city of pittsburgh office of management & budget · the city of pittsburgh office of management...

CITY OF PITTSBURGH

Office of Management & Budget

on behalf of the

Department of Personnel & Civil Service Commission

Request for Proposal

for

Workers’ Compensation Third Party Administrator

RFP No. 2017-0045 Release Date: September 8, 2017

Submittal Deadline: October 13, 2017 no later than 4:00pm EST

RFP 2017-0045 Workers’ Compensation Third Party Administrator

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Table of Contents 1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 3 2 Background ........................................................................................................................................... 4 3 Tentative Schedule of Events ............................................................................................................... 6 4 Scope of Services ................................................................................................................................. 7

4.1 Scope Detail .............................................................................................................................. 7 5 General Terms & Conditions............................................................................................................... 24

5.1 Examination of Proposal Documents ...................................................................................... 24 5.2 RFP Term ................................................................................................................................ 24 5.3 RFP Communications .............................................................................................................. 24 5.4 Addenda/Clarifications ............................................................................................................. 25 5.5 Withdrawal of Proposals .......................................................................................................... 26 5.6 Public Record .......................................................................................................................... 26 5.7 Non-Conforming Proposal ....................................................................................................... 26 5.8 Disqualification ........................................................................................................................ 26 5.9 Restrictions on Gifts and Activities .......................................................................................... 27 5.10 Rights of the City of Pittsburgh ................................................................................................ 27

6 Miscellaneous Requirements .............................................................................................................. 28 6.1 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................. 28

7 Equal Opportunity ............................................................................................................................... 29 7.1 MWE/DBE ................................................................................................................................ 29 7.2 Veteran-Owned Small Business .............................................................................................. 29 7.3 Good Faith Commitment ......................................................................................................... 29

8 Format & Submittal Requirements ...................................................................................................... 30 8.1 Format Requirements .............................................................................................................. 30

8.1.1 Cover Letter .............................................................................................................. 30 8.1.2 TAB A: Firm’s Qualifications, Experience & References .......................................... 30 8.1.3 TAB B: Qualifications of Team .................................................................................. 32 8.1.4 TAB C: Project Approach and Plan .......................................................................... 32


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8.1.5 TAB D: Cost Proposal ............................................................................................... 33 8.1.6 TAB E: Required Statements .................................................................................... 33 8.1.7 TAB F: Exceptions .................................................................................................... 33

8.2 Submittal Requirements .......................................................................................................... 34 9 Evaluation & Selection ........................................................................................................................ 35

9.1 Selection Procedure ................................................................................................................ 35 9.2 Criteria ..................................................................................................................................... 35

10 Award & Contract ................................................................................................................................ 36 10.1 Award ....................................................................................................................................... 36 10.2 Contracting Process ................................................................................................................ 36

11 Appendices ......................................................................................................................................... 37 11.1 Attachment(s) Listing ............................................................................................................... 37


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1 Introduction

September 8, 2017

To All Prospective Bidders: The City of Pittsburgh Office of Management and Budget on behalf of Personnel invites you to submit a proposal for Workers’ Compensation Third Party Administrator. The primary goal of the Program is providing the medical treatment necessary to the injured worker at the time of the injury and returning the injured worker to his/her pre-injury position as soon as medically possible. Any questions in regard to this RFP should be submitted in writing no later than 4pm EST on September 29, 2017 and directed to:

Thoryn Simpson Manager, Strategic Initiatives Office of Management and Budget City-County Building, Room 502 414 Grant Street Pittsburgh, PA 15219 Email: [email protected]

All proposals will be due by 4pm EST on October 13, 2017 as described in the Timeline section of this RFP. The Committee will announce the Awardee on or about October 31, 2017. Sincerely,

Jennifer L. Olzinger Assistant Director/Procurement Manager Office of Management and Budget

mailto:[email protected]


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2 Background

The City of Pittsburgh’s Workers’ Compensation Program is self-insured and all services of the City of Pittsburgh’s Workers’ Compensation Program are provided under a “Managed Care Workers’ Compensation Program”. Under this Program, the City contracts with an outside organization to provide the services necessary to maintain a functional and comprehensive model. The Senior Manager, Risk and Benefits serves as the Program Manager. The Program Manager oversees the day-to-day operations and works closely with the Third Party Administrator (TPA) to ensure that the needs of injured City workers are being met, to monitor and maintain control over all expenditures under the Program, and to ensure that the Contractor(s) are providing appropriate and excellent services. Within the Department of Personnel and Civil Service Commission, the City employs a Safety Manager and a Safety Specialist. The TPA will work directly with these employees as well as key Payroll, Benefits, and Departmental Representatives to ensure communication throughout the entire Program. The City of Pittsburgh employs approximately 3400 employees in a variety of positions ranging from administrative to public safety. Public safety personnel include firefighters, police, emergency medical services, PLI, animal control, and school crossing guards. All care for the first ninety (90) days (per Fire CBA, thirty (30) days) is provided by a panel of physicians selected under the managed care component of the Program. In calendar year 2016, 925 City injuries, suspected injuries, or possible contact with infectious disease incidents were reported directly to the TPA. Through June 30, 2017, 417 similar calls have been made to the TPA. The TPA is responsible for forming and administering a customized comprehensive program designed to provide all components including medical and infectious disease management, claims management, case management, intake services, and loss control.

Employees who incur work related injuries may apply for Workers’ Compensation benefits under Pennsylvania’s Workers’ Compensation Act. While the rules and regulations of workers’ compensation are governed by the State Act, the benefits themselves are paid directly by the City because it is self-insured. In addition to the benefits for wage loss, injured employees can recover costs which are reasonable and customary for medication, supplies, hospitalization, and medical and surgical services. Employees who apply for benefits under workers’ compensation are entitled to earn most fringe benefits such as sick time, salary increments, and credit toward pension. The Workers’


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Compensation Act places two restrictions upon medical treatment. It requires that: 1) the employee be treated by a medical provider designated by the City for the first ninety (90) days (per Fire CBA, thirty (30) days), and 2) the employee submit to an independent medical exam if requested/required. If the employee refuses or neglects the latter requirement, the City may petition the State Workers’ Compensation Board to order that employee either submit to the examination or deduct the period of neglect or refusal from the term in which compensation would otherwise be payable. Police and Fire employees are entitled to Heart and Lung benefits. These benefits are part of the City’s Workers’ Compensation Program, and are administered as such.


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3 Tentative Schedule of Events The following represents the tentative schedule for this project. Any change in the scheduled dates for the Pre-Proposal Conference (if applicable), Deadline for Submission of Written Questions, or Proposal Submission Deadline will be advertised in the form of an addendum to this RFP. The schedule for the evaluation process and other future dates may be adjusted without notice.

