Loren Data's SAM Daily™

FBO DAILY ISSUE OF SEPTEMBER 20, 2008 FBO #2490
SOLICITATION NOTICE

U -- Education Information Services

Notice Date

9/18/2008
 

Notice Type

Presolicitation
 

Contracting Office

Bureau of Indian Affairs, Albuquerque Acquisitions Office, 1001Indian School Road, N.W., Suite 347, Albuquerque, NM 87104
 

ZIP Code

87104
 

Solicitation Number

RABQ2080060
 

Response Due

9/22/2008
 

Archive Date

9/30/2008
 

Point of Contact

Ms. Luann Manwell, Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute,(505) 346-2374; Michael Perry, Contracting Officer, (505) 563-3120
 

Small Business Set-Aside

Total Small Business
 

Description

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial itemsprepared in accorance with the format in the Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; price quotes are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. The solicitation document and incorporated provisions are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Regulation Circular No. 2005-24. The North American Industry Classification Code is 611710, size standard is $23 million. The Government anticipates awarding one fixed price contract. The proposed procurement is a Total Small Business set-aside. All small businesses are required to submit a breakdown of their price quote to demonstrate that at least 51% of the cost of contract performance incurred for travel, supplies, training, materials, etc., shall be performed and incurred by the small business (prime). All small businesses are required to comply with FAR 52.229-14, Limitations on Subcontracting. This office is requesting price quotes for the purchase of a web-based Student Information System (SIS). Offerors are requested to submit a price quotation for One (1) Student Information System; $_______________. Please send price quotes to: Bureau of Indian Affairs, Albuquerque Acquisition Office, Pete V. Domenici Office Building, 1001 Indian School Road, N.W., Suite 347, Albuquerque, NM 87104, Attention: Michael Perry, Contracting Officer. Responses may be hand-delivered or faxed to Mr. Perry at (505) 563-3030. They may also be e-mailed to: mike.perry@bia.gov Deadline for receipt of price quotes is 2 p.m., Monday, September 22, 2008 (MDST). Please include your TAX ID number, Cage Code, and DUNS number when submitting your quote. Introduction-Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute (SIPI) is a national Indian community college operated by the Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) and is located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. SIPI was founded in 1971 with the goal of providing post secondary education opportunities for American Indians and Alaska Natives from federally recognized tribes from across the United States. SIPI provides associate degree and certificate programs in liberal arts, technical, and occupational fields and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HCL) of the North Central Association (NCA) of Colleges and Schools. The average annual enrollment is 800-900 students with 100 plus American Indian and Alaskan Native tribes represented. Acquisition Background-SIPI needs a comprehensive post secondary education management solution, also known as a Student Information System (SIS) that is web-based, user-friendly, and pleasant to work with. A web-based system will allow the College to arrive at the 21st century and keep pace with technology based on e-business principles. The SIS must be one that is comparable with other post secondary education institution systems in terms of on-line applications, on-line registration and payment processes, grade reporting, class scheduling, program degree auditing, and student tracking, to name a few. The ideal SIS must provide for a variety of application uses for students and staff that will streamline institute policies and procedures, enhance student services, and meet institutional research and reporting needs. The system must have a widely supported user base to ensure standard enhancements, patches and updates that are regularly timed and the expense is not borne solely by SIPI.Currently, the college is running a legacy A Legacy System is an old computer system or application program that continues to be used because the user (typically an organization) does not want to replace or redesign it. (wikipedia.org) system that was implemented in Summer 2001. The system is called Student Admissions and Reporting System (STARS). It runs in a client/server environment using a Microsoft (MS) SQL Server relational database management system (RDBMS) and a custom designed front-end user application. Since Summer 2001 the system has been upgraded several times because of changes in data collection requirements and changes in policies and procedures. However, STARS is increasingly difficult to upgrade and is not easily changed without fracturing the entire system. In addition, it has become outdated due to technological advances and the increased use of web-based technology throughout the industry. Objectives-The objective of this effort is to purchase a mainstream comprehensive student information system (SIS); to perform project management activities required to successfully implement an SIS; to minimize end user impact associated with transition to new ways of doing business; and to ensure overall quality and effectiveness of the final SIS. The SIS should be designed according to an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) An ERP system is a business support system that maintains in a single database the data needed for a variety of business functions such as.Customer Relations Management (CRM). An ERP modular software design should mean a business can select the modules they need, mix and match modules from different vendors, and add new modules of their own to improve business performance. Ideally, the data for the various business functions are integrated, each maintaining a discrete data store within one physical database. (wikipedia.org) system model, which is a system based on a common [centralized] database and a modular software design. (wikipedia.org)SIPI must upgrade and increase its data collection capacity to meet the increasing demand for assessment and performance evaluations for all areas of the college. The SIS will assist in analyzing, designing, evaluating and testing educational programs through institutional research to improve the delivery of education to its students. The SIS must be usable, useful, and accessible to all end users. Finally, because of the high costs of information technology (IT), SIPI is looking for the best return possible from this investment. Scope of Work-The scope of work is to implement an SIS at the