Support and maintenance (i.e. Systems Programmers, Server Administrators, etc.). 13. Bulk purchasing of software. 14. Personnel resources and critical support personnel. 15. Environmental support systems such as HVAC, UPS and backup where equipment is housed. 16. Functional employee groups and other suitable areas for Citrix/Terminal Services applications

including potential costs and cost savings, if any.

Review Goals and Objectives This review is to assess the University’s information technology infrastructure as a whole and make recommendations to:

1. Ensure the protection and security of University data. 2. Minimize duplication of effort, services and resources. 3. Eliminate inefficient and costly redundancies. 4. Define what services, if any, should be restructured or eliminated. 5. Eliminate non-compatible standards and architectures. 6. Identify obstacles for departments wanting to move computing operations to the Division of

Information Technology. 7. Recommend a strategy for evaluating the University-wide impacts of major information

technology purchases including analysis of total cost of ownership. 8. Evaluate the complexity and risks of managing a complex distributed computing environment,

including system security, exposure to data loss and virus protection. 9. Identify issues and trends in technology that may affect the University’s technology infrastructure

and long-term architecture. 10. Recommend the most effective balance of central and distributed technology services, staffing

and resources. Detail any logical alternatives.

The recommendations should provide the University the background, advice and detailed recommendations:

• To create a cost efficient blend of centralization and decentralization of information technology resources - properly aligning the University’s information technology infrastructure to best meet the needs of its teaching, research and outreach missions.

• To create a coherent campus-wide information technology computing architecture and a

solid foundation for the University’s information technology infrastructure.

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• On developing a long-term organizational process and structure to ensure the best utilization of the University’s information technology resources for the future.


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• To estimate the costs of infrastructure and support, including personnel and training, in the current distributed environment and to estimate the same costs for the alternatives proposed.

Interviews

• Propose, in detail, three levels of departmental/program interview penetration and provide separate cost schedules for each alternative as a deliverable. The levels may range from phone or email interviews with a sampling of administrative departments and academic programs to on-site, in-person interviews. One proposal should include an on-site interview with a minimum of 20 administrative departments and academic programs where Information Technology provides the majority of computer services and to 100 percent of administrative departments and academic programs (approximately 25) that utilize a high level of non-centralized computing services. Interview methodology would differ from survey methodology in that, regardless of their level, interviews would offer the opportunity for discussion of responses at the time the interview is conducted. Alternately, explain why a different approach might be proposed for comprehensive data gathering.

Surveys

• Conduct a thorough, scientifically valid, survey representing accurate cross sectional needs of faculty, staff, and administrative users through questions related to the goals and objectives of this proposal.

o Survey methodology, approach and questions must be approved by the University. Methodology may include both mail and online surveys in data gathering. The University can provide a web interface to administer the survey. The question set for the online survey is to be provided by the consultant. The consultant should specify whether the data repository would be installed on a UW server for the data to be collected and then sent to the consultant or if the consultant will provide the repository.

Report

• A report and executive summary addressing all Review Goals and Objectives and making recommendations for actions that will enable the University to achieve the Review Goals and Objectives.

• Compilation of survey and interview responses and analysis of the results. • Distributed security assessment and general vulnerability analysis. • Cost-benefit analysis of centralized and decentralized options, with long-term risks

articulated. Timeframe Responses to this RFP are due by December 1, 2003 at 2:00 p.m. Reponses should minimally include:

1. A range of costs for conducting the review as outlined. 2. A vendor skills and competencies description relative to this engagement. 3. A planned scope of services with a description of the typical methodology to be used in

the review that will include the following: a. A detailed plan to perform the Information Technology Services Review within 12

weeks. b. A visual timeline indicating each major task. c. A working schedule for:


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i. Meetings with IT administrators for systems review, conducting surveys and interviews (see Interviews section) with the number of hours that are proposed to be allocated to each.

ii. Presenting the draft report on-site to IT administrators for closing input. iii. After evaluating input, incorporate appropriate input into final report. iv. Presenting final report to interested users on-site in, at a minimum, five

sessions for a minimum of fifteen hours for all presentations. 4. The University requests three references of similar evaluations made by the vendor.

Higher education references are preferred.

Other • Provide samples of similar work products. • Specify possible tasks that may arise during the review that are not included in the scope

of services and provide quote for add on costs. • Provide a list of optional services, with estimated costs, that might be beneficial to the

review.


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FORM OF BID

Request for Proposal Information Technology Services Review

THE UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING

Purchasing Office The University of Wyoming Dept. 3605 16th and Gibbon Laramie, WY 82071 Dear Greg Livingston: The undersigned Offeror, having read the terms and conditions, together with all addenda and being acquainted with and fully understanding the requirements, submit our attached proposal to be opened at 2:00 P.M., MDT, December 1, 2003, in Room 115 Merica Hall, Laramie, Wyoming. The Offeror acknowledges receipt of the following addenda (if applicable): ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ The Offeror has identified clearly any variations between its proposal and the RFI. The Offeror understands that the University reserves the right to consider the capabilities of the Offerors. The University further reserves the right to accept or reject any and all proposals and to waive any irregularities or informalities and to award the contract in the best interest of the University. Sincerely,

____________________________________ ____________ Authorized Signature Date ____________________________________ Printed Name of Authorized Signature ____________________________________ Company Name ____________________________________ _______________________ Telephone Number ____________________________________ _______________________ Fax Number ____________________________________ _______________________ Company Address E-mail address


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Information Technology Services Review RFP

Education

Transcript of Information Technology Services Review RFP