RFP released: September 8, 2017

Cut-off for questions: September 29, 2017 4pm EST

Proposal submission deadline: October 13, 2017 4pm EST

Proposal Review & Supplier Scoring October 23-27, 2017

Contract award: October 31, 2017

EORC Approval November 15, 2017

Council Approval November 14, 2017

Project start date: January 1, 2018

System Implementation: TBD


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4 Scope of Services

4.1 Scope Detail The City of Pittsburgh’s Department of Personnel and Civil Service Commission is seeking to contract with qualified organizations or individuals in serving as the Workers’ Compensation Program Third Party Administrator. The contractor will be required to provide access to all services contained in the sections below. Contractors are encouraged to join with subcontractors to provide all of these services. The contract term for these services will be for four (4) years. The City of Pittsburgh is seeking the highest level of care and service in all aspects of its work-related injury program. It is important to the City to continue to control the costs of work-related injuries. We understand that with a combination of professional claims management, quality medical care and medical case management, our internal safety team, and the continued backing from the Mayor and senior City officials, the cost of work-related injuries can be controlled and reduced over time. The quality of medical care must maintain the highest standards, even while the entire Workers’ Compensation team strives to reduce costs. Toward this end, in responding to this RFP, all Contractors should be aware that the City will expect proper treatment of patients and handling of injured workers, with emphasis on quality of care and best practices. At the same time, it is also the intent of the City to make certain that through the Program outlined in this RFP, that employees who are not entitled to service related benefits do not receive them. Contractors who respond to this RFP should understand that the City is committed to supporting any efforts on the part of the team members to eliminate fraud and abuse of the system. The Contractor agrees to all of the services outlined in this section. If there are exceptions, Contractors are to list them by section in Tab F of the submittal response (reference Section 8-Format and Submittal Requirements). 4.1.1 Claims Administration

The TPA is responsible for the intake and management of every City of Pittsburgh injury and infectious disease claim. In conjunction with the nurse case specialists and the involved medical personnel, the claims adjusters monitor each injury claim with the objective of returning the injured employee to work as soon as is medically possible following the injury.

In order to meet this objective, the claims adjusters must be completely familiar with the fine details of each injury, and must work directly with the injured employee and the medical personnel. They must also be familiar with the requirements if the Pennsylvania Department of Labor, Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, and keep current and timely on all filings required by the Bureau. They must work with the City’s selected legal counsel to provide information and documentation to assist in the processing of litigation of City claims.


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The specific duties of claims administration are as follows:

1. Accept injury reports via a 1-800 number staffed 24 hours a day/ 7 days per week with

trained professionals, and forward the appropriate information within a reasonable amount of time to a claims representative.

2. Evaluate any open claim and make recommendations to the City as to their proper

disposition in accordance to the Workers’ Compensation Act or where applicable, the Heart and Lung Act.

3. Maintain complete records (hard copy and/or computerized) on all reported claims on

behalf of and as custodian for the City.

4. Submit a monthly billing of expenditures to the City. 5. Prepare and deliver all appropriate benefit payments (indemnity and medical) utilizing a

payment method agreed upon with the City. The City will be responsible for all expenses related to checking account maintenance including check or voucher checks. All payments are to be made on a timely and accurate basis.

6. Stay in contact with physicians and other involved medical personnel as required to

maintain a current perspective on the claimants’ progress toward his/her RTW. 7. Maintain contact with the injured workers as necessary dependent upon claim severity

and claimant compliance. 8. Keep current on the claimant’s treatment plan and on any barriers to the expected RTW

date. 9. Schedule appointments with City Physician for RTW exams per the guidelines of the

Civil Service Policy. 10. Attend bi-monthly case management discussions along with the case managers to

review cases of a complex nature and/or cases which require team decisions and thought.

11. Prepare in whole or in part (along with the case managers) letters to physicians, letters

regarding IME’s, letters regarding L & I or other documentation requiring a medical perspective.


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12. Evaluate cases with the potential for litigation providing the City with direction on the most cost effective manner for resolution. Recommendation should include expected legal outcome, settlement potential and/or cost savings.

13. Work closely with the City of Pittsburgh’s selected legal counsel on Workers’

Compensation and Heart and Lung claims currently in litigation to provide oversight on strategy and expenses related to the file (scheduling depositions, IME’s, obtaining medical records, etc.).

14. Document in clear, concise, easily understood language all medical claims notes. 15. Participate in bi-monthly non-litigated claims reviews and be prepared to discuss each

claimant’s medical progress. 16. Attend bi-monthly Workers’ Compensation Steering Committee meetings. 17. Provide access to Computer Based Claim System to Safety Manager and other staff as

designated by City of Pittsburgh’s Senior Manager, Risk and Benefits. 18. Work with Safety Manager to track and monitor trends relating to types of injuries,

locations of injuries, length/severity of injuries in order to provide a safe work environment for City of Pittsburgh employees.

19. Review all medical bills, in conjunction with the case managers, for appropriateness to

employee injury and diagnosis. 20. Review all claims for determination of possible relief from charges under the provisions

pertaining to handicapped employees, second injury funds, etc. 21. Provide assistance, as requested, to the City in preparation of annual self-insurance

renewal filings. In addition, having the ability to identifying and separate Heart and Lung claims.

22. Set reserves in conjunction with the City of Pittsburgh’s Senior Manager, Risk and

Benefits based on the most probable case outcome. Reserves must be monitored and updated (both indemnity and medical) as required by history and reserve protocols.

23. Upon receiving notice and calculations from the City of Pittsburgh facilitate the offset of

Pension Benefits against future indemnity benefits. 24. Review each file for subrogation potential and provide meaningful documentation of the

results.


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25. Review each file for potential fraud and keep the client alerted to any findings. 26. Work directly with the City of Pittsburgh’s Senior Manager, Risk and Benefits to ensure

the Program is meeting all of the standards required by the City of Pittsburgh. 27. Provide the City of Pittsburgh’s Senior Manager, Risk and Benefits with an Executive

Summary of Program performance on a quarterly basis outlining key performance indicators as required by this agreement.

28. Meet with the City of Pittsburgh’s Senior Manager, Risk and Benefits on a quarterly basis

to review Program and contract costs to include medical expenses, Program costs (i.e. IME), and administrative costs (i.e. deposition, surveillance, court reports, drug & alcohol testing, etc).

29. Section 111 Medicare Secondary Payer Mandatory Reporting. 30. Maintain compliance as required to WCAIS System.

32. Work with excess insurance carriers to ensure reporting requirements are being met.

4.1.2 Medical Management

A. Medical Care

The Contractor, by responding to this RFP, must agree to provide access to all services and assume all responsibilities in this section. Each Contractor, unless otherwise noted in the “Exceptions” section of this RFP, agrees to all of the services outlined in this section. The City seeks a qualified Contractor that can: • Offer access to and manage an established, credentialed and complete provider

network capable of treating the work-related injuries experienced by City workers, and assist injured City workers in achieving maximum medical recovery and safe return to work.