SIPI campus which includes purchasing and installing an SIS and the corresponding hardware and software components; creating an SIS implementation plan through project management; perform SIPI computer systems and business process analyses; complete data migration and data conversion of the existing STARS database to the SIS; configuring and testing the SIS software; web interface and website development; third party systems data integration; SIS acceptance; end user and IT staff training; post implementation monitoring and maintenance of the SIS. The SIS will be implemented through a series of phases, where many of the tasks will overlap or run concurrently. There are 11 phases identified as follows: Phase 1: Entry and Contracting. This effort includes issuance of the contract, initial introductory meetings to purchase the SIS, obtain hardware and software specifications in order to purchase the hardware and software required for the project. Phase 2: Discovery and Dialogue. This effort includes a set of meetings that begins the project management activities between the Contractor and SIPI management to make decisions regarding assignments, timelines, and milestones. The meetings will result in defined expectations for all parties involved and the creation of project teams that include personnel from the IT staff, a manager and support staff for each area of the college. SIPI Management should be fully supportive of the project by ensuring resources (people, time, and equipment) are available. This phase involves introducing the project to the organization, introducing the change management activities, and encouraging participation and cooperation. Each departments implementation strategy will be scheduled at this time. The implementation strategy will include: business process analysis, training, iterative testing and implementation. Phase 3: Computer Systems Analysis. This effort will require computer systems analysis by the Contractor and SIPI in order to compare existing database design and the SIS database to identify similarities and differences. This includes systems analysis of the existing STARS database and hardware and software requirements in order to plan for data migration, data conversion, and third party systems integration. The analysis shall provide data migration tasks and establish the foundation for the SIS database. The data migration and conversion tasks will include both old and new database design, extraction file formats and actual extraction of data; cleansing of the data to ensure all the data has been formatted correctly, loading of data into the SIS database, and verification of data to make sure all data has been migrated successfully. The systems analysis will result in a new SIS database architecture design. Phase 4: Business Process Analysis. This effort will require intense business processes analysis by the Contractor and SIPI in order to identify all user requirements and incorporate them into the SIS. This will involve frequent meetings to communicate to the stakeholders the importance of defining their needs in order for the system to work for th em. During this phase, the Contractor and SIPIs project teams shall analyze and detail each of SIPIs business processes that are applicable to the SIS application, combine this information with post secondary best business practices, appropriately fit each business process into the SIS, identify any gaps in the process, and record and document the new process flow. The objective of this phase is to streamline the existing business processes and to produce a detailed model of the new SIS. The actual departmental business process analyses and implementation will be scheduled at Phase 2. Phase 5: Website Development. This effort will coincide with Phase 4 in order to define website characteristics, design and programming needs to incorporate design choices. The Contractor will provide best practices options according to web technology industry standards so that the website design is current, elegant, intuitively user friendly, and easy to read and navigate. Phase 6: Testing. There will be extensive iterative usability testing that includes a testing cycle that will continue until the usability (discovery of flaws and glitches so that the problems have been identified and fixed) to make sure the SIS is working as designed. In addition, the Contractor will accept feedback from the organization and make changes accordingly. Phase 7: Engagement and Implementation. This effort will engage the SIPI staff as the SIS is put into production. The organization will be involved in providing feedback and suggestions for improvements. Once all improvements have been made to the SIS, it will be finalized. This phase will determine whether or not the SIS will be accepted. Phase 8: Training. The Contractor is responsible for training the SIPI IT staff in order to maintain the SIS hardware and software and provide local training to the SIPI users as defined in this statement of work. The Contractor is responsible for training the users on the SIS application as it relates to their role in the organization. The Contractor will review the SIS with the users to ensure that all requirements have been met. This phase will coincide with Phases 4, 5, 6 and 7. Phase 9: Third Party Systems and Data Integration. This phase will be touched upon in Phase 2 where all third party systems in use at SIPI will be analyzed. The need is to make sure that the systems can talk to each other either directly or indirectly. Directly means that the SIS can see the system processes where updates to either system will keep them in sync. Indirectly means that a programming utility must be developed and/or written from scratch or recommendations made for a commercially available utility that will keep the systems in sync. Phase 10: Post Implementation Monitoring. The Contractor will provide for post implementation monitoring so that any processes that have not been identified to this point can be considered for implementation. This phase will also allow for SIPI to fully test the system. Phase 11: Maintenance. There will be maintenance and support by the Contractor. The Contractor is responsible for furnishing the technical, supervisory and administrative personnel to ensure complete implementation of the SIS as defined in the statement of work. The Contractor will furnish all services, materials, supplies, equipment and travel required in connection with this work. The Contractor shall perform to standards and follow all applications and directives as identified by the contract and by the latest U.S. Department of Interior (DOI), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) IT Standards, Bureau of Indian Education (BIE), Department of Education (ED) regulations, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) regulations. The Contractor shall be responsible for learning and for fully understanding these standards, regulations, and legislative requirements. The Contractor shall submit reports and documentation as identified throughout the contract. Requests for such paperwork shall be coordinated through the government Contracting Officer Representative (COR) on the SIPI Campus. 