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REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL Information Technology Staff Augmentation Services Issued January 14, 2019 Responses due via email by 4:30pm CT February 15, 2019

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Page 1: REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL Information Technology Staff ... Staff Augmentation RFP.pdf · REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL. Information Technology . Staff Augmentation Services . Issued January 14,

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Information Technology Staff Augmentation Services

Issued January 14, 2019

Responses due via email

by 4:30pm CT February 15, 2019

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Table of Contents I. Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................... 3

II. Description of SURS ................................................................................................................................................. 3

III. Services Required .................................................................................................................................................... 4

IV. Qualifications ............................................................................................................................................................ 4

V. Proposal Content ...................................................................................................................................................... 5

Cover Letter .......................................................................................................................................................... 5

Statement of Minimum Qualifications ................................................................................................................. 5

Reference Checks.................................................................................................................................................. 5

Company Organization and Diversity Questionnaire ........................................................................................... 5

Fee Proposal ......................................................................................................................................................... 6

Contract ................................................................................................................................................................ 6

Addendum ............................................................................................................................................................ 7

Operational Questionnaire ................................................................................................................................... 7

VI. Submission of Proposals ....................................................................................................................................... 7

VII. Evaluation Process .................................................................................................................................................. 7

Pre-Evaluation Review .......................................................................................................................................... 7

Proposal Evaluation .............................................................................................................................................. 7

VIII. Anticipated Timeline and Contact Information ............................................................................................ 9

IX. Submission Process ................................................................................................................................................. 9

Deadline ................................................................................................................................................................ 9

Withdrawal ........................................................................................................................................................... 9

Questions .............................................................................................................................................................. 9

X. General Conditions ................................................................................................................................................ 10

Freedom of Information Act Disclosure.............................................................................................................. 10

Redacted Version of RFP Response .................................................................................................................... 10

Ordinary Course of Business Communications Allowed ..................................................................................... 10

SURS Quiet Period Policy .................................................................................................................................... 11

Rights Reserved .................................................................................................................................................. 11

Equal Opportunity .............................................................................................................................................. 12

Terms and Conditions ......................................................................................................................................... 12

Appendix A: Statement of Minimum Qualifications ............................................................................................ 13

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Appendix B: Company Organization and Diversity Questionnaire ............................................................. 14

Contact and Company Information: .................................................................................................................... 14

Organization Background: ................................................................................................................................... 14

Appendix C: Fee Proposal ............................................................................................................................................. 16

Appendix D: Addendum to Contract......................................................................................................................... 18

Appendix E: Resource Position Classifications .................................................................................................... 20

Appendix F: Operational Questionnaire ................................................................................................................ 31

Appendix G: Current SURS Information Technology Environment ............................................................. 32

I. Introduction

The State Universities Retirement System (“SURS” or the “System”) is soliciting proposals from staff augmentation and placement firms with the intent of establishing a multi-year Master Services Agreement(s) (MSA) with qualified vendors to allow for the hiring of technology professionals on an as-needed, temporary basis. Selected vendors will be eligible to provide IT staff augmentation services to SURS under agreed upon terms as needs arise.

All forms/required documents needed for submitting a Request for Proposal (“RFP”) are available on the SURS website at www.surs.org.

A proposer’s preparation and submittal of a proposal or subsequent participation in presentations or contract negotiations creates no obligation on the System to award a contract or to pay any associated costs. All proposals and related materials will be retained by the System and will be subject to disclosure as required in accordance with the Illinois Freedom of Information Act.

II. Description of SURS

SURS is the administrator of a cost-sharing, multiple employer, public employee retirement system that provides retirement, survivor, disability and death benefits to employees of Illinois state universities, community colleges, and certain other affiliated organizations and agencies. SURS was created in 1941, by an act of the Illinois General Assembly, and is governed by the Illinois Pension Code (40 ILCS 5/15-101 et seq.). SURS provides benefit services to over 230,000 members who work for 61 employers. SURS is responsible for investing assets of more than $19 billion in a diversified portfolio of U.S. and foreign stocks, bonds, real estate and alternative investments. SURS also administers a defined contribution plan, the Self-Managed Plan, which currently has assets of approximately $2.2 billion. Northern Trust serves as SURS’ Master Trustee Custodian.

An elected and appointed, eleven-person, Board of Trustees, governs SURS. The chairperson of the Board of Trustees is, by statute, the chairperson of the Illinois Board of Higher Education. Five members of the Board are appointed by the governor of the state of Illinois. The remaining six members of the Board are elected by participating members (four individuals) and annuitants (two individuals). Our trustees serve six-year terms. SURS is funded by participant payroll deductions and annual employer contributions provided by the state of Illinois. By statute, SURS is defined as a “body politic and corporate” created by Article 15 of the Illinois Pension Code.

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SURS currently employs approximately 132 staff, located in 2 offices in Champaign and Naperville, Illinois. Two SURS employees are in the Naperville office. The remaining SURS employees are situated in the Champaign office.

A copy of SURS’ most recent Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR) is available for review, or to download, at www.surs.org.

The Illinois Governmental Ethics Act, 40 ILCS 420, provides guidelines for ethical practices concerning state and local pension plans. Respondent providers should be familiar with the provisions of this Act.

Section 1-109.1(6) of the Illinois Pension Code (40 ILCS 5/1-109.1(6)) encourages Illinois public pension systems like SURS to utilize businesses owned by “minorities”, “women”, and “persons with disabilities” for all contracts and services, as those terms are defined in the Business Enterprise for Minorities, Women, and Persons with Disabilities Act (“BEMWPD”,30 ILCS 575). Additionally, Section 1-109.1(10) of the Illinois Pension Code (40 ILCS 5/1-109.1(10)) sets an aspirational goal of not less than 20% of contracts awarded to such businesses for "information technology services", "accounting services", "insurance brokers", "architectural and engineering services", and "legal services" as defined by the BEMWPD. Accordingly, businesses that meet these definitions are strongly encouraged to submit responses to this RFP.

A section of the Illinois Procurement Code concerning prohibitions of political contributions for vendors, 30 ILCS 500/50-37, may or may not apply to SURS service providers. However, each service provider should be familiar with the provisions of this section and comply with this section if the service provider deems it appropriate.

SURS is subject to its own procurement statutes and rules. Responders should be familiar with those procurement requirements as well. The selected responder will be paid by SURS directly.