• Maintain access to health care delivery system to treat injured City workers. This

will include hospitals, physicians, therapists, and other ancillary service providers and must be reasonably accessible to workers.

• Provide drug and alcohol testing to post-injury employees based upon Act 47 plan

provisions and union contractual language allowing for such testing.


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• Provide the City with a predictable Workers’ Compensation budget and continue to contain the City’s costs.

• Provide access to a network of treatment sites and facilities with geographical

access for the City’s workforce. The proposed scope of medical care services to be offered by the Contractor includes but is not limited to the following:

1) Services

a) Examinations

• Initial injury examination and follow-up exams and evaluations (Second

Opinion Evaluations).

• Independent Medical Evaluations. • All Claims on TTD over ninety (90) days with no specific time frame

specified for return to duty should have an IME and this should be repeated every six (6) months. All claims for permanent and total disability should have an IME at least once a year for the first two years and as needed thereafter.

• Contractor will also schedule and pay for IME’s (a pre-determined

number) when reasonably requested by the City.

b) Ancillary Services

• Acute Care Services

o Initial and follow-up Treatment and Evaluations (Including Emergency, Trauma, and Inpatient Hospitalization Services)

o Subspecialty Consultation and Treatment (Referrals) o Diagnostic Testing o Medical Equipment and Supplies o Pharmaceuticals

• Referral to Specialist

o Emergency Medicine o Occupational and Environmental Medicine o Orthopedics


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o Dermatology o Ophthalmology o Psychiatry o General Surgery o Social Services/Psychology/Psychiatric o Other (Including but not limited to; Neurology, Urology, Dentistry,

Cardiology, Pulmonary, and Rheumatology)

• Rehabilitation

o Physical Therapy o Occupational Therapy o Hand Therapy o Pool Therapy

• Specialized Services

o Evaluation and treatment of Sub-acute/Chronic Occupational

Diseases o Analysis of Epidemiological Data o Contractor agrees to use its best effort to furnish expert testimony

services or depositions when appropriately requested by the City at no additional charge.

c) Appointment of Contract’s Medical Coordinator

A candidate for the position of Medical Coordinator of the Program will be advanced by the Contractor no later than December 1, 2017.

Once approved by the City, the Contractor’s Medical Coordinator will be employed by the Contractor but will continue to serve at the pleasure of the City. The Medical Coordinator commitment will be to the extent required to ensure all responsibilities are fulfilled.

Responsibilities of the Contractor’s Medical Coordinator will include:

• Clinical direction, coordination, and administration of the Program. • Assurance of adequacy and quality of care/patient service.

• Standardization of medical protocols.

• Coordination of health care providers.


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• Cooperation and accessibility in providing medical consultation to

the City of Pittsburgh.

• Evaluation of appropriateness of treatment of network and out of network providers; work with providers not conforming to standards and recommend appropriate remedial actions when necessary.

• Evaluate appropriateness of duty status.

• Facilitate review of drug and alcohol testing results by MRO.

2) Health Care Service Requirements and Responsibilities

The Contractor agrees to all of the services outlined in this section. If there are exceptions, Contractors are to list them by section in Tab F of the submittal response (reference Section 8-Format and Submittal Requirements).

a) The Contractor will be responsible to coordinate with the City of

Pittsburgh’s Senior Manager, Risk and Benefits for the case management of all work related injuries whether they are treated in or out of the Contractor’s health care provider’s network.

b) The Contractor will be responsible for forwarding payment of all medical care provided to active, retired and terminated City employees with service connected injuries regardless of whether the services are rendered in or out of the network. Funds will be forwarded from a designated City account.

c) All independent medical evaluations are to be performed by board certified or eligible physicians in the appropriate specialty. All medical care and treatment must be provided under the on site supervision of a physician who is board certified or eligible in an appropriate field. No medical students or residents are to provide any definitive treatment to City patients.

d) Medical care, including emergency medical care, should be provided through occupational medicine specialists, and emergency rooms as necessary, to any City employee who reports having been involved in an on-the-job injury. If the employee reports that he/she has not filed his first report of injury, he should be directed to do so following the completion of the medical treatment. The Contractor will follow-up with the injured employee to complete the paperwork, including the first report of injury,


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necessary to open the claim file. Medical issues not related to the injury on duty are to be referred to the patient’s private medical provider.

e) The Contractor is responsible to ensure the picture identification provided by the employee is reviewed and to determine if, based on the union affiliation of that employee, a drug and alcohol test is necessary. If these tests are authorized for the employee, tests are to be provided at the time of the initial hospital (clinic/ED) visit.

f) The Contractor is responsible for following the required protocol to get the results of the drug tests. Once received, information regarding positive drug screenings is to be provided to the City following the City protocol for notification. All information regarding the results of drug and alcohol testing for City employees must remain strictly confidential and must only be shared with authorized personnel.

g) Contractor must develop protocols and treatment guidelines for the treatment of all major types of injuries within one hundred twenty (120) days of the beginning of the initial contract year.

h) Protocols and guidelines established by the Contractor’s Medical Coordinator (and approved by the City) for the medical care and treatment of patients must either be followed by the Contractor, or deviation from the guidelines must be justified in writing by the treating physician.

i) Panel Provider must develop a treatment plan based on the patient’s first visit to them. The treatment plan must include diagnosis, prognosis, projected return to work, number of weeks of physical therapy required, and any restrictions. It will be the responsibility of the Contractor to insure that such treatment plans are prepared and updated as needed.

j) At the request of the City, Contractor must make copies of medical records and radiographic films and other pertinent studies available as needed.

k) Panel discussions may, with reasonable notice, be convened at the request of the City or the Contractor. The Contractor must present summary medical care information and treatment plans on the patient(s) at such Panel discussions.

l) A referral system for appropriate medical treatment and follow-up for all active, retired and terminated City employees with service connected injuries must be jointly developed and agreed to by the City and the Contractor.