1.0.1 System Requirements Hardware and peripherals: The contactor is responsible for providing the SIPI IT staff with the hardware specifications that will be used in connection with the SIS. SIPI is responsible for purchasing, installing and configuring the hardware and peripherals with the basic setup as provided by the Contractor in preparation for the SIS. A SIPI IT requirement is that the servers must be RAID 5 [defined as Redundant Array of Independent Disks, where 5 is the 6th level of RAID and defined as Striped Set with Distributed Parity] for fault tolerance) as part of SIPIs contingency plan for hardware and software disaster recovery issues. Operating System (OS) and Application Software: The contactor is responsible for providing the SIPI IT staff with the operating system specifications for the SIS software that will be used including the MS SQL Server application. SIPI is responsible for purchasing, installing and configuring the operating systems and application software with the basic setups as provided by the Contractor in preparation for the SIS. SIPI IT operating system (OS) and software application standards are: OS must be Windows Server Enterprise, latest version; software application Microsoft SQL Server, latest version. The Contractor is responsible for installing and configuring their software along with the applicable database server configurations. The Contractor is responsible for making changes to the software and database during testing and implementation. Source Code: It is the responsibility of the vendor to clearly identify and define the ownership of source code for various system components. Unless clearly specified, the source code for all software and applications will become the property of SIPI. 1.1.1 Technology Requirements The Contractor shall demonstrate that the SIS meets industry standards for post secondary Tribal Colleges, and as a minimum, shall have or meet the latest computer associated techniques in both user and system requirements. The Contractor must ensure the following technical characteristics are present: Must include an option to accommodate SIPI Branding onto screens, Web pages, reports, documents, etc., to include logos, banners, and other representative items. Provide increased real time access to information (approaching 24 hours a day), seven (7) days a week (24 x 7) via web access. Be capable of being available 24/7 with 99.9% uptime and no critical failures or unplanned system restarts for a full school year. The Contractor will supply information on system requirements for bandwidth, servers and workstations. The Contractor will supply data storage requirements for multi-year data storage; the impact of storage growth on performance; and guidelines for database sizing. A centralized database where the common database allows for every department of the college to store and retrieve information in real-time. The information should be reliable, accessible, and easily shared. The database must be designed to capture data on a per student basis plus any institute information that may have a relationship to each student. The database must use alternative direct data entry methods such as radio buttons, check boxes, pick lists, number dials, pull-down boxes, calendars, etc., to ensure data integrity and follow database standard practices. The database must have an audit trail to track changes on key fields. The audit trail information may include items such as: o Last user ID to edit a record. o Date and time of record creation. o Date and time of last record update. o Fields that were changed. o Optional comments for person updating, i.e., reason for change. Additional data requirements would be added in accordance with best practices in all areas of the organization that resulted from computer systems analysis and business process analyses. The Contractor will supply information on benchmark performance data based on average and peak usage for: o Network environment impact as a result of real-time data transaction processing and response times depending on the number of users creating a transaction at the same time. o Component interoperability impact resulting in the use of several servers and their ability to work together to process transactions across the network. o Operations capacity impact on data storage and capacity; disaster recovery issues and maintaining the software and the database. The Contractor will provide application software support, regularly scheduled updates and new version releases, help desk support, and user training. 1.2.1 Information Technology (IT) Security Requirements The SIS solution must ensure that the information in the system is protected against unauthorized disclosure, transfer, modification, or destruction, whether accidental or intentional. The SIS shall conform to the DOI, BIA, BIE, and SIPI IT security standards. The following are essential: Identification and documentation of security requirements and user access levels. Provide a single-sign on solution through integration with Microsoft Active Directory (i.e., The SIS shall support Active Directory authentication.). An automatic sign-off based on defined amount of inactivity time. Lockout user access after a defined number of unauthorized attempts to enter according to SIPI IT network security policies. A web-based administrative function for managing users and their passwords, access controls, rights and privileges. Safeguards required by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), including the secure transfer of electronic records. All SIS data must be protected from illegal and unauthorized inspection and use. Data access shall be limited to read only according to specific types or categories of college data; definitive personnel positions and follow the read-write, read only, or no access provisions as determined by SIPI. Support the use of Extended Validation (EV) Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Certificates for online transactions. Secure transmission with the capability to encrypt sensitive data. The system will be subjected to network-based security scans. The system must meet the BIA Office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) information technology requirements including but not limited to certification and accreditation and system life cycle. 