Further legal requirements that vendors should be familiar with are contained in the Addendum to Contract under Appendix D.

III. Services Required

The State Universities Retirement System is soliciting proposals from qualified vendors to establish a multi-year master agreement(s) for the procurement of IT staff augmentation services. These include but are not limited to the position classifications noted in Appendix E. SURS reserves the right to select all or some services that best match its needs and budget at any given time. SURS recognizes that any one supplier may not provide all services, and multiple awards may be issued as a result of this RFP. Multiple awards will ensure that any ensuing master agreements fulfill SURS’ current and future needs. SURS will require selected vendors to meet with our chief technology officer periodically, and/or upon request, to present reports pertaining to contract utilization, service performance and market trends.

IV. Qualifications

• The responder’s key professionals and/or organization must not have material conflicts with the SURS Board of Trustees. (Mandatory)

• Contracted resources must possess a minimum of five (5) years relevant experience in the role they are fulfilling for SURS, as defined in Appendix E. (Mandatory)

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• Contracted resources must meet professional standard and quality that prevail among information technology professionals in the same discipline.

• Contracted resources shall maintain during the term of their engagement all licenses, permits, qualifications, insurance and approvals of whatever nature that are legally required to perform the information technology staff augmentation services.

• Contracted resources must possess knowledge and experience that aligns with SURS’ application development and technical environments as described in Appendix G – Current SURS Information Technology Environment

V. Proposal Content

At a minimum, the proposal must include the following information to be considered for the engagement. For ease of review, each requirement should be addressed separately.

Cover Letter A cover letter, which will be considered an integral part of the proposal package, in the form of a standard business letter, must be signed by an individual authorized to bind the proposer contractually. This cover letter must indicate the signer is so authorized and must indicate the signer’s title or position. An unsigned proposal will be rejected. The cover letter must also include:

a. A statement that the proposal meets all requirements of this RFP, and that the offer tendered by the proposal will remain in full force and effect until and may be accepted by SURS at any time prior to 30 days beyond the deadline for submittal.

b. A disclosure of any current business relationship or any current negotiations for prospective business with SURS, or with any member of the Board of Trustees or SURS staff, or any party currently rendering services to SURS.

c. A statement that the proposer acknowledges that all documents submitted in response to this RFP may be subject to disclosure under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act and/or the Illinois Open Meetings Act.

Statement of Minimum Qualifications Proposers must complete and return the Minimum Qualifications Certification in the form contained in Appendix A.

Reference Checks Reference checks will be conducted for each finalist. Respondents must provide up to three reference letters from clients for whom the bidder has provided IT staff augmentation services within the past three years from the release date of this RFP. A complete reference letter should include:

• Company/institution name and address • List of all engagements with this reference over the past three years including

o Hiring department(s) o Contract position title(s) o Length of each engagement (s) o Signature and title of person providing reference

Company Organization and Diversity Questionnaire The questionnaire contained in Appendix B to this RFP must be completed and returned as part of the proposal

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Fee Proposal Proposers must submit a proposal in the format prescribed in Appendix C. Any deviation from the prescribed format which in the opinion of SURS is material and may result in the rejection of the proposal. The proposed fee shall include all costs and expenses for providing the services and equipment as described in this RFP, and any agreed-upon extended warranties that are associated with initial installation. Once finalists are selected, fees may be subject to a “best and final” offer process to be determined at the discretion of the System.

The fee proposal must expressly state that the proposed fees are guaranteed for the term of any resulting contract.

Contract This Request for Proposal is neither a contract nor meant to serve as a contract. It is anticipated that one or more of the proposals submitted in response to this Request for Proposal may be selected as the basis for negotiation of a contract with the proposer. Such a contract is presently contemplated to contain, at a minimum, the terms of the proposal submitted, as finally negotiated and approved by the System. SURS reserves the right to negotiate additions, deletions, or modifications to the terms of proposals submitted. However, the terms contained in Appendix D, Addendum to Contract, must be agreed to and accepted by the candidate or organization selected to perform the work contemplated by this RFP.

Any contract awarded in response to this RFP will contain the following terms as they relate to the vendor(s) selected to provide IT staff augmentation services to SURS under the MSA:

INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR [selected vendor] is an independent contractor. No provision in this Contract or any act by the parties to this contract will be construed to express or imply a joint venture, partnership, or relationship other than vendor and purchaser of the temporary IT staff augmentation services referenced herein. No employee or representative of [selected vendor] will at any time be deemed to be under the control or authority of SURS, or under the joint control of both parties. [Selected vendor] is liable for all workers’ compensation premiums and liability, and all federal, state and local withholding taxes or charges with respect to any individuals provided by [selected vendor] under the MSA. All professional liability insurance covering the individuals provided by [selected vendor] shall be secured and maintained by [selected vendor.]

SUBSEQUENT STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW) The selected Responder(s) will be required to complete an individual Statement of Work for each engagement entered into under the Master Service Agreement. The SOW will describe the specific staffing services to be provided for the requested project or IT support needed and will be expected to include the following:

• A detailed description of the staffing service to be provided, including a schedule of deliverables • The qualifications of the personnel assigned to perform the services • The period of performance during which the staffing services will be provided • The applicable pricing and any additional terms and conditions applicable to the staffing service.

Absent extenuating circumstances that have been approved in advance by SURS and memorialized in writing by both parties, SURS will not pay separately for any living expenses or other travel related costs incurred by individuals hired under the Master Agreement(s) and Responders should formulate their pricing to assume that no such expenses will be paid by SURS.

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Each Statement of Work will not become effective unless the details of the same are memorialized in writing and signed by duly authorized representatives of both Parties. Each Statement of Work will be attached to an amendment to the Master Service Agreement and shall incorporate, by reference, all of the terms and conditions set forth in the Master Service Agreement. In the event of a conflict between the provisions of any Statement of Work and the provisions set forth in this Master Service Agreement, the provisions of the Statement of Work shall govern.

Addendum The Addendum contained in Appendix D to this RFP must be completed and returned as part of the proposal

Operational Questionnaire The Operational Questionnaire contained in Appendix F to this RFP must be completed and returned as part of the proposal

VI. Submission of Proposals

All proposals must be received no later than the deadline stated in the Anticipated Timeline and Contact Information section. Submissions must be made via email to the identified contact person by the stated deadline. Only email submissions will be accepted.