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m) The Contractor must provide access to the full range of medical services necessary. Certain specialist or other services may be referred to appropriate service providers. The Contractor must provide the City with a list of proposed referral service providers for pre-approval by the City and such approval will not be unreasonably withheld. Such approval by the City may be revoked for lack of appropriate credentials, past performance, or for any other reason at the discretion of the City with at least thirty (30) days notice. Additions and/or deletions to the list of approved referral services may be requested by either the Contractor or the City.

n) When a treating physician determines that an injured employee will never be able to function in the full capacity of his/her City position, the treating physician should report this determination immediately to the Claims Adjustor in writing. The notice should include, but not be limited to the date of injury, nature of injury, diagnosis, medical evidence for diagnosis (including physical findings, radiological findings, results of other tests, or opinions of consultants and independent medical evaluations), and a statement of continuing inability to perform his/her job duties as a result of the injury.

o) The Contractor’s Medical Coordinator shall convene periodic telephonic case management conferences (at least once a month or more frequently if needed) to review patient care and treatment plans with the treating physician, therapist or other medical staff, as indicated. Representatives from the City shall be invited to participate. All cases open more than thirty (30) days post injury shall be reviewed at such conferences.

p) The City may, at its discretion, submit for peer review any open case greater than ninety (90) days post injury, if the City reasonably believes that the treatment has not been medically necessary or appropriate, provided that such treatment has occurred within the last sixty (60) days. Such peer review shall consist of review of the case by a board certified or eligible physician in the appropriate specialty, or a certified peer review specialist, selected by the City. Should such peer review, or any appeal, find that the treatment has not been medically necessary or appropriate, the Contractor must absorb the cost of such treatment. The Contractor has the right to appeal such a determination. Such appeal shall consist of a presentation to a panel comprised of the peer review physician, another physician selected by the Contractor, and a third physician selected by these two panelists. The City will have the right to designate a non-voting member of the panel. If the appeal finds that the treatment is necessary and appropriate, then the City will pay the cost of its peer review physician; the Contractor will pay the cost of its physician; and the cost of the third (not to exceed and average IME fee) will be split evenly between the Contractor and the City. If the appeal finds that the


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treatment was unnecessary or inappropriate, then the Contractor shall pay all additional costs.

q) For the first ninety (90) days of treatment all City employees, except members of the Fire Bureau (thirty (30) days requirement) must cooperate with all reasonable and appropriate medical care, including diagnostic testing, physical therapy, and established corrective surgical procedures. In the case of surgical procedures, the employee will have the right to introduce a second opinion from his or her own physician at the Contractor’s cost notwithstanding Act 44. Any conflicts between the opinion of the treating physician and the opinion of the employee’s private physician shall be resolved by obtaining a third opinion from a neutral third physician at the Contractor’s cost.

r) The Contractor must maintain a centralized record keeping system which includes a highly integrated case management and reporting system to ensure appropriateness and timeliness of care to employees injured on duty. The Contractor must provide the City with direct access to claims management and reporting systems so information can be gathered when needed by the City team.

s) At no time are patients, whose evaluations and treatment have been properly approved, to be billed for services.

t) All invoices for payment for work related injuries sent to the City for out of network service will immediately be forwarded to the Contractor for resolution.

u) The Contractor must provide credentials to the City for all professional staff that will be providing services if so requested by the City. The City maintains the right to disqualify individuals from providing service based on prior work history and concerns.

v) All patient visits and failed appointments must be recorded using forms approved by the City. Copies of the reports must be provided to the City on a daily basis and sorted by department. Each time an employee/claimant is seen, the treating physician must complete an assessment report describing employee’s duty status and physical capacities and such information shall immediately be forwarded to the adjuster, who will review such with appropriate City Personnel.

w) Reports of independent medical evaluations requested by the City must be sent to the City within thirty (30) days of the evaluation.

x) Copies of medical records or summaries requested by the City should be sent within one week of request.


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y) The Contractor must agree that the City has the right to review cases and medical records and perform audit procedures of medical care provided.

z) The Contractor will ensure time of arrival and departure of injured City employees requiring treatment is documented, and report such information by department to the City on a regular basis.

aa) The Contractor will ensure adequate parking for City employees at all treatment facilities.

bb) The Contractor will provide quality and timely reporting to the medical file and to the appropriate City department. Treatment reports must be legible, with a clear description of treatment plans, duty status, duty status dates, clear identification of medical restrictions and physical limitations, treating physician identity, injured employee’s department, etc.

cc) Treating physicians (not specialists or physical therapists) must make duty determinations except in special cases.

dd) Treating physicians should not discuss injury compensability with patients.

ee) Treating physicians are required to fully inform patients regarding medical treatment, side effects of drugs, etc.

ff) Contractor will provide status reports on injured employees to City departments within one (1) business day of treatment by primary physicians and five (5) business days of treatment by specialists.

gg) Contractor will provide detailed instructions to all City departments, describing how and where injured employees should be directed for treatment and assist the City in the communication of such, including the updating and dissemination of the Panel.

hh) Quality of care must always be the primary consideration of Contractor over other issues in determining appropriate treatment strategy for injured City employees.

3) City’s Reserved Right Concerning Staffing the Workers’ Compensation

Program • The Contractor must provide the City with the right to reduce or increase

the number and type of positions as noted throughout this RFP.


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• The Contractor must provide the City with the right to remove any position(s) or individual staff person(s) from this Program. Further, the City reserves the right to alter the job responsibilities of any position responsible for the City of Pittsburgh’s Workers’ Compensation Program.

• Contractor must disclose the compensation budgeted for each position

separately with a breakout to all compensation costs (salary, benefit, social security, etc.). This information must be included in the RESPONSE to this RFP. Also, the specific position job descriptions must accompany the RFP RESPONSE.

• By January 1, 2018 the Contractor must have each position staffed and

operational.

B. Infectious Disease Program

The Contractor must agree to provide a comprehensive Infectious Disease Management Program. Each Contractor, unless otherwise noted in the “Exceptions” section of this RFP, agrees to all of the services outlined in this section. It will be the responsibility of the Contractor to administer a comprehensive Program of infectious disease monitoring and intervention for City of Pittsburgh employees. Components of the Program shall include the following:

• Consistent designated personnel for point of contact for 24-hour emergency exposure

consultation • Comprehensive documentation of infectious disease exposure. • Coordination of exposure treatment. • Liaison responsibility with City, County, and State agencies in the event of a widespread

exposure, etc. • Knowledge of applicable City, County, State, and Federal regulations regarding

infectious diseases.

• Maintenance of employee medical records. • Provision of immunization services by a registered nurse including the following:

Hepatitis B; Influenza; Tetanus/ Diphtheria; Measles/ Mumps/ Rubella; Others, as indicated, or as they become available or as may be requested by the City.


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• Provision of screening tests including the following: Hepatitis B; Tuberculosis; Measles/

Mumps/ Rubella; HIV, Others, as indicated, or as they become available or as may be requested by the City.

• Provision of education and staff training services concerning infectious disease

prevention and intervention. • Consultation around the development of an infectious disease control manual.

4.1.3 Nurse Case Management

A. Requirements:

1. Know the medical detail of each lost time injury. 2. Know the expected length of disability (ELOD) and the expected return to work (RTW)

date of each injury. 3. Connect the causal relationship of the injury to the medical evidence provided. (Is the

explanation of the injury as provided by the claimant reasonable and does it support the physiological result expressed by the medical community?)