1.3.1 User Friendliness The Contractor shall demonstrate that the SIS meets industry standards for post secondary Tribal Colleges, and as a minimum, shall have the latest user friendly techniques included in their product for all types of end users whether computer literate or not, or technically savvy users. The Contractor must ensure the following characteristics as essential workings of their SIS: The design must apply a consistent look and feel among all user screens The system must have integrated spell checking. All screen functions must be possible using the keyboard as well as a mouse or other pointing device. Provide work-in-progress capability (i.e., partially completed forms can be saved for completion at a later time if work accomplished meets minimal validation criteria). On-screen, context-sensitive help must be provided. The system shall have on-line searchable help and frequently asked questions including: Tool Tips, Searchable Help, Context Sensitive Help, and Online Manual. The system must allow for event-triggered e-mail notifications. Radio buttons, check boxes, pick lists, number dials, pull-down boxes, calendars, and other alternatives to direct data entry must be used whenever possible. Field options should be conditional and should present only valid choices whenever possible. Key fields shall carry over from screen to screen to avoid duplication of data entry. 1.4.1 Training Requirements The Contractor is responsible for training the SIPI IT staff in order to maintain the SIS hardware and software and to provide local post implementation training to SIPI users. Training must include train the trainer, hands-on, and technical. The Contractor is responsible for training all end users on the SIS application as it relates to their role in the organization. The Contractor must provide training materials to include a user manual and any other relevant documentation such as technical manuals, error messages and codes, system reference guide, installation guides, etc. The Contractor must also provide a data dictionary where all tables, fields, indexes, relationships, etc., contained in the database are defined and documented. These documents are a requirement for acceptance. 1.5.1 Accessibility The proposed system must be in compliance with all applicable US laws and regulations regarding accessibility to the handicapped, including Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended. 1.6.1 Tasks The Contractor will provide all the services required to implement the SIS at SIPI. This includes: providing project management details to include installation, computer systems analysis, business process analyses, data migration or data conversion, website programming, software programming and integration, user training, IT training, software testing, hardware testing, implementation, and post-implementation support and maintenance. The Government reserves the right to modify and/or make additional changes to the contract or Statement of Work as it is written, subject to the needs of the Government. This requires first notification and obtaining approval of the Contracting Officer. Upon approval from the Contracting Officer, the COR shall notify the Contractor within seven days. The Contractor shall have fourteen (14) days to review and act. Project Management Within ten (10) days of award, the Contractor shall submit a project management plan and timetable for approval. The Contractor must describe the project phases and how the Contractor intends to proceed toward the completion of the project. The major project management responsibilities of the Contractor will be: Maintaining project communications, including resolving deviations from the agreed upon work plan. Attending project review, update meetings as well as internal and external advisory group meetings, as requested. Provide draft documents and project deliverables for review, approval, and signature. Weekly, or as requested, status reports. A current project plan and timetable using MS Project. The project management plan shall include information on: o Training plan o Testing the program o Help desk support o Milestones o Task durations o SIPI involvement The Contactor will work with the Government to plan and execute the project. Schedule a project kick-off meeting following execution of contract. The government and the Contractor shall mutually agree on the date and location of the meeting. 1.6.1.0 Infrastructure / Product Installation Current Environment: DOI and SIPI are responsible for its intranet and extranet, and the related technical environment. DOI and SIPI personnel are responsible for configuration of firewalls and routers. In connection therewith, and in accordance with the Project Plan, the Contractor shall work with and provide guidance to the DOI and SIPI IT staff regarding the SIS database and website application connectivity and communication settings and requirements. SIPI is responsible for proper data backup and recovery with regard to its systems and data. The Contractor shall provide SIPI IT staff with appropriate guidance on the necessary setup and planning tasks and activities for such data backup and recovery. The Contractor is responsible for installing and configuring their product on the hardware and software provided by SIPI. 1.6.2.0 Computer Systems Analysis and Business Processes Analysis Systems analysis: Helps to align IT development with the systems actually running in production for the Business. Business analysis: Helps an organization to improve how it conducts it functions and activities in order to reduce overall costs, provide more efficient use of resources, and better support customers. (wikipedia.org) The Contractor and SIPIs project teams shall analyze and detail each of SIPIs business processes that are applicable to the SIS application, combine this information with post secondary best business practices, appropriately fit each business process into the SIS, identify any gaps in the process, and record and document the new process flow. The objective is to streamline the existing business processes and to produce a detailed model of the new SIS. The Contractor shall lead users through the design process so that they fully understand the implications of any decisions made. The Contractor will need to show experience in leading design workshops; where options are explained and impact of decisions is verified. To achieve this, a high level of experience in managing user expectations and at the same time being able to guide them through complex areas, will be required. The Contractor shall provide on-going support and consultation to ensure the design, layout, and organization of the SIS is intuitive and user-friendly. The Contractor shall involve end-users in the design and testing process to produce an SIS that is easy to learn, remember and use. The Contractor shall lead users through reporting requirements analysis so that they fully understand what type of report is needed for the task at hand. If the SIS has a set of pre-designed reports available as part of the product, the Contractor will lead users through the type of reports, their layouts, their definitions and a final preview of the generated reports. The contractor shall identify which reports fit in to which business processes and make recommendations to make sure the report is exactly what is required. Other important activities performed include initial communications to the SIPI user community, and the beginning of change management activities. 