The proposals become the property of SURS upon submission. All costs for developing proposals and attending presentations and/or interviews are entirely the responsibility of the proposer and shall not be chargeable to SURS.

Only one proposal from an individual, firm, partnership, corporation, or combination thereof, will be considered for this assignment.

VII. Evaluation Process

Pre-Evaluation Review All proposals will be reviewed to determine if they contain all the required submittals specified in this RFP. Those not submitting all required information in the prescribed format will be rejected.

Proposal Evaluation All proposals received by the SURS representative on or before the deadline listed above will be reviewed to determine whether they meet the minimum requirements of this RFP.

All proposals received by deadline and pass the pre-evaluation review will undergo an evaluation process conducted by SURS staff. They will be reviewed to determine whether they meet the requirements of this RFP. SURS will consider the following factors in the evaluation process, ranked in no specific order, and will render a decision based on the perceived best fit and best value for the engagement. Fees will be one of the determining factors in this decision but will not be the primary determinative. Proposals will be evaluated based on criteria including:

o Understanding of the services requested o Availability of high-quality personnel with the required skills and experience to deliver such services

outlined in Appendix E, Resource Classifications o Timeline for requested services to be available

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o Relevant knowledge, experience and qualification of firm and team members including established record of success in similar work

o Commitment to diversity o Breadth of available resources and depth of resource experience o Willingness to negotiate contract terms, including length of contract term o Administration, i.e. reporting capabilities o Process for resource evaluation and feedback o Independence o Cost o Warranty o References o Adherence to RFP requirements

Proposals that contain false or misleading statements or that provide references which do not support an attribute or condition claimed by the proposer will be rejected. Issuance of the Request for Proposal creates no obligation to award a contract or to pay any costs incurred in the preparation of a proposal. Nothing in this RFP or any resulting contract shall preclude SURS from procuring services similar to those described herein from other sources.

During the evaluation process, proposers may be requested to provide additional information and/or clarify contents of their proposal. Other than information requested by SURS, no proposer will be allowed to alter the proposal or add new information after the filing date.

Once finalists are selected, fees may be subject to a “best and final” offer process to be determined at the discretion of the System.

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VIII. Anticipated Timeline and Contact Information

Schedule Dates

Quiet Period Begins January 14, 2019

RFP Issued January 14, 2019

Deadline for Responder Questions January 31, 2019

Response to Questions February 6, 2019

RFP Responses due 4:30 p.m. CT February 15, 2019

Evaluations and Candidate Interviews February 18 – 28, 2019

Anticipated start date March 25, 2019

SURS may extend these deadlines at its discretion. Any such extensions will be posted to the SURS website.

SURS RFP Contact Information Procurement Officer [email protected] SURS 1901 Fox Drive Champaign, IL 61825-2710

IX. Submission Process

Deadline To be considered for selection, proposals must be received via email in Adobe Acrobat format at [email protected] no later than 4:30 p.m. CT, February 15, 2019. Please reference the “IT Staff Augmentation Response - Name of Responder” in your communications. An email confirmation will be sent confirming receipt of the proposal.

Withdrawal A proposal may be withdrawn any time prior to the deadline by written notification signed by the individual applicant or authorized agent of the firm and received at [email protected] no later than the deadline of 4:30 p.m. CT, February 15, 2019. Please reference the “IT Staff Augmentation Response - Name of Responder” in your communications. An email confirmation will be sent confirming withdrawal of the proposal. The proposal may be resubmitted with any modifications no later than the deadline. Modifications offered in any other manner will not be considered.

Questions To clarify any issues in this Request for Proposal, SURS will respond only to questions that are presented in writing via email to [email protected]. All questions should be submitted to SURS by 4:30 p.m. CT, January 31, 2019. Please reference the “IT Staff Augmentation Response - Name of Responder” in your communications. These questions will be consolidated into a single Q&A document and responded to by SURS

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on, or about, February 6, 2019. The Q&A document will be posted on the SURS web site at www.surs.org/rfp without indicating the source of the query.

X. General Conditions

Freedom of Information Act Disclosure

All materials submitted in response to the RFP become property of SURS. Proposals remain confidential during the selection process. However, upon completion of the selection process, all responses, including that of the individual, vendor or firm selected, will be a matter of public information and will be open to public inspection in accordance with the state of Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

If, in response to this RFP, trade secrets or commercial or financial information are furnished under a claim that they are proprietary, privileged or confidential and that disclosure of the trade secrets or commercial or financial information would cause competitive harm to the person or business responding to this RFP, such claim must be clearly made, and such information must be clearly identified. (5 ILCS 140/7 and 7.5) Responses to this RFP with every page marked as proprietary, privileged or confidential will not satisfy this requirement. Bidders are required to make a good faith attempt to properly identify only those portions of the response that are truly furnished under a claim that they are proprietary, privileged or confidential and that disclosure of the trade secrets or commercial or financial information would cause competitive harm to the person or business responding to this RFP.

Redacted Version of RFP Response In the event Responder believes and claims that certain materials or information contained in the submitted response are exempt from public disclosure under the Illinois FOIA, Responder is required to provide a redacted version of the response it believes will be suitable for release under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act. (5 ILCS 140/7 and 7.5)

A RESPONDER’S FAILURE TO PROVIDE A REDACTED VERSION OF THE RFP WILL RESULT IN SURS DISCLOSING THE RESPONDER’S ENTIRE RFP RESPONSE IF THE SAME IS REQUESTED UNDER THE ILLINOIS FOIA AND NEITHER THE RESPONDER NOR ANY THIRD PARTIES SHALL HAVE ANY RECOURSE AGAINST SURS FOR ITS DISCLOSURE OF THE NON-REDACTED RFP RESPONSE.

However, any claim of privilege from disclosure is not definitive. SURS has the right and legal obligation to determine whether such information is exempt from disclosure under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act and no information will be considered or determined by SURS to be proprietary, privileged or confidential unless it is identified and separated as indicated herein. (5 ILCS 140/7 and 7.5)

Ordinary Course of Business Communications Allowed Other than existing normal business matters, respondents, potential respondents, or their representatives should not contact anyone at SURS (including SURS staff, members of the SURS advisory committees and members of the SURS Board) other than the listed RFP contact. In addition, respondents must not discuss this RFP with any employee of SURS, trustee of SURS, employee of SURS’ custodian, managers, legal counsel, or other advisors or persons/entities having contracts or other affiliations with SURS.