4. Stay current on all on-going treatment and treatment plans for each assigned claim.

5. As medical reports are received at TPA enter all medical information into the claims

notes of the assigned claim. 6. Stay in contact with physicians and other involved medical personnel as required to

maintain a current perspective on the claimants’ progress toward his/her RTW. 7. Keep the Claims Adjuster/Assistant current on the claimant’s treatment plan and on any

barriers to the expected RTW date. 8. Attend bi-weekly case management discussions along with the claims adjusters to

review cases of a complex nature and/or cases which require team decisions and thought.

9. Prepare in whole or in part (along with the claims adjusters) letters to physicians, letters

regarding IME’s, letters regarding L & I or other documentation requiring a medical perspective.

10. Document in clear, concise easily understood language all medical claims notes.


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11. Participate in monthly non-litigated claims reviews and be prepared to discuss each claimant’s medical progress.

12. Attend bi-monthly Workers’ Compensation Steering Committee meetings as needed.

Review all medical bills for appropriateness to employee injury and diagnosis. 13. Assist the Claims Adjusters and other members of the team as may be instructed by the

Claims Supervisor and/or by the City of Pittsburgh’s Senior Manager, Risk and Benefits. 4.2 Reporting Risk Management Information System (RMIS) The City requires continuous access to data for multiple reports and calculations. The selected vendor’s RMIS should include but not be limited to:

1. Internet based claim system with access 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to view claim adjuster and supervisor notes, generate loss runs or other pre-scheduled or ad hoc loss management/claim reports.

2. Ability to export claim data into various microsoft products, i.e. word, excel, power point.

3. Provide RMIS technical support for questions, problems or development of customized reporting.

4. Preferably claim data is real time, or uploaded every 24 hours.

5. Import all prior loss data into a single database.

6. Provide scheduled loss reports to be sent electronically to the City each month, each quarter and upon request. These reports will include, but not limited to:

a. Detailed listing of open claims & closed claims. b. Summaries of all open and closed claims. c. Listing of first aid only claims. d. Claims cost detail. e. Claims by department. f. Claim trending. g. Financial reconciliation ledger.

7. Customized reports that may include, but not be limited to; job titles, injury types, loss

causation, lost workdays, modified work, use of MPN or other medical clinics, and managed care reports that track cost containment activities.


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8. Quality control program to ensure data integrity and claimant confidentiality. Any RMIS problems will be resolved within 24 hours or less.

9. Image system to scan all documents received pertaining to the case.

10. Fully compliant with MMSEA Section 111 reporting requirements. Disclose any fees associated with this service, including the names of any 3rd party TPA used for this reporting.

11. Secured system that may include, but not limited to; security audits, protected by intrusion prevention and intrusion detection systems, communications of any claimant’s personal information or personal health information is protected (i.e. monitoring of email and internet traffic, encrypted email, access restricted by user ID and password, or other similar security methods).

4.3 Guarantees and Incentives

4.3.1 The City will contract with a consultant to assist the City with implementation and measurement of Guarantees and Incentives related to the TPA’s services. The consultant will conduct the following functions on behalf of the City of Pittsburgh:

• Assist the City in establishing guidelines and plan objectives with respect to the

Guarantees and incentives section of this RFP. • Represent the City as the City’s audit coordinator with respect to the Guarantees and

Incentives portion of this RFP, which would include performing periodic reviews and audits and reporting findings to the City. The Contractor will be required to cooperate with this process.

• Assisting the City and its TPA to work together to develop service plans that best meet

the City’s needs.

The performance guarantees and incentives required by this RFP will fall into two categories: 1) Guarantees or minimum standards which will be required of the Contractor; -AND- 2) Incentives for better-than-anticipated performance.

The City and its consultant will define these performance standards.


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Contractor will be evaluated on the extent to which their efforts contribute measurably to the City’s overall spending reduction goals.

In responding to this RFP, the Contractor must identify the standards and levels of performance it anticipates implementing for both the guarantees and the incentives components of this RFP. The Contractor should also describe how these standards will be measured: whether the Contractor can provide periodic reports or whether manual audits are required.

The Contractor should clearly indicate performance guarantees as the minimum standards it expects to achieve for the City, and performance incentives, in which additional incentive payments will be made to the Contractor for superior performance. Examples of incentive measures may include reduction in the number of lost work days or reduction in paid or incurred losses, adjusted for changes in the number of FTEs.

4.3.2 Transition

To ensure an orderly transition, the City may require the following: 1) All City employees injured on duty after January 1, 2018 will be referred by the City to

the Contractor’s health care network. The Contractor will be paid for services rendered based upon a negotiated fee for service schedule.

2) The Contractor must submit to the City a detailed fee for service rate schedule for services to be rendered during the transition period for medical care as described in Section 4.4 of this RFP. In addition, the Contractor must quote a monthly fee to provide access to all services required by this RFP.

3) As part of the response, Contractor must submit an Implementation Plan which the City can immediately implement after selection of the Contractor, describing all requirements for the City to change its panel of providers. Monthly fixed price payments to the Contractor by the City will commence on the later of January 1, 2018 or the date that the official contract had been signed by all involved parties, and continue thereafter.

4) At the inception of the contract, the Contractor will assume medical management responsibilities for all open claims and any new or reopened claims. The Contractor will secure all records from incumbent at no cost to the City.

5) During the transition period, the City agrees to pay for all health care services rendered by out-of-network providers based upon existing negotiated fee schedule or the invoice amount. The Contractor will review and approve these invoices for payment.


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The Contractor will be responsible for disbursing payments to out-of-network providers upon funding and authorization by the City.

6) Any additional costs incurred by the Contractor for the transition of existing medical care records and cases during the transition period must be quoted separately and should not be included in the annual fee quoted by the Contractor. A detailed description of any such additional costs must be provided to the City.

4.4 Base Contract Pricing

All participants bidding on this opportunity are to complete Appendix D – Cost Proposal Response Form. Completed forms are to be provided in Tab D – Cost Proposal of the submittal requirements referenced in Section 8.


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5 General Terms & Conditions

5.1 Examination of Proposal Documents The submission of a proposal shall be deemed a representation and certification by the Respondent that they:

5.1.1 Have carefully read and fully understand the information that was provided by the City to serve as the basis for submission of the proposal

5.1.2 Have the capability to successfully undertake and complete the responsibilities and obligations of the proposal being submitted. 5.1.3 Represent that all information contained in the proposal is true and correct. 5.1.4 Did not, in any way, collude; conspire to agree, directly or indirectly, with any person, firm, corporation or other proposer in regard to the amount, terms or conditions of this proposal. 5.1.5 Acknowledge that the City has the right to make any inquiry it deems appropriate to substantiate or supplement information supplied by a proposer, and proposer hereby grants the City permission to make these inquiries, and to provide any and all related documentation in a timely manner.