1.6.3.0 Data Migration Data migration is the process of transferring data between storage types, formats or computer systems. Data migration is usually performed programmatically to achieve an automated migration, freeing up human resources from tedious tasks. It is required when organizations or individuals change computer systems or upgrade to new systems, or when systems merge. (wikipedia.org) The Contractor will work with the SIPI IT staff and provide guidance for the exportation of existing STARS data, data conversion issues, and file formats, in order to expedite the data migration and/or data conversion processes. The centralized baseline database must contain all the data from the existing STARS database. The Contractor must have a documented conversion strategy (including data conversion from legacy systems, cut-over and roll-out plans). Data Migration strategy shall include old and new database designs, extraction file formats and actual extraction of data; cleansing of the data to ensure all the data has been formatted correctly, loading of data into SIS database, and verification of data to make sure all data has been migrated successfully. The SIS data elements shall include, at a minimum, all the data elements from the existing SIPI STARS, in addition to any new data elements identified during systems analysis. The SIS shall contain all the database essential components and tools necessary to extract, transform and load data into the database; tools to manage, retrieve and analyze the data and the ability to manage the data dictionary. A well-defined data dictionary will be in place prior to acceptance. The SIS shall follow the rules of database normalization to ensure data integrity. 1.6.4.0 Web application The web application must have these capabilities: Must include an option to accommodate SIPI Branding onto screens, Web pages, reports, documents, etc., to include logos, banners, and other representative items. Must have the same look and feel on all the web pages throughout the website. Secure Transfer and Exchange of Data Over the Internet. Encryption is mandatory. The system must give end-users the capability to submit data through web forms as required. The web application will provide easy access to applicable forms as well as the ability to complete, submit and transmit the completed forms. The system must have a web based form generation capability that would allow the creation and modification of forms and data elements by users with the appropriate privileges. The Web shall comply with all current BIA standards and approved Internet browsers. FERPA and HIPAA compliant 1.7.1 Reports The SIS must contain an integrated ad-hoc report generation capability and the capability to download data in a variety of formats suitable for compilation of data, which enables authorized users to create, save, and print custom reports. The reporting component must provide for data mining Data mining is the process of sorting through large amounts of data and picking out relevant information that has a readable form and can be understood by a user. through filtering techniques of specific data selection criteria that needs to be intuitive and easy to use. The reporting component must enable the user to view the output on-line, print the output to a local or network printer, and output to PDF. The reporting component must be capable of exporting all reports to a delimited ASCII file, RTF, HTML, PDF, XML, MS office formats, etc. The reporting functions must provide the ability to direct the report to email. The reporting functions must provide the ability to create a standard reports library available to authorized users. The reporting component must provide the ability to view and/or send student alerts to a variety of addressees via email, cell phone, or pager. The reporting component must contain standardized reports for Department of Education, e.g.: IPEDS and FISAP; and some standardized reports for Bureau of Indian Education. The reporting component should contain reporting formats or data mining actions for reports such as American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC) American Indian Measures for Success (AIMS), or the National Science Foundation (NSF) Tribal Colleges and Universities Program (TCUP) Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) reports. 1.8.1 Third Party Systems and Data Integration Data integration is the process of combining data residing at different sources and providing the user with a unified view of the data. (wikipedia.org) The SIS shall contain the ability to export and import data through utilities that are designed to integrate with the third party hardware and software systems in use at SIPI. The systems must talk to each other so that data can be transferred seamlessly and allow for the systems to remain in sync. The process should be easy to follow and easily learned, which enables authorized users to create, save, and run the utility. The integration of systems will be automated, i.e., not requiring any operator intervention. The following software systems requiring integration at SIPI are (the list is not all inclusive to allow for any future integration needs): Food Service Report Generation software Follett Library Resources Financial Aid TutorTrack ACT Compass College Board ACT WebCT/Blackboard TABE (Test for Adult Basic Education) NMHED Adult Basic Education (ABE) database Credit Card systems Student / staff ID card system 1.9.1 Third Party Systems and Programming The Contractor will work with the SIPI IT staff to identify programming needs for the SIS to integrate with the third party hardware and software systems where feasible. If programming for integration is not possible, the Contractor will specifically document the issues and make recommendations for a solution, e.g., programming will involve writing programming code that will import and export information that is necessary for the systems to work together, remain in sync, and provide the services needed to ensure continuity of operations. The Contractor will construct the user interface specifications to conform to the requirements of the third party systems and the SIS. The Contractor will perform tests in coordination with SIPI IT staff to insure that data can be successfully transferred. 