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SURS Quiet Period Policy Please note the following Quiet Period Policy establishing guidelines by which the SURS Board of Trustees and SURS staff will communicate with prospective vendors or service providers during a search process. The quiet period for this RFP began on the date the RFP was issued: January 14, 2019.

1. The quiet period shall commence upon Committee action (or board action if the selection is not initiated through a Committee) to authorize a search for a service provider and end once a selection has been made by the board and accepted by the service provider;

2. Initiation, continuation and conclusion of the quiet period shall be publicly communicated via the SURS website (www.surs.org) to prevent inadvertent violations;

3. All board members, and SURS staff not directly involved in the search process, shall refrain from communicating with potential service providers regarding any product or service related to the search offered by the provider throughout the quiet period and shall refrain from accepting meals, travel, hotel, or other value from the providers;

4. Throughout the quiet period, if any board member or SURS staff member is contacted by a potential service provider, the board member or SURS staff member shall refer the provider to the SURS staff member directly involved in the search process;

5. All authority related to the search process shall be exercised solely by the relevant Committee or board as a whole, and not by individual board members;

6. All information related to the search process shall be communicated by SURS staff to the relevant Committee or board as a whole, and not to individual board members;

7. The quiet period does not prevent board approved due diligence, client conference attendance, or communications with an existing service provider that happens to be a provider in the ordinary course of services provided by such service provider; however, discussions related to the pending selection shall be avoided during those activities;

8. The provisions of this policy will apply to potential service providers throughout the quiet period and shall be communicated to providers in conjunction with any competitive proposal process; and

9. A potential service provider or vendor may be disqualified from a search process for a violation of the quiet period or any portion of this policy.

Rights Reserved SURS reserves the right to amend any segment of the RFP prior to the announcement of a selected vendor/contractor. In such an event, all respondents will be afforded the opportunity to revise their proposals to accommodate the RFP amendment.

SURS reserves the right to remove any or all services from consideration for this contract. At its discretion, SURS may issue a separate contract for any service or groups of services included in this RFP. SURS may negotiate additional provisions to the contract awarded pursuant to this RFP.

SURS may request additional information from any or all bidders to assist in the evaluation of proposals, and SURS reserves the right to conduct background investigations of selected individuals or firms prior to awarding a contract under this RFP.

SURS does not bear any obligation to complete the RFP process or to select any individual(s) or firm(s). SURS also reserves the right without prejudice to reject any or all proposals submitted.

SURS will NOT reimburse any expenses incurred in responding to this RFP.

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Equal Opportunity SURS does not discriminate because of race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, military status, certain unfavorable discharges from military service, political affiliation, citizenship, ancestry, national origin, physical or mental handicap or disability or any other characteristic protected by law. It is the System’s intent to comply with all state, federal, and local equal employment and opportunity laws and public policies.

Terms and Conditions Following a review of submitted materials, if requested, selected individuals or organizations must be prepared to make a presentation or otherwise participate in an in-person interview in Champaign, IL or in Chicago, IL with SURS staff members and/or members of the SURS board of trustees at a date and location to be determined by SURS. SURS will not provide reimbursement for any costs incurred by the individuals or organizations associated with this presentation. Prior to the award of a contract pursuant to this RFP, selected individuals or firms must provide all requested documentation.

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Appendix A: Statement of Minimum Qualifications

(Firm Name) certifies that it meets the following minimum qualifications.

Please initial each as applicable.

1. _________ The responder’s key professionals and/or organization has no material conflicts with the SURS Board of Trustees.

2. _________ As of January 1, 2019, responder must have a minimum of five (5) years performing staff augmentation services.

3. _________ As of January 1, 2019, any resource recommended by responder must have a minimum of five (5) years of relevant experience in the role they are fulfilling for SURS, as defined in Appendix E.

Signed: Date:

Title:

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Appendix B: Company Organization and Diversity Questionnaire

The following questionnaire must be completed and included with your response to this RFP. Type your responses in the same order as the questionnaire, listing the question first followed by your answer.

Contact and Company Information:

Name of Individual / Organization:

Mailing Address:

City: State: Zip Code: Phone: Fax:

Federal Employer Identification Number:

Contact Person(s):

Name: Phone: Title:

Fax: Email: Website:

Organization Background:

1. Please provide a general description and history of the organization, its operations (please include any history of mergers and/or acquisitions), year founded, ownership structure, biographies of the principals and percentage ownership by current employees.

2. Provide a brief, descriptive statement detailing evidence of the respondent’s ability to deliver the goods or services sought under this RFP.

3. Is Respondent a “Minority-owned business,” meaning a business which is at least 51% owned by one or more minority persons, or in the case of a corporation, at least 51% of the stock in which is owned by one or more minority persons; and the management and daily business operations of which are controlled by one or more of the minority individuals who own it? If so, please provide a detailed explanation.

4. Is Respondent a “Female-owned business,” meaning a business which is at least 51% owned by one or more females, or, in the case of a corporation, at least 51% of the stock in which is owned by one or more females; and the management and daily business operations of which are controlled by one or more of the females who own it? If so, please provide a detailed explanation.

5. Is Respondent a “Business owned by a person with a disability,” meaning a business that is at least 51% owned by one or more persons with a disability and the management and daily business operations of which are controlled by one or more of the persons with disabilities who own it? A not-for-profit agency for persons with disabilities that is exempt from taxation under Section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code

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of 1986 is also considered a "business owned by a person with a disability". If so, please provide a detailed explanation.

6. Does Respondent’s firm/company have a formal diversity and Inclusion policy or initiative? Does this policy extend to sub-contractors? If so, please provide a copy of the same.

7. Does Respondent’s firm/company have a formal mentorship program or offer enhanced training opportunities for minorities and/or women? If so, please provide details.