No request for modification of the proposal shall be considered after its submission on the grounds that the proposer was not fully informed to any fact or condition.

5.2 RFP Term Respondent’s proposal shall remain firm and effective, subject to the City’s review and approval, for a period of one hundred twenty (120) days from the closing date for the receipt of proposals. The City may enter into negotiations with one or more Respondents during the one hundred twenty (120) day period during which all proposals will stay effective. The purpose of such negotiations will be to address questions and identify issues as the parties move towards the execution of a final contract or contracts.

5.3 RFP Communications Unauthorized contact regarding this RFP with employees or officials of the City of Pittsburgh other than the RFP Coordinator named in Section 1 of this document may result in disqualification from this procurement process.


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Neither Respondent(s) nor any person acting on Respondent(s)’s behalf shall attempt to influence the outcome of the award by the offer, presentation or promise of gratuities, favors, or anything of value to any appointed or elected official or employee of the City of Pittsburgh, their families or staff members. All inquiries regarding the solicitation are to be directed to the designated RFP Coordinator identified in Section 1 of this document.

5.3.1 Interested parties must direct all communications regarding this RFP as outlined in this document. 5.3.2 The City shall not be responsible for nor bound by any oral instructions, interpretations or explanations issued by the City or its representatives. 5.3.3 Each proposer shall assume the risk of the method of dispatching any communication or proposal. 5.3.4 The RFP Coordinator must receive all written comments, including questions and requests for clarification, no later than the Deadline for Submission Questions listed in the tentative project schedule. 5.3.5 The City reserves the right to determine, at its sole discretion, the appropriate and adequate responses to written comments, questions, and requests for clarification. The City’s official responses and other official communications pursuant to this RFP shall constitute an addendum of this RFP. 5.3.6 The City will publish all official responses and communications pursuant to this RFP to the City of Pittsburgh procurement website. It is the responsibility of each proposer to check the site and incorporate all addenda into their response. All addenda for this RFP will be distributed via the City of Pittsburgh procurement website at procurement.pittsburghpa.gov/beacon/opportunities 5.3.7 Only the City’s official, written responses and communications shall be considered binding with regard to this RFP.

5.4 Addenda/Clarifications Should discrepancies or omissions be found in this RFP or should there be a need to clarify this RFP, questions or comments regarding this RFP must be put in writing and received by the City as outlined in Section 8.2 of this document


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5.5 Withdrawal of Proposals A proposer may withdraw its proposal at any time before the expiration of the time for submission of proposals as provided in this RFP by delivering a written request for withdrawal signed by, or on behalf of, the proposer.

5.6 Public Record Respondent, by submittal of a proposal, acknowledges that all proposals may be considered public information in accordance with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Right to Know laws. Subject to award of this RFP, all or part of any submittal may be released to any person or firm who may request it. Therefore, proposers shall specify in their Cover Letter if any portion of their submittal should be treated as proprietary and not releasable as public information. Proposers should be aware that all such requests may be subject to legal review and challenge. Any information considered proprietary should be indicated as such or not included in the response.

5.7 Non-Conforming Proposal A proposal shall be prepared and submitted in accordance with the provisions of these RFP instructions and specifications. Any alteration, omission, addition, variance, or limitation of, from or to a proposal may be sufficient grounds for non-acceptance of the proposal, at the sole discretion of the City.

5.8 Disqualification Factors such as, but not limited to, any of the following may be considered just cause to disqualify a proposal without further consideration:

5.8.1 Evidence of collusion, directly or indirectly, among proposers in regard to the amount, terms or conditions of this proposal; 5.8.2 Any attempt to improperly influence any member of the evaluation team; 5.8.3 Existence of any lawsuit, unresolved contractual claim, or dispute between the proposer and the City; 5.8.4 Evidence of incorrect information submitted as part of the proposal; 5.8.5 Evidence of proposer’s inability to successfully complete the responsibilities and obligation of the proposal; and 5.8.6 Proposer’s default under any previous agreement with the City, which results in termination of the agreement.


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5.9 Restrictions on Gifts and Activities The City of Pittsburgh Ethics Code and Chapter 198 of the City Code (Code of Conduct) was established to promote public confidence in the proper operation of our local government. These resources outline the requirements for disclosure of interests and restricted activities as related to public procurement processes. Proposers are responsible to determine the applicability of these requirements to their activities and to comply with its requirements.

5.10 Rights of the City of Pittsburgh This RFP does not commit the City to enter into a contract, nor does it obligate the City to pay for any costs incurred in preparation and submission of proposals or in anticipation of a contract. The City reserves the right to:

A. Reject any and all proposals; B. Issue subsequent Requests for Proposals; C. Cancel this RFP with or without issuing another RFP; D. Remedy technical errors in the Request for Proposals process; E. Approve or disapprove the use of particular sub-consultants; F. Make an award without further discussion of the submittal with the proposer

(therefore, the proposal should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms that the firm or individual might propose);

G. Meet with select proposers at any time to gather additional information; H. Make adjustments to the scope of services at any time if deemed by the Office of

Management and Budget to be in the best interest of the City; I. Accept other than the lowest offer. J. Waive any informality, defect, non-responsiveness, or deviation from this RFP that is

not material to the Respondent’s proposal; K. Reject the proposal of any Respondent who, in the City’s sole judgment, has been

delinquent or unfaithful in the performance of any contract with the City; L. Reject the proposal of any Respondent who, in the City’s sole judgment, is financially

or technically incapable of performing in accordance with this RFP; M. Negotiate with any, all, or none of the Offerors and to enter into an agreement with

another Offeror in the event that the originally selected finalist defaults or fails to execute an agreement with the City.

N. Award a contract to the firm(s) that presents the best qualifications and whose proposal best accomplishes the desired results; and/or

O. Enter into an agreement with another proposer in the event the originally selected proposer defaults or fails to execute an agreement with the City.

P. Require a performance bond and/or other “failure to deliver” agreement by the awardee at time of contracting.


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6 Miscellaneous Requirements

6.1 Acknowledgements

A. Conflict of Interest By submission of a proposal to this RFP, Respondent agrees that it presently has no interest and shall not have any interest, direct or indirect, which would conflict in any manner with the performance of the services required under this RFP.

B. Code of Ethics By submission of a proposal to this RFP, Respondent agrees to abide by the Code of Ethics of The City of Pittsburgh. The full Ethics Handbook can be found here: http://pittsburghpa.gov/personnel/files/policies/10_Ethics_Handbook.pdf

C. Fair Trade Certification By responding to this RFP, the Respondent certifies that no attempt has been made, or will be made, by the Respondent to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit a submission for the purpose of restricting competition.