1.10.1 System Testing The Contractor will conduct SIS testing throughout the entire project because the SIS will be implemented business process by business process. Because of this implementation schedule, the SIS must be tested continuously to make sure that all changes to the SIS are working properly and that the user requirements are properly identified, documented and implemented. The Contractor will use iterative usability testing techniques to ensure that the entire SIS is working as designed and is virtually error-free. 1.11.1 Parallel Testing The Contractor will conduct SIS parallel testing and run the SIS concurrent to the existing STARS system until the SIS has been configured, fully tested and ready for implementation. Once the SIS has met the acceptance criteria, STARS will be discontinued with a complete cutover to the SIS. 1.12.1 Post Implementation Production Support The Contractor must define different levels of support, if applicable, indicating price differentials. SIPI requires technical telephone support between 7:30AM and 4:30 PM MST, Monday-Friday. The Contractor must include cost of this level of support as a separate line item, as well as including costs associated for mission critical support for guaranteed on-site technical support within a period of 24 hours. The Contractor shall provide information on the following: Maintenance and Support Program Software Maintenance Fees How upgrades will be addressed How software upgrades are managed and priced Indicate if upgrades are included in software maintenance or an annual service agreement How customer requests for system modifications will be handled How bug fixes and software errors are reported and resolved The Contractor will notify SIPI about SIS updates and patches and provide the appropriate programs in order to upgrade the system. 1.13.1 Value-Added Components The vendor shall list optional modules and components and any additional costs associated with the implementation of components. Any additional costs associated with these components will be considered as additives to the contract and may be purchased at the discretion of the college within the time frame of this contract. The contractor will elaborate on system functionality for modules that are or can be developed for the following areas: Grants Management Student Housing Food Service/Dining Hall Key Card ID/Entry Systems 501(c)3 Business functions Library System Textbook Management Mailbox Management Property Management, e.g. lockers, computer equipment, etc. Any systems integration functionality that may exist at the time the SIS is implemented 2.0 Applicable Standards Government and industry specific standards that need to be adhered to in fulfilling the contract: Technical Reference Model (TRM) approved by the Chief Information Officer (CIO). Contingency Planning and Disaster Recovery: Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A-130, Appendix D, and DOI polices require that information systems have a contengency plan (described by National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication (NIST SP) 800-34, Contingency Planning guide for Information Technology Systems) that is updated on an annual basis and that the plan be tested and documented on an annual basis. System Security Plan (SSP): OMB Circular A-130, and DOI polices require that information systems have a SSP as described by NIST SP 800-18, Guide for Developing Security Plans for Federal Information Systems. Certification and Accreditation (C&A): OMB Circular A-130, and DOI polices require that information systems be certified and accredited. Contractor will provide information as required. The system will be subjected to network-based security scans. Annual System Security Review: The Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) requires that information systems undergo an annual security review. BIA/BIE IT standards Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1966 (HIPAA) Department of Education (ED) regulations 3.0 Deliverables Schedule The timeframe starts immediately after the SIS contract is issued. The deliverables will coincide with the timeframe as stated in the Period of Performance. The following deliverables are required but is not all inclusive depending on the final project plan: Software/hardware delivery depending on their ability to deliver after the SIS is purchased. Hardware configuration to include installing the SIS, configuring the hardware and software as needed so that the SIS has all the basic software settings. Computer Systems Analysis to include analysis of old and new database architectures. Data Migration strategy to include extraction file formats and actual extraction of data; cleansing of data to ensure correct formats, loading of data into the SIS, and verification to data to ensure all data has successfully migrated. Completed Data Migration. Systems analysis interviews and written report on findings to be completed one business process at a time. Software configuration based on systems analysis and user interviews and their requirements according to their roles and activities in the organization. IT staff training to include hardware and software installation; continuous IT staff training for each business process analyzed. Staff User Training to be completed for each business process analyzed and implemented. Implementation of finished product Followup to include technical support, identification of glitches and fixes. Maintenance. SIPI or the COTR will have ten (10) working days to complete its review of the deliverables. SIPI or the COTR will accept or reject the deliverables in writing. In the event of the rejection of any deliverable, the Contractor shall be notified in writing by the COTR, giving the specific reason(s) for rejection. The Contractor shall have five (5) working days to correct the rejected deliverable and return it to the Team COTR. 4.0 Acceptance Criteria The SIS will be fully functional with all recommended changes in programming or software configurations completed according to needs of the institute and the users. The system will be tested by each organizational unit to determine whether all their needs have been met before acceptance. The SIS will be evaluated for user performance, user satisfaction, and usefulness. An approved data