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Appendix C: Fee Proposal FIRM NAME: _______________________________________________________

ADDRESS: _______________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

TELEPHONE: _______________________________________________________

REPRESENTATIVE: __________________________________________________

Please include:

1. An estimate of your firm’s current workload and available resources, and demonstrate your firm’s ability to provide additional resources and to react to changes in scope and services

2. Expected lead time for resource availability

3. A description of your firm’s process for requesting, changing, evaluation, and terminating resources

4. A description of industry standards, tools and best practices that will be used to provide services

5. Appendix E – Please respond with Yes or No for each resource classification available through your firm. In addition, you may provide a catalogue of staff augmentation capabilities and skill sets available through your firm, including resume examples

6. Costs

a. Provide an itemized breakdown of billing rates for each classification supported by your firm, as detailed in Appendix E

b. Include administrative overhead costs, if applicable

c. Please include any other fee information applicable to the engagement that has not been previously covered that you wish to bring to the attention of SURS

7. Appendix F: Operational Questionnaire – please respond to each item with a high-level response based on your firm’s capabilities and policies

I, _________________________________________, licensed to conduct business in the state of Illinois and an authorized representative of the above-indicated firm, have reviewed and understand the ______________________ Request for Proposals, and I/we am/are prepared to provide the required services for the above costs.

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__________________________________

(SEAL)

ATTACH THE REQUIRED REFERENCES AS OUTLINED ABOVE.

ATTACH LIMITS OF COVERAGE FOR ANY TYPE OF INSURANCE THAT WOULD COVER SURS AND ANY INDIVIDUALS HIRED TO WORK FOR SURS UNDER THE TERMS OF A MASTER SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH RESPONDER.

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Appendix D: Addendum to Contract

ADDENDUM TO CONTRACT

In consideration of SURS entering into such contract, the Vendor/Contractor also agrees to the following:

1) If the Contractor is an individual, he or she certifies that he or she is not in default on an educational loan as provided in Section 3 of the Educational Loan Default Act, 5 ILCS 385/3.

2) The Contractor certifies that it is not barred from being awarded a contract or subcontract because of a conviction or admission of guilt for bribery or for bribing an officer or employee of the state of Illinois or any other state in that officer or employee’s official capacity as provided in Section 50-5 of the Illinois Procurement Code, 30 ILCS 500/50-5 and further certifies that it is in compliance with Section 50-37 of the Illinois Procurement Code, 30 ILCS 500/50-37.

3) The Contractor certifies that it will provide a drug free workplace by engaging in the conduct prescribed in Section 3 of the Drug Free Workplace Act, 30 ILCS 580/3.

4) The Contractor certifies that it is not barred from contracting with SURS because of a violation of either Section 33E-3 (bid-rigging) or 33E-4 (bid rotating) of Article 33E of the Criminal Code of 1961, 720 ILCS 5/33E.

5) The Contractor certifies that neither it nor any substantially owned affiliated company is participating or shall participate in an international boycott in violation of the provisions of the U.S. Export Administration Act of 1979 or the regulations of the U.S. Department of Commerce promulgated under that Act.

6) The Contractor certifies that no fees, commissions, or payments of any type have been or will be paid to any third party in connection with the contract to which this is an addendum, except as disclosed in the contract or an exhibit thereto as provided in 30 ILCS 500/50-25 and in 40 ILCS 5/1-145. The Contractor shall promptly notify SURS if it ever has reason to believe that this certification is no longer accurate.

7) To the extent Illinois law is applicable to Contractor, pursuant to 775 ILCS 5/2-105, Contractor agrees to:

a) Refrain from unlawful discrimination and discrimination based on citizenship status in employment and undertake affirmative action to assure equality of employment opportunity and eliminate the effects of past discrimination;

b) Comply with the procedures and requirements of the Illinois Department of Human Rights’ regulations concerning equal employment opportunities and affirmative action;

c) Provide such information, with respect to its employees and applications for employment, and assistance as the Illinois Department of Human Rights may reasonably request; and

d) Have written sexual harassment policies that shall include, at a minimum, the following information:

i) The illegality of sexual harassment;

ii) The definition of sexual harassment under state law;

iii) A description of sexual harassment, utilizing examples;

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iv) Contractor’s internal complaint process including penalties;

v) The legal recourse, investigative and complaint process available through the Illinois Department of Human Rights and the Illinois Human Rights Commission;

vi) Directions on how to contact the Illinois Department of Human Rights and the Illinois Human Rights Commission; and

vii) Protection against retaliation as provided by Section 6-101 of the Illinois Human Rights Act. A copy of the policies shall be provided to the Illinois Department of Human Rights upon request.

8) To the extent it applies to Contractor and this contract, Contractor agrees to comply with the Illinois Prevailing Wage Act, 820 ILCS 130/1, et seq.

9) Contractor shall maintain, for a minimum of five (5) years after the completion of the contract, adequate books, records, and supporting documents to verify the amounts, recipients, and uses of all disbursements of funds passing in conjunction with the contract. Contractor shall further make all such books, records, and supporting documents related to the contract available for review and audit by the internal auditor of SURS and by the Illinois Auditor General and shall cooperate fully with any audit conducted by the internal auditor of SURS and the Illinois Auditor General and will further provide the internal auditor of SURS and the Illinois Auditor General full access to all relevant materials.

10) Contractor agrees to notify the SURS Ethics Officer if it solicits or intends to solicit for employment any of the employees of SURS during the term of the contract.

11) Contractor understands that SURS and this contract are subject to the provisions of the Illinois Open Meetings Act (5 ILCS 120/1, et seq) and the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (5 ILCS 140/1, et seq).

12) Counterparts. This Agreement and Addendum may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all of which, taken together, shall constitute one and the same agreement. The counterparts of this Agreement and Addendum may be executed and delivered by facsimile or other electronic signature by any of the parties to any other party and the receiving party may rely on the receipt of such document so executed and delivered by facsimile or other electronic means as if the original had been received.

Under penalties of perjury, Contractor certifies that is its correct Federal Taxpayer Identification Number.

Contractor is doing business as a(n) (please circle applicable entity):

• Individual • Sole Proprietorship • Partnership

• Corporation • Not-for-Profit Corporation

• Medical and Health Care Services Provider Corporation

• Real Estate Agent • Governmental Entity • Tax Exempt Organization (IRC 501(a) only)

• Trust or Estate • Other: _____________

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Appendix E: Resource Position Classifications

Job Title Ability to Provide Hourly Rates

Applications Programmer/Developer – iSeries (SYNON, COBOL, RPG) Responsible for analysis, design and coding for business applications. Takes business requirements and constructs data and process models as well as technical specifications. Also perform impact analysis, design and coding activities for application upgrades and enhancements as well as providing support for the current production environments. Most of the coding work requires a strong knowledge of IBM iSeries, COOL/2E, COBOL and RPG.