D. Non-Disclosure By responding to this RFP, the Respondent acknowledges they may be required to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement during the contracting process if they are the successful bidder.

E. Debarment This RFP is also subject to Section 161.22 of the City of Pittsburgh Code related to debarment from bidding on and participating in City contracts.

F. Financial Interest No proposal shall be accepted from, or contract awarded to, any individual or firm in which any City employee, director, or official has a direct or indirect financial interest in violation of applicable City and State ethics rules. Entities that are legally related to each other or to a common entity which seek to submit separate and competing proposals must disclose the nature of their relatedness.

G. Full Fee Disclosure Pursuant to Section 161.36 of the Pittsburgh City Code, a Respondent must include a disclosure of any finder’s fees, fee splitting, firm affiliation or relationship with any broker-dealer, payments to consultants, lobbyists, or commissioned representatives or other contractual arrangements of the firm that could present a real or perceived conflict of interest.

http://pittsburghpa.gov/personnel/files/policies/10_Ethics_Handbook.pdf


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7 Equal Opportunity 7.1 MWE/DBE The City of Pittsburgh is committed to the ideal of providing all citizens an equal opportunity to participate in City and its Authorities’ contracting opportunities. It is therefore the City’s goal to encourage increased participation of women and minority groups in all City contracts. The City requires that all bidders demonstrate good faith efforts to obtain the participation of Minority-Owned Business Enterprises (MBE’s) and Women-Owned Business Enterprises (WBE’s) in work to be performed under City contracts. The levels of MBE and WBE participation will be monitored by the City of Pittsburgh’s Equal Opportunity Review Commission (EORC). In order to ensure that there are opportunities for historically disadvantaged minority groups and women to participate on Covered Contracts, and consistent with the City’s current equal employment opportunity practice and goals, the EORC will review contracts to include an evaluation of a developer/contractor’s employment of minority groups and women, and encourages goals of eighteen (18) percent and seven (7) percent participation respectively.

7.2 Veteran-Owned Small Business It is also the City’s goal to encourage participation by veteran-owned small businesses in all contracts. The City of Pittsburgh shall have an annual goal of not less than five (5) percent participation by veteran-owned small businesses in all contracts. The participation goal shall apply to the overall dollar amount expended with respect to the contracts. The City requires that all bidders demonstrate good faith efforts to obtain the participation of veteran-owned small business in work to be performed under City contracts. The levels of veteran-owned participation will be monitored by the City of Pittsburgh’s EORC.

7.3 Good Faith Commitment In order to demonstrate good faith commitment to these goals, all bidders are required to complete the attached MDE/WBE/Veteran-Owned Solicitation and Commitment Form (which details the efforts made by the bidder to obtain such participation). Failure to submit this form along with all documented correspondence to potential MDE/WBE/Veteran-Owned subcontractors may result in rejection of the proposal. For further information, including definitions and additional requirements, please see Chapter 177A (Sections 177A.01 et. seq.) of the City Code and Section 161.40 of the City Code.


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8 Format & Submittal Requirements

8.1 Format Requirements Each response to this RFP shall include the information described in this section. Provide the information in the specified order. Failure to include all of the elements specified may be cause for rejection. Additional information may be provided, but should be succinct and relevant to the goals of this RFP. Excessive information will not be considered favorably. The proposal should be bound or contained in a loose leaf binder. Document pages shall be 8-1/2 inches by 11 inches in size or folded to such a size. Use section dividers, tabbed in accordance with this Section as specified below.

8.1.1 Cover Letter A cover letter should be submitted with the following information: • Title of this RFP • Name and Mailing Address of Firm (including physical location if mailing address is a

PO Box) • Contact Person, Telephone Number, Fax Number, and Email Address • A statement that the submitting firm will perform the services and adhere to the

requirements described in this RFP, including any addenda (reference the addenda by date and/or number)

• Acknowledgement that all proposals may be considered public information in accordance with the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Right to Know Laws as described in Section 5 of this document.

• The Cover Letter must be signed by an officer empowered by the firm to sign such material and thereby commit the firm to the obligations contained in the RFP response. Further, the signing and submission of a response shall indicate the intention of the proposer to adhere to the provisions described in this RFP and a commitment to enter a binding contract.

• If you, as an individual, or if any principal or employee of your firm, has a relationship or knowledge of, or contact with any official or employee of the City; that relationship, knowledge, or contact should be stated and described in your Letter of Transmittal.

8.1.2 TAB A: Firm’s Qualifications, Experience & References Describe the firm and provide a statement of the firm’s qualifications for providing the scope of services in an executive summary (reference format below). Identify the services which would be completed by your firm’s staff and those that would be provided by sub-consultants, if any. Identify any sub-consultants you proposed to utilize to supplement your firm’s staff.


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Provide a summary of the firm’s experience in providing these or similar services. Provide a minimum of three references for related projects, including dates, contact person, phone number, email, and a brief description of the project or scope of work. Executive Summary

As part of the Executive Summary, please provide a letter on the stationary of the Prime Contractor identifying the name of individuals authorized to represent the Prime Contractor in discussing the proposal, response, and negotiating the contract. Also, please list the Prime Contractor employer identification number.

Please restate each item below and provide your response. The Contractor must also provide this information for each of its major subcontractors (if any).

1. Describe your organization. Include history, ownership, location of headquarters and

satellite offices, and size and structure of organization.

2. Describe the resources within your organization dedicated to management and treatment of workplace injuries. Include a Program organizational chart with names and titles of key individuals shown. Please provide a brief biographical sketch of key Program personnel.

3. Provide evidence to demonstrate your organization’s financial viability. Please

enclose an audited financial statement for each of the past two (2) fiscal years.

4. Please list programs which are similar to the size and characteristics of the City of Pittsburgh that you currently serve. Include:

a. Name of the program.

b. Name, address and phone number of individual who may be contacted for a

reference.

c. Please provide a brief description of the plan concerning its size and number of eligible employees.

5. Have the licenses of your organization or any of its affiliates ever been revoked by the

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or by any other state?

6. Have any of the owners or principal officers of the organization outlined ever been convicted of a felony, any securities law violations, or been subject to any regulatory or disciplinary action? If so, please explain.


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7. Has your organization, its affiliates, subsidiaries, or its parent company ever filed for

bankruptcy law protection? Has your organization, its parent, affiliate, or any subsidiary companies ever been subject to any regulatory action by the federal, state, or securities authorities?