dictionary will be in place before acceptance. Final inspection and acceptance of all work performed, reports, and other deliverables will be performed at the place of delivery by the Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR). Based on the preceding actions, final acceptance will be documented in a written format to be signed by both BIE and the Contractor. General quality measures will be applied to each work product received from the Contractor under this SOW according to the following: Work products shall be accurate in presentation, technical content and adherence to accepted elements of style. Work products shall be clear and concise. Any and all documents shall be easy to understand and be relevant to the supporting narrative. All work products must satisfy the requirements of this SOW. All text and diagrammatic files shall be editable by the Government. Work products shall be submitted in hard copy (where applicable) and in media mutually agreed upon prior to submission. Hard copy formats shall follow any specified Directives or Manuals. Work products shall be submitted on or before the due date specified in the SOW or submitted in accordance with a later scheduled data determined by the Government. 5.0 Location of Work Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute campus located at 9169 Coors Blvd, N.W. in Albuquerque, New Mexico. 5.0.1 Security The Contractor shall comply with administrative, physical, and technical security controls to ensure all of the Governments security requirements are met. In addition, all Contractor personnel must adhere to the SIPI campus rules and regulations. The government may at any time require that employees of the Contractor undergo BIA/BIE security clearance and must be approved and deemed appropriate to work with students under the age 18, at no cost to the government. The onsite contract manager may be required to have a security clearance as deemed necessary by Homeland Security, or other government mandates for government Contractors, prior to contract start date. 5.1.1 Government Furnished Property The Government shall furnish the Contractor for work under this Contract the facilities, fixtures, and equipment, reasonable office space, but not office supplies and equipment, other than that normally supplied at the operating facilities, if requested by the Contractor. The Contractor shall use due care in the use of Government fixtures and facilities to prevent loss, wear and breakage. The Contractor, upon delivery of Government-finished property, assumes the risk of, and shall be responsible for any loss thereof, damages thereto except for reasonable wear and tear, except to the extent that such property is consumed in the performance of this Contract. Title to all Government-owned fixtures, facilities and equipment used by the Contractor shall remain in the Government. Government Furnished Property, as used throughout this Contract means all property both real and personal. It includes facilities, materials, special tooling, special test equipment and materials. The acquisition maintenance, and/or disposal of property will be conducted in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Requirements of 52.245-19, Government Property Furnished As is. 6.0 Period of Performance The SIS implementation will start immediately after the contract is issued. The implementation will be performed in eleven (11) phases and shall be implemented, tested and fully operational at the end of 18 months. There will be a six (6) month post live support initiative that will allow for the SIS to be tested in real live situations and allow for the Contractor to fix any errors or inconsistencies. 6.0.1 Student Information System (SIS) Implementation Phase Schedule 6.1.1 Benchmarks Benchmarks to assess progress over the 18-month timeline: o Review Systems Analysis to ensure that RDBMS is developed according to current IT standards for web applications and best practices o Review system against business processes for relevance and adequacy o Review reporting needs o Make recommendations for changes to ensure RDBMS meets SIPIs needs The project shall be finished, after the 18-month timeline, when the SIS has been tested and is working error-free and has met all the user requirements. 7.0 Use of Government Computer Systems Contractors requiring the user of government computer systems and the local area network (lan) at SIPI can expect their activities to be monitored with no reasonable expectation of privacy in the use of any DOI System. Quote: THIS SYSTEM IS THE PROPERTY OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. It is for authorized use only. Users (authorized or unauthorized) have no explicit or implicit expectation of privacy. Any or all uses of this system and all files on this system may be intercepted, monitored, audited and disclosed to authorized Department of Interior and law enforcement personnel as well as authorized officials of other agencies both domestic and foreign. By using this system the user consents to the actions listed above. If you have any questions about this policy or do not consent do not attempt to access this system. 8.0 Special Requirements The following are the minimum user requirements that were identified during the market research phase of this project. The list is not all inclusive and may be modified at any time by SIPI. The idea was to build on the data elements that currently exist and to create a SIS that provided the most useful data in the most useful way. The Contractor must ensure that the following basic requirements are addressed: Must be user friendly and pleasant to work with for staff, faculty and students Must meet Governmental regulations such as Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Clinger-Cohen Act, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Technical Reference Model (TRM), IT Security, Cleary Act, Department of Education (ED), Campus Sex Crimes Prevention Act, New Mexico Higher Education Department (NMHED), etc. Information Technology (IT) requirements o Hardware/software requirements (two servers, a web application server, and a database application server, must be RAID 5 [defined as Redundant Array of Independent Disks, where 5 is the 6th level of RAID and defined as Striped Set with Distributed Parity] for fault tolerance, must meet the vendors specifications) o Hardware Maintenance o Software Maintenance o Network Security User Access o Database Security User Access o Website Security - Encryption o Database integrity o Hardware Disaster Recovery o Software Disaster Recovery o Database Disaster Recovery o Web-based o Centralized database (MS SQL Server) o Flexible and easily updated as data requirements change o Integrate