Yes No

Application Systems Architect Functional expert for an application, a defined set of applications or a portfolio of related applications. The Applications Architect is also responsible for bringing an understanding of the enterprise, business system and industry to the team(s) supporting or interfacing with the application. The primary responsibility of an Applications Architect is to provide expertise in the business process supported by the application, to prepare and review designs, to recommend improvements, and to provide guidance during the testing process. The Applications Architect helps the Programmers establish a clear understanding of the business functional requirements and either creates the functional designs to meet the requirements or reviews and approves the designs written by the Programmers. The Applications Architect must understand all aspects of their specific application(s), and the underlying business process. The more experienced Applications Architect plans, analyzes, and defines high-level software strategies and solutions. Contained in the experienced role is the task of coordinating with other Applications Architects to define technical requirements and long-range plans for meeting customer requirements.

Yes No

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Job Title Ability to Provide Hourly Rates

Business Intelligence Engineer Responsible for the full life cycle development, implementation, production support, and performance tuning of the Enterprise Data Warehouse, Data Mart, and Business Intelligence Reporting environments, and support the integration of those systems with other applications. They design and implement reporting and analytical solutions, including both the design of table structures and the processes used to populate those structures with data from internal and external sources. The data they provide helps business teams drive improvement in key business metrics, customer experience and business results. BI Engineers also interact with various development teams, project managers, internal and external customers, senior management, and external vendors.

Yes No

Business Systems Analyst Review, analyze and evaluate business systems and user needs. Document requirements, define scope and objectives and formulate systems to parallel overall business strategies.

Yes No

Cloud Engineer Responsible for any technological duties associated with cloud computing, including design, planning, management, maintenance and support.

Yes No

Database Administrator Plans, coordinates, and administers database(s) (e.g., Oracle, Microsoft) including definition, structures, documentation, upgrades, long-range requirements, operational guidelines, and protection. Ensures accuracy and completeness of data in master files and various support tools. Develops and administers security integrity controls. Creates policies, procedures, and standards relating to database management. Duties may include troubleshooting, recovery, refining the database, installing software, resolving errors and failures, auditing activities, and resource utilization.

Yes No

FileNet/Case Manager Developer Responsibilities include: • Architect, Analyze, Design, and Develop IBM Case Manager

Solutions to replace paper-intensive business processes. • Lead medium to large ECM projects that impact other

applications and technologies. • Work with analysts to gather requirements, write technical

design documents, develop solutions, test, debug, and implement projects.

Yes No

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Job Title Ability to Provide Hourly Rates

FileNet Administrator Responsibilities include: • Handle escalated support issues • Execution and monitoring of system utilities • Evaluate IBM Upgrades, Patches and Fixes as needed for

potential implementation • Continuous evaluation of ECM infrastructure components to

ensure system resiliency and health • Work with architecture, business and delivery teams to

determine strategic direction for ECM space • Help users develop and/or enhance reports for meaningful

platform and application metrics • Identifying opportunities to automate repetitive processes

increasing efficiency • Orchestrating cross infrastructure team work groups to resolve

or enhance system performance, incidents and maintenance • Educate the team on new updates • Communicate and collaborate with other application support

teams technical resources and stakeholders regarding status, technical issues and creative solutions

• Monitor system usage for compliance • Administer, monitor and maintain system security • Provide guidance on ECM technologies and communicate

trends and future needs from a business perspective • Document best practices and operational procedures • Facilitate continuous improvement within the environment

Yes No

Help Desk Support The Help Desk Support provides Tier 1 through Tier 3 levels of technical support and advice to end users for hardware, software and systems. Depending on the level, the Help Desk Support staff will provide phone, remote or hands-on support for activities like password resets, hands-on technical assistance to business and technical users, including a low-degree of engineering. Calls software and hardware vendors to request service regarding defective products. Talks to programmers to explain software errors or to recommend changes to programs. Talks with technical and non-technical co-workers to research problem and find solution. Calls software and hardware vendors to request service regarding defective products. Develops end user instructions Examples could be: How to manage your popup blocker or How to add a printer. Follow quality standards and displays strong customer service skills; Ability to work in a team environment; Complete assigned tasks; Strong communication skills; both written and spoken. Train users on software and hardware on-site.

Yes No

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Job Title Ability to Provide Hourly Rates

Information Security Engineer Integrate security to comply with required policies and standards such as NIST, Fed Ramp, HIPPA, IRS-1075, SIMM. Perform security configuration and administrative activities related to the following tasks: perimeter and endpoint security, architect and engineer, road map and presentations, deployment, security controls, monitoring, logging, reporting, operational support and organizational change management. Possess SANS certifications. Experience in a lead capacity, in designing and developing a perimeter and endpoint security infrastructure and developing procedures defining their use to meet business requirements. Experience integrating border Route/Switches, Layer 3/Application/Micro Segmentation Firewall Policy/Administration, Load Balancer, Cloud Security for IaaS/PaaS/SaaS DoS, Log/Monitoring correlation and/or Data Packet inspection. Experience related to Hypervisor, DNS, Identity/RBAC and Directory Services, MFA, IDS/IPS, VPN, DMZ, Encryption (at rest/in transit), Application Stacks/Service connectors, Storage Architecture/Networks and/or Computer/User Least privilege. Experience designing and integrating device vulnerability scanning, securing systems, software, certificate authority, two-factor authentication, patching, Security Information and/or Event Management. Email hybrid integration and operational support of cloud e-mail security services including hygiene/SPAM, Antivirus, Malware, Encryption, DLP and premise- based SMTP relays, VMWare AirWatch Mobile Device Management/Workspace 1 and/or Active Directory authentication utilizing AD Federation services. Malware/endpoint protection for incident response. Palo Alto web filtering, and developing automated reporting, procedures for its use.

Yes No

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Job Title Ability to Provide Hourly Rates

Infrastructure Architect Analyzes user requirements, technical specifications and existing technical architecture designs to develop and oversee implementation of architecture for Infrastructures: Confers with technical experts involved to analyze current technical architecture, identify problems, and learn specific technical requirements. Writes detailed description of requirements, systems interactions and interdependencies, and project plans required to deploy chosen design. Reviews computer system capabilities, hardware, and software to determine if requested are possible within existing system, designs changes based on existing infrastructure in order to meet requirements. Analyzes networking and computing hardware and software capabilities and makes recommendations for required components to best deliver services. Prepares workflow charts and diagrams to specify in detail operations to be performed by equipment and computer programs and operations to be performed by systems. Conducts studies pertaining to development of new information systems to meet current and projected needs. Plans and prepares technical reports, memoranda, and instructional manuals as documentation of program development.