8. Have you ever been sued or had other legal action initiated by patients or providers

for your cost management services or decisions? If yes, describe the nature of each suit, the outcome, and the settlement amount. A response is also required for each third party vendor that you contract with for services.

9. Has your organization ever been the subject of any complaint filed with the Workers’

Compensation Board or other regulatory organization in any state for your cost management services or decisions? If yes, describe the nature of each complaint, location, and outcome. A response is also required for each third party vendor that you contract with for services.

10. Please identify any other organizations (not described above) which will be providing

services in connection with your contract with the City, and for each such organization, please provide a brief description of the services to be provided, experience in providing these services, history, ownership, location of offices, size, structure, and resources dedicated to this project.

8.1.3 TAB B: Qualifications of Team Provide a brief summary of the qualifications and experience of each team member assigned to this project, including length of service with the firm and resume/bio, and the qualifications /experience of any sub-consultant staff on your project team.

8.1.4 TAB C: Project Approach and Plan Provide a detailed discussion of your firm’s approach to the successful completion of the scope of services outlined in this RFP. Include thorough discussions of methodologies you believe are essential to accomplishing this project or completing the scope of services. Include a proposed work schedule to accomplish all of the required tasks within the desired timeline. Identify the staff roles who would be assigned to each major task, including sub-consultants. This tab should include acknowledgement and agreement to all requirements in Section 4 Scope of Services. Any exceptions to these section requirements should be listed in Tab F of your response. Contractors are to complete Appendix C and insert the completion of that document in Tab C of the proposal submission.


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8.1.5 TAB D: Cost Proposal Provide a total cost proposal for all services to be delivered, and a breakdown of costs delineated by major phase and/or deliverable as described in your project plan by completing Appendix D. It is the City’s intention to contract with one Contractor to provide all of the services outlined in this RFP, including but not limited to intake, claims management, access to medical care, infectious disease programs, drug and alcohol testing, and nurse case management. The City requires the Contractor to assume the full responsibility for coordinating and delivering the services outlined in this RFP. The Contractor’s price for all of the services in this proposal should be quoted in the form of a monthly fee per City employee, which will be calculated each month based on the actual number of City employees as defined by the City Personnel Department and described in the City personnel inventory. In establishing the price for this proposal, the Contractor should not include any costs that will be incurred to provide the service outlined in this RFP during the transition period. The Contractor is required to list its charges for transition period services separately. (See Section 4.4 Transition) As part of the response to this section, the Contractor must disclose all assumptions used in establishing its price. Such assumptions shall include, but are not limited to, the number, type, and duration of injuries expected each year, the number of patient service visits expected, the number of claims expected to open and close under Workers’ Compensation, a schedule of costs for all medical services, increase in costs for subsequent years, set up costs, etc. Contractors are to reference and complete Appendix D of this RFP to be a part of the final submittal response for Tab D – Cost Proposal.

8.1.6 TAB E: Required Statements Include statements of assurance regarding the following requirements detailed in Section 7 of this document:

• Applicable completed MWE/DBE & Veteran-Owned Small Business

Solicitation & Commitment Form (Appendix B)

8.1.7 TAB F: Exceptions Describe any and all proposed exceptions, alterations, or amendments to the Scope of Services or other requirements of this RFP, including the City of Pittsburgh Sample Professional Services Agreement. This section shall be clearly marked “Proposed Exceptions” in your submittal. The nature and scope of your proposed exceptions may


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affect the evaluation of your submittal and the City’s determination of whether it is possible to successfully negotiate a contract with your firm.

8.2 Submittal Requirements

A. Your submittal package, to be returned by the date and time outlined in Section 1 of this document, shall include the following:

• One (1) original and four (4) printed copies of your proposal; and • One (1) electronic copy of your proposal in either MS Word or PDF format to be

delivered via email.

B. Submittals shall be sent by U.S. Mail, commercial delivery service or Hand Delivery.

Submissions may not be sent by fax.

C. Responses should be delivered ONLY to the OMB RFP Coordinator:

Thoryn Simpson Manager, Strategic Initiatives Office of Management and Budget City-County Building, Room 502 414 Grant Street Pittsburgh, PA 15219 [email protected]

D. The City of Pittsburgh shall not be responsible for proposals delivered to a person or location other than that specified herein.

E. Late proposals shall not be accepted or considered. F. All submittals, whether selected or rejected, shall become the property of the City of

Pittsburgh and will not be returned. G. All costs associated with proposal preparation shall be borne by the Respondent.

mailto:[email protected]


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9 Evaluation & Selection

9.1 Selection Procedure A. Your Proposal will be evaluated by a Proposal Committee comprised of the Director or

other supervisor of the Using Department, one or more members of the Director’s staff, at least one member of the Office of Management & Budget and any other department representatives as deemed necessary.

B. Submittals will be reviewed for responsiveness, and responsive submittals will further be screened by a selection committee in accordance with the criteria listed below. The firm(s) submitting the highest rated proposal may be invited for interviews.

9.2 Criteria All proposals will be evaluated using the following criteria:

• Firm’s Qualifications, Experience and References • Qualifications of Team • Project Approach and Plan • Cost Proposal • MWDBE/VOSB Good Faith Effort


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10 Award & Contract

10.1 Award After the City has received all Proposals and conducted its initial Evaluation, described above, the Proposal Committee may invite one or more Respondents to a follow-up interview to further discuss their Proposal(s). The Proposal Committee may decide to accept the Proposal of one or more Respondents. It may decide to reject all proposals. Once a Proposal is accepted, the contract negotiation process will commence. This RFP and your response to it, in the form of your entire Proposal, will become part of the Contract. If a real or apparent conflict should arise between this RFP/Proposal and other language contained in the final Contract, the language of the final Contract shall control.

10.2 Contracting Process Successful Respondents will be required to enter into a Contract with the City of Pittsburgh, contingent upon the approval of City Council. This Contract will be directed and managed by the issuing department and the Office of Management & Budget. A copy of the City’s Standard Professional Services Contract is attached for your review. Work cannot commence on the Scope of the RFP until it a contract is fully executed. The City cannot process invoices nor approve payments until this Contract has been fully executed by the Respondent and all required City signatories, including the issuing department, the Law Department, and the City Controller. City laws and policies mandate the incorporation of various terms and conditions into all City contracts (see Appendices). For this reason the City will not sign any standard contract proffered by the Respondent. An agreement shall not be binding or valid with the City unless and until it is fully executed by authorized representatives of the City and of the Proposer. Once the Contract is fully executed the City will notify Respondent in writing and give the order to proceed.


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11 Appendices

11.1 Attachment(s) Listing Appendix A – Sample Professional Services Agreement Appendix B – MWDBE and Veteran-Owned Solicitation and Commitment Form Appendix C – Contractor Response to Section Questions Appendix D – Cost Proposal Response Form