with other existing campus applications and database systems (WebCT, Student ID, ACT Compass, Tutortrack) o Consistent look and feel throughout the system to include the website o Must allow for SIPI Branding o The website must have a Native American flavor if possible in addition to professionally and commercially accepted standards. Student tracking o On-line Application and Admissions o Registrar On-line Registration Class Scheduling GPA calculations, both trimester and overall Student Academic probation/suspension Student violations Student adjudication Student sanctions (campus bars, time bars, debts, etc.) Student honors Student withdrawals Student petitions to graduate Student service holds and flags Degree/Certificate Program planning and development Course planning and development Student program tracking: program enrollment; program changes; dual credit enrollment, etc. Course approvals: transfer credits, course substitutions, Credit by Challenge, Military credit, short courses, etc. Student education histories Academic Affairs Committee approvals and compliance Catalog preparation information Student verification (one-stop shop where student status could be looked up) Student Identification (ID) card issuance FERPA compliance HIPAA compliance o Must provide student services to perform in a one-stop shop environment access to on-line student transcripts, grade reports, degree audits, etc. o On-line Student Accounting Payments (Receipt generation) Late payment tracking Pell and scholarship payment tracking Debts Student Accounting tracking Federal Treasury Deposit compliance Fees schedule Payment batch processing Fee budgets (transfer of fees to corresponding units) Refunds (SF-1034 processing; credit memo generation) Student Account balance and Withdrawal processing o Financial Aid Pell distributions Other financial aid award distributions SF-1034 processing Financial Aid award letters Financial aid packaging Student debt payment processing ED compliance NMHED compliance Veterans Administration compliance Angel Fund (or other funding source) distribution tracking o Placement and Recruiting o Course Management System (ex. homework assignments, changes in syllabus, etc.) and e-learning components Instruction component (ex. grade reporting, attendance, etc.) Course management On-line courses development and management for e-learning Short-course management o Advisement Degree/Certificate Program planning Degree/Certificate Program auditing Transcript and grade read-only access Student counseling (intervention strategies, student health issues, student coping issues, etc.) Student tutoring o Housing Lodge dorm room management Lodge security (ex. electronic card keys) Student Handbook Student Articles of conduct Student violations Student Adjudication Student sanctions (dorm suspension and bars, behavior contracts, community service, etc.) o Campus Security Student IDs Student violations Student adjudication Student sanctions Vehicle registration Campus security (ex. electronic card keys) Crime statistics Campus bars (time bars, dorm bars, permanent bars, etc.) o Special Program tracking (upward bound, etc.) o Mailroom and mailbox tracking o Property tracking (textbooks, lockers, keys, etc.) o Student Reports Institutional research o Trimester class scheduling and staffing o Course competencies and goals assessment o Degree/Certificate Program planning and development o Course planning and development o Student success rates o Instructor evaluations o Institute evaluations (ex. retention rates, graduation rates, etc.) o Performance evaluations o School Calendar planning o Reporting requirements for federal, state, tribal and local entities o Adhoc reporting capabilities for assessments, inquiries, research (to include defining reporting requirements for all organizational units) The objective is to find an SIS that works best with existing policies and procedures and one that is flexible enough to accommodate future changes to those policies and procedures; an SIS that is comprehensive; and finally, one that is user friendly and usable to the staff and students of SIPI. This solicitation incorporates one or more solicitation provisions by reference with the same force and effect as if they were given in full text. Upon request, the Contracting Office will make their full text available. The provisions at FAR 52.2, Instructions to Offerors Commercial Items; FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications apply to this acquisition. Offerors must include a completed copy of the provision FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications with their offer. If the offeror does not have a copy of the provision, it may be obtained through www.arnet.gov or by contacting the Contracting Officer to receive a copy. Provision FAR 52.252-1, Solicitation provisions included by reference; FAR 52.252-2, Clauses Incorporated by Reference; FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions, Commercial Items; FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders - Commercial Items; FAR 52.203-6, Restrictions on Subcontractor Sales to the Government; FAR 52.219-4, Limitations on Subcontracting; FAR 52.222-3, Convict Labor; FAR 52.233-3, Protest After Award; FAR 52.225-16, Sanctioned European Union Country Services; FAR 52.232-6, Payment by Third Party; FAR 52.214-64, Preference for Privately-owned U.S. Flag Commercial Vessels; FAR 52.222-1, Prohibition of Segregated Facilities; FAR 52.222-26, Equal Opportunity; FAR 52.222-35, Affirmative Action for Disabled Veterans of the Vietnam era; FAR 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-Central Contractor Registration; FAR 52.222-46, Evaluation of Compensation for Professional Employees; FAR 52.243-1, Changes-Fixed Price (Alt I); FAR 52.242-15, Stop Work Order; FAR 52.242-17, Government Delay of Work; Department of Interior Acquisition Regulation (DIAR) 1452.226-70, Indian Preference; DIAR 1452.226.71, Indian Preference Program; DIAR 1452.204.70, Release of Claims; FAR 52.217-8, Option to Extend Services (paragraph one; 15 days; FAR 52.217-9, Option to Extend the Term of the Contract (paragraph (a) 15 days in both blank spaces; FAR 52.217-3, Evaluation Exclusive of Options; and FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation, are all incorporated by reference herein.
 

Web Link

FedBizOpps Complete View
(https://www.fbo.gov/?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=416e3dab30e396c3af410983bcc19677&tab=core&_cview=1)
 

Record

SN01675572-W 20080920/080918224353-416e3dab30e396c3af410983bcc19677 (fbodaily.com)
 

Source

FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)

---

| FSG Index  |  This Issue's Index  |  Today's FBO Daily Index Page |