Yes No

Mobile Developer Responsible for building mobile applications and mobile websites for Android, iOS, Symbian, Windows Mobile or Windows Phone. Must have strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities. Common languages and platforms include Java, Java EE, Java ME, JavaScript, JSON, Objective-C, .NET and HTML. Typical duties of a mobile application developer

• App coding, testing, debugging, documenting and monitoring

• Interacting with different departments within the organization regarding new deployments

• Contributing to the development of project schedules and workflows

• Recommending changes and enhancements to software applications

Yes No

Network Analyst Reviews, plans, and evaluates network systems. May troubleshoot network systems and recommend improvements to network. Provides documentation/project tracking and management reporting. Provides tactical and strategic input on overall network planning and related projects.

Yes No

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Job Title Ability to Provide Hourly Rates

Network Engineer Network Engineer is responsible for the design, implementation and overall performance, security and availability of the entire LAN/WAN/MAN for enterprises designing network topology between sites such as data centers, field offices and DR sites. Extensive technical product experience in network security controls. Experience in developing enterprise networks and security design architecture in a multiple site environment. Provides consultation to business area management and staff at the highest technical level for all aspects of LAN/WAN design and configuration in multi-server environment. Demonstrated knowledge of systems, networks and applications, Microsoft networking concepts, back office products.

Yes No

Office 365 Administrator Responsibilities include the security and optimal management of Office 365 Government tenant with G3 and G5 licenses including MS Office applications: Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote, Access, and Publisher, SharePoint as well as deploy security, compliance, and data loss prevention tools.

Yes No

Office 365 SME (emphasis on SharePoint and workflows) Responsibilities include the review of manual business processes, identifying solutions for workflow automation in the Office 365 environment and developing workflows & integrations for: SharePoint Online, MS PowerApps, Power BI, & other platforms in an Office 365 cloud environment. Perform Microsoft Office 365 API Integrations.

Yes No

Project Manager – General Responsibilities include the coordination and completion of projects on time within budget and within scope. Oversee all aspects of projects. Set deadlines, assign responsibilities and monitor and summarize progress of project. Prepare reports for upper management regarding status of project.

Yes No

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Job Title Ability to Provide Hourly Rates

Quality Assurance Analyst Responsibilities include the design, pilot, and implementation of the software quality assurance review processes. The QAS/Tester Specialist will work with Application Teams during pre and post assessment periods. The QAS/Tester Specialist reports to the Quality Assurance Team Lead. For each phase end review the Quality Assurance Specialist/Tester is responsible to plan, schedule, execute, and document findings of the review. Quality Assurance Specialist/Testers must have a detailed understanding of processes which support the software development lifecycle. The Quality Assurance/Test Lead is responsible for communicating with the State regarding the progress of the quality approach and a summary of the metrics, as well as managing the Quality Assurance Specialist/Testers. The QAS/Tester is a member of a team which plans, constructs, and executes product tests, system tests, unit tests, load tests, volume tests, network tests as well as works with others for release control processes. The more experienced QAS/Tester manages, plans, constructs, and executes tests and integrates with release control process. The QAS/Tester will create test models for product test and release control (plans, data, and scripts);conduct structured walk-throughs; execute assembly or product tests; meet time estimates for assigned tasks; communicate accurate and useful status updates; follow quality standards; ability to work in a team environment; complete assigned tasks; strong communication skills; both written and spoken.

Yes No

Senior Exchange Administrator Responsibilities include all of the skills of the Sr. Server Support/Analyst, plus: Experience with Exchange 2016 and Office 365 including hybrid environment. Knowledgeable about optional Exchange components: Instant Messaging, Outlook Web Access, Conferencing Server). Advanced network troubleshooting skills (DNS, WINS, TCP/IP, NetMon). Experience with SMTP gateway scanning/filtering Experience with Content Filtering/SPAM control, certificates. Experience with e-mail based anti-virus software. Knowledgeable about e-mail security issues.

Yes No

Senior Network Analyst Responsible for the installation, layout, and maintenance of all network components. Required to plan, design, analyze, and provide technical support for data communications network.

Yes No

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Job Title Ability to Provide Hourly Rates

Senior Project Manager – Information Technology Responsible for leading teams to deliver project(s) that span across one or more business units. Manage resources, schedules, financials and adhere to stage gate quality and SDLC control guidelines throughout the full systems development life cycle. This also includes management of issues, risks and project change requests to ensure successful and on-time project delivery. Contribute to process improvement initiatives as it relates to improving project delivery.

Yes No

Senior Software Developer Responsible for leading and/or working on the most complex IT applications design, documentation, development, modification, testing, installation, implementation and support of new or existing applications software.

Yes No

Senior Technical Lead A senior TL ensures IT architectural integrity and functions as the interface between systems developers and IT project managers. The senior TL provides coordination, oversight and leadership for the analyses, planning, design, implementation, documentation, assessment, and management of IT architecture and infrastructure design framework to align IT approaches with an organization’s mission, goals and business processes. Common organizational or functional industry position titles for technical leads include but are not limited to chief or senior enterprise architects, system architects, IT architects, systems designers, enterprise architects and solutions architects.

Yes No

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Solutions Architect Experienced in software development, testing and project management. Responsible for designing, developing and implementing application infrastructure to provide highly-complex, reliable, and a scalable applications and systems to meet the organization’s objectives and requirements. Architects are familiar with a variety of the application technologies, environments, concepts, methodologies, practices and procedures and rely on experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals, Architects are able to perform a variety of complicated tasks with minimal supervision. They have proven experience defining systems and application architecture and provide vision, problem anticipation and problem-solving ability to organizations. The Senior Systems Architect will consult with the client to define needs or problems, conduct research, perform studies and surveys to obtain data, and analyze problems to advise on or recommend solutions, utilizing knowledge of theory, principles, or technology of specific discipline or field of specialization. Additionally, the Solutions Architect should have the ability to: • Manage, organize, and administer systems analysis and preparation of applications and operating systems programming to process data and solve problems by use of computers. • Establish priorities and schedules and oversees and reviews work of systems analysis personnel and programming personnel. • Review feasibility studies and time and cost estimates of new or revised systems. • Assist in the development of standards, procedures, and operating systems applications. • Work with stakeholders and management to ensure projects are completed on time and according to organization standards. • Participate in developing a project plan and schedule with key milestones, contingency plans, workflow charts or diagrams, considering factors, such as resource requirements, computer storage capacity and speed, extent of peripheral equipment, and intended use of output data. • Manage conversion of workflow charts to language that can be processed by computer and entering of program codes and test data into computer. • Analyze test runs on computer and supervises correction of coded program and input data. • Manage the revision of existing programs to increase operating efficiency or adapt to new requirements. • Compile documentation of program development and subsequent revisions. • Train subordinates in systems analysis, feasibility studies, programming, and program coding.

Yes No

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Job Title Ability to Provide Hourly Rates

Storage Administrator Manages storage systems and associated backup systems and devices. Manages centralized, complex and heterogeneous storage environments, and ensures high availability and reliable access to data. Establishes storage for newly installed applications or for the migration from other storage systems. Reviews log files to identify capacity and backup errors. Provides information to end users on capacity and availability. Conducts compatibility tests with vendor-provided programs. Requires knowledge and experience in the deployment of commonly used network connectivity schemas used to connect devices requiring storage to the storage mechanism. Recovers data when lost due to failure of hardware component or other error. Conducts capacity planning reviews and implements additional storage based on pre-established solutions in order to ensure the availability of additional capacity when needed.

Yes No

Systems Security Analyst Understanding of all aspects of computer and network security, including such areas as firewall administration, encryption technologies and network protocols. Strong oral and written communication, analytical and problem -solving skills as well as excellent judgment and self -motivation. Able to multitask and work well under pressure. Knowledgeable of industry security trends and developments as well as applicable government regulations. Perform security audits, risk assessments and analysis. Make recommendations for enhancing data systems security. Formulates security policies and procedures. Research attempted breaches of data security and rectifying security weaknesses.

Yes No

Trainer/Technical Writer Responsible for specialized tasks in technical writing, technical training, and instructional design/development. Specifically, these tasks may include: Creates, develops, plans, writes and edits operational, instructional, maintenance or procedures for paper, multimedia or web-based publication.

Yes No

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Job Title Ability to Provide Hourly Rates

Voice/Data Engineer The Voice/Data Engineer (VDE) directs and participates in all activities related to the selection and installation of telephone facilities and special on- premises equipment that will meet the customer's communication requirements. The Voice/Data Engineer is responsible for all technology and connectivity involving telecommunications and data networks. The Voice/Data Engineer will typically specialize in telephony and data interfaces and systems that have proprietary functions within the communications area of a corporation/business. General wiring excluded, the Voice/Data Engineer ensures that any specialized conduit or wiring is properly deployed and installed according to code. The Voice/Data Engineer is also an expert in audio/visual, teleconferencing, and voice mail equipment. Often times, the Voice/Data Engineer is specialized or is certified in a particular piece of equipment. VDE must have experience with CAT5, Romex, and similar cables/wiring. The Voice/Data Engineer configures and installs hardware, wiring, and specialized equipment according to local building and electrical codes. The VDE may also be responsible for the end-to-end installation of cable, wiring, and related equipment. The VDE typically works closely with facilities/construction managers and site-based project managers. The VDE should be able to accurately estimate the time and materials needed for tasks assigned. It is not uncommon for the Telecom Engineer to supervise a team of people and coordinate activities with other construction teams. VDE may prepare equipment floor plan for customer or architect approval.

Yes No

Web Design and Development (LANSA, HTML, PHP, JavaScript, .net, API’s, etc.) Responsible for the overall design of web site or web pages. Designs and develops user interface features and experience. Develops animation and special effect elements. Works with internal and/or external customers to develop and improve the look and feel of the application. Responsible for back end server coding.

Yes No

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Appendix F: Operational Questionnaire

As part of your RFP proposal, please provide a high-level response to each item

1. Provide a general description of your IT Staff Augmentation solution. Describe the core components and how your model is scalable and flexible to meet SURS’ needs.

2. Provide an explanation of how you will supply candidates for the classifications listed in Appendix E, Resource Classifications, including a complete step-by-step description of the process that occurs once SURS has identified a need.

3. Describe the process by which SURS will request additional resources. 4. SURS will require an individual Statement of Work to be generated for each engagement entered into

under the Master Service Agreement. The SOW will describe the specific services to be provided, including schedule of deliverables and qualifications of the personnel assigned to the SURS account. Please explain how you will meet this requirement and provide a sample SOW for reference.

5. Describe your invoicing process. 6. As new technologies emerge, SURS expects that specific skill sets and technical needs will change.

Describe your ability to monitor the current technology environment and/or propose changes based on current market conditions.

7. Provide information for the individual who will be responsible for the high-level management of the SURS account.

8. SURS must be notified at least two (2) weeks in advance if there will be a change to the resource(s) assigned to our account. Explain how you will communicate changes, and if you can meet this requirement.

9. SURS requires that a standard communication process be developed for issue management and resolution, including specific points of contact for escalating issues. Explain how you will meet this requirement.

10. SURS must be provided with the resume and credentials applicable to the specific job classification. Explain how you will meet this requirement.

11. Explain what type of background and reference checks are performed on candidates before they are presented to SURS.

12. SURS requires our IT staff augmentation provider(s) to be proactive and recommend a course of action for quality improvement, if necessary. Explain how you will meet this requirement.

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Appendix G: Current SURS Information Technology Environment

SURS has a diverse blend of technologies within the organization’s portfolio. Some technologies are fairly contemporary, while others have been in service for decades. As with the technology, the IT staff is also a blend of recent hires as well as long-tenured staffers. The IT department is comprised of two teams. The first is Application Development and Research; a 13-person team tasked primarily with keeping the core retirement system and related websites updated to reflect new requirements. The second is Technical Support; a 11-person team responsible for the infrastructure, operations and data security. Facilities and Support Services (mailroom and imaging) as well as a dedicated IT Project Manager also report up through to the Chief Technology Officer.

Application Development Environment: Many SURS applications are developed using CA 2e/SYNON, generating COBOL code, running on the IBM iSeries 5 (AS/400) platform. RPGLE and Visual Basic are used on a limited basis. PTC Implementer is used for version control, and SURS maintains three separate environments – developer testing, user testing, and production. SURS also utilizes LANSA development tool to maintain the member website and perform back-end AS/400 database updates.

Technical Environment: