E-RATE PROGRAMS FY 2010-2011
Page: 48 of 109 Rev: 10/1/2009 at 4:27:28 PM
1. Introduction
The Cleveland Municipal School District (“District”, “CMSD”) is soliciting proposals for telecommunications, Internet access, basic maintenance services and internal connections services and products to be supplied by one or more vendors to support voice, video and data communications throughout the District’s sites via the technology network. Qualified vendors interested in this Request for Proposal set (RFP) are invited to submit proposals for the various products and services described herein. The District will evaluate the proposals based on the Federal Communication Commission’s Schools and Libraries Division (“SLD”, “E-rate”) program rules to fund economically disadvantaged rural and urban schools and libraries. Price is the primary and dominant consideration for the District in evaluating proposals and in making the final service provider selection for a cost effective solution. The RFP process will also adhere fully to District and State procurement rules and requirements. Evaluation criteria are noted in section 9, “Evaluation Criteria”
The District has participated in the E-rate program since its inception in 1998. This is the twelfth year the District is seeking Requests for Proposal. The District wishes to maintain industry standards for its robust infrastructure that requires complex support and services in the E-Rate categories of Telecommunications, Internet access, Basic Maintenance of Internal Connections, and Internal Connections to support student achievement per the District curriculum standards. For further information, please visit the Cleveland Municipal School District Website: http://www.cmsdnet.net/
2. Cleveland Municipal School District General Information
The Cleveland Municipal School District is a large urban school system with 130 instructional and non-instructional sites, approximately 5,000 teachers and administrative staff, 50,000 students and 3,500 classrooms. The District’s goal is to become a premier school district in the United States of America.
3. CMSD Technology Vision
The District’s Technology vision is:
Technology will be effectively integrated into the daily curriculum, expanding the teaching capacity of every teacher and the learning capacity of every child.
Technology solutions will be delivered as reliable, easy to use, and adaptable packages that support classroom needs.
Technology infrastructure will consistently provide a responsive platform for all academic and administrative operations.
Effectively implemented technology becomes nearly invisible to the user communities allowing them to focus on academic goals.
E-RATE PROGRAMS FY 2010-2011
Rev: 10/1/2009 at 4:27:28 PM Page: 49 of 109
4. Information Technology Overview
CMSD information technology includes:
Network hardware infrastructure such as servers, routers, and phone lines; Network/Internet/Intranet software infrastructure such as, email, and portal; End-user devices & supplies including PCs, laptops, printers, PDAs, and handsets; End device operating system and basic productivity software;
System and equipment security, inventory, and disaster recovery; Support for student/parent/teacher access;
Instructional management systems; Diverse instructional software;
Instructional content including lesson plans and on-line textbooks;
Student support services, tools and integration, for example Special Education; Enterprise resource planning tools for finance, HR, and other departments; Business process redesign systems such as, Purchasing and Supply Mgmt; External partner data exchange (e.g., Medicaid billable services).
5. E-RATE Program Overview
The Federal Universal Service Discount Program for Schools and Libraries, commonly referred to as the “educational rate program” (E-rate) was established via the Telecommunications Act of 1996. E-rate’s purpose is to provide funding for access to advanced telecommunications services for eligible schools and libraries, particularly those in rural and economically disadvantaged areas. The Universal Services Administration Corporation (USAC), Schools and Libraries Division (SLD), with the oversight of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), administers the national program. E-rate funds are intended to provide the conduits for voice, video, and data flow within and among eligible organizations; they are not intended to provide data content or end user equipment and software.
Eligible equipment includes:
Wiring and physical network components necessary to enable data transmission among schools and libraries.
Basic conduit access to the Internet, including necessary wiring, network components, ISP services and email.
Leased, tariffed, contracted or month-to-month telecommunications services from eligible providers that are used to transmit information electronically among sites.
Servers and operating systems necessary to manage networks.
Internal wiring and components necessary to expand data access within a school or library (e.g. wiring to individual classrooms).
The E-rate program facilitates funding by subsidizing vendors to provide discounts between 20% and 90% for eligible products to eligible institutions. For a school, the discount is based on the percentage of students in that school that qualify for the National School Lunch Program, the recognized measure of economic disadvantage. CMSD’s annual discount has been an 86% average.
E-RATE PROGRAMS FY 2010-2011
Page: 50 of 109 Rev: 10/1/2009 at 4:27:28 PM
The FCC’s and USAC’s highest priorities are program compliance and integrity. The program's operations are strictly controlled via designated filings and timelines; all organizations’ information is closely audited prior to fund allocation. The CMSD’s E-rate program is administered by the Department of Information Services.
Vendors are encouraged to visit http://www.sl.universalservice.org/ to learn more detail about the E-rate program, with particular attention to the Disbursements page
(http://www.universalservice.org/hc/tools/disbursement-data-search.aspx), which presents vendor participation requirements, and the Eligibility List, which details eligible and ineligible products and services http://www.universalservice.org/sl/tools/eligible-services-list.aspx) and cost allocation guidelines http://www.universalservice.org/sl/applicants/step06/cost-allocation- guidelines-consortia-comprising.aspx and
http://www.universalservice.org/sl/applicants/step06/cost-allocation-guidelines-products- services.aspx .
6. General Service Requirements
The following general service requirements apply to each of the RFPs and are in addition to any component or service-specific requirements presented in the individual RFP.
All prices must clearly delineate eligible and ineligible costs. All prices must be line itemized.
General production support to include repair, error correction, file recovery, and documentation interpretation must be provided.
Where applicable, time and materials costs must be listed clearly, by like item.
Service providers should note that there may be changes in the site list due to new constructions sites, demolished sites, merged sites, swing sites, and other changes that may come after the signing of contracted services and/or products. The site list may include addresses for demolished buildings. Thus, the number of sites for services and/or products may be less than noted on the list.
Negotiable production support Service Level Agreements must be provided. SLA’s, for the most part, are provided within each of the individual RFP with specifics negotiated with the selected vendor(s).
A negotiable problem management and escalation mechanism must be provided. Periodic, systematic status reporting must be provided.
A process for review and replacement of vendor personnel unacceptable to CMSD must be provided.
A single point of contact with sufficient authority to direct and redirect vendor resources for problem resolution must be provided.
A formal installation review and acceptance process must be provided for all new products and services.
An agreed-upon dispute resolution mechanism must be defined.
Willingness to invoice the District at the E-rate approved discount percentage, with the remainder directly to the SLD (“SPIF” form), pending District certification for services performed.
E-RATE PROGRAMS FY 2010-2011
Rev: 10/1/2009 at 4:27:28 PM Page: 51 of 109
7. Vendor Profile
The primary attributes CMSD seeks in a vendor include:
A demonstrated, verifiable capability to provide support and maintenance services similar to those described in this RFP.
A company business and financial performance history consistent with solid, stable and reliable operations over a multi-year period.
A reasonable exposure to education industry concepts; ideally a history of providing products or services to members of the education industry.
An existing, stable staff of highly trained professionals who have demonstrated successful track records of customer service and who have mastered the technical skills necessary to support the products and services outlined in the applicable RFP.
An understanding of the legal and financial compliance requirements of E-rate, or a willingness to commit to acquire this knowledge.
A demonstrated track record in successful E-rate funding approvals in the last three years.
8. Proposal Process
The proposal process will proceed along the following guidelines, for which pertinent dates are presented in the RFP transmittal letter and respective RFPs:
Release in email of RFP to self registered vendors on E-rate vendor list. Notice in local newspaper regarding RFP posting
Concurrent submission and posting of Forms 470 with the SLD Vendor submission of written questions
Proposers’ pre-proposal conference
On-line publication of written questions and responses Issuance of addendum, if needed.
Receipt of vendors' intent to propose or not propose Receipt of proposals at CMSD
Evaluation Committee review
Oral presentations as requested by the Evaluation Committee Notification of proposal award to selected vendors only; Contract negotiation(s) with selected vendor(s)
Submission of funding request for respective services and products to E-rate
Posting on District Web site of selected vendors and services after submittal to E-Rate All questions other than those presented at the Proposers’ Conference must be written and directed to [email protected]. All questions received and responses thereto will be distributed via the District’s Web site to all vendors expressing an intent to propose.
E-RATE PROGRAMS FY 2010-2011
Page: 52 of 109 Rev: 10/1/2009 at 4:27:28 PM
introduction of parties, and an open question and answer period will take place. In order to facilitate the conference and ensure information transfer, vendors are invited to forward questions or topics intended for discussion in advance of the Conference to the email address above; CMSD reserves the right to decline answering such questions or engage in such discussions for reasons, including confidentiality, and its sole determination that such information is relevant or specific to a single vendor. Vendors requesting data not provided herein or at the Proposers’ Conference agree to bear the cost of collecting and providing such data.
Proposers may be requested to give an oral presentation to CMSD staff in order to clarify their proposal.
All information received by CMSD shall become the property of CMSD. CMSD reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals without explanation.
Proposers should note that the following Request for Proposals are specifically general to express a wide-ranging need. Proposers should feel free to define and specify in detail their services and products..
9. Evaluation Criteria
Proposals will be evaluated, first, as responsive or non-responsive to the RFP’s specifications. Second, the proposals will be evaluated based on the information presented in the proposal and on additional information obtained during the evaluation process; however, price is the primary concern and dominant consideration for the District. Price carries the heaviest weighting among the criteria in evaluating proposals and in making the final selection. The evaluation criteria and their respective weights are:
price of eligible products/services (30%);
other price factors, including ineligible products/services; warranties (10)); specifications satisfied/understanding of District needs and requirements (20%); local access, prior experience with a school district(s) (15%);
personnel qualifications (20%); understanding of E-Rate (5%).
The District is required, by both Ohio statutory law (Ohio Revised Code Section 3311.75) and by its own policies and regulations, to consider lowest price as the primary criterion for any purchase of goods or services, other than those services included under the definition of professional services such as architects or attorneys. The policies adopted by the District’s Board of Education, and the regulations promulgated by the District’s Procurement and Purchasing Departments pursuant to those policies, make no such exception. Although State law requires competitive request for proposal procedures for contracts in excess of fifty thousand dollars, the District’s policy is more stringent, imposing the competitive proposal process on all procurement in excess of twenty-five thousand dollars, or for consulting services in excess of ten thousand dollars.
E-RATE PROGRAMS FY 2010-2011
Rev: 10/1/2009 at 4:27:28 PM Page: 53 of 109
10. Proposal Requirements
The Requests for Proposal herein have been separated into E-Rate RFPs by product or service category. Some of the E-Rate RFPs may have one or more options, or several RFPs may be grouped together as one RFP. Service providers may respond to any one of the options within a given RFP, to the entire individual RFP, or the grouped RFP as a unit. The District will not consider any options or bundled services unless so specified in the RFP. While the District RFP carries the overall RFP number (#20828), vendors may respond with a proposal on any one or all of the E-Rate RFPs. To comply with E-rate rules, vendors are required to respond to each E-Rate RFP separately, except that the Compliance Section Part I (Purchasing documents) need be presented with two (2) original copies. Combined proposals, except where specifically in response to the already grouped RFP, will be rejected as non-responsive. If a vendor wishes to provide a separate information-only document that describes any advantages to combining services for future proposals, they may do so.
Proposal responses are to be divided into sections as follows:
1. Cover Letter that includes the total annual cost for the respective service/product
2. A completed set of Required Purchasing Division documents set forth in Part 1 of this RFP
3. General Information Section
Executive summary: information about the firm’s history, structure, organizational metrics and qualifications for fulfilling CMSD’s requirements.
Business Health: information about the firm's financial structure and viability, particularly as it relates to fulfilling a multiple year agreement.
Product and service provision approach, particularly where sub–contractors are to be employed.
Experience and expertise: information about the firm’s current and previous contracts, particularly those with organizations similar to CMSD.
General narratives about at least two clients using products or services similar to those being proposed for CMSD (include detailed reference information for these clients in the compliance section).
Management support services: information about staff, project, issue, performance, quality and risk management methodology.
Security: information about the firm’s policies, practices and standards for maintaining the confidentiality and integrity of client’s data, intellectual property and trade secrets. Risks: firm’s evaluation of the greatest challenges and risks associated with the particular products or services and suggestions for mitigating risk
Dispute resolution: information about firm’s standard dispute resolution methodologies.
E-RATE PROGRAMS FY 2010-2011
Page: 54 of 109 Rev: 10/1/2009 at 4:27:28 PM
4. Technical Section
Assumptions: information about assumptions, inclusions, exclusions, exceptions and caveats that aid in specifically defining the firm’s understanding of the product or service being addressed.
Services, materials and equipment descriptions, including diagrams of Proposed system where and when applicable. All infrastructure proposals require system/network diagrams.
Equipment and Materials Specifications (Include information on extended warranty and support programs available from either the manufacturer or vendor; include manufacturer’s brochures and full technical specifications for all equipment and materials proposed.)
Implementation plan (required only for new products and services): information about the tasks, methodology and timing for implementing the product or service, including activities to be provided by CMSD.
Staffing and resumes: information about permanent and subcontracted staff proposed to service the client, particularly the single point of contact person.
Pricing: Information about initial and ongoing costs and cost timing over the proposed contract period. This information is to be summarized in this section as well as presented in detail on the individual RFP form. Supplemental explanatory information should be provided in this section. Include overall price with actual breakdown cost of each project component into E-rate eligible and non-E-rate eligible columns or sections, including the cost of any additional services that may be needed to provide the requested service.
5. A completed Proposer Experience and System Capabilities form (see Appendix B) This is the last form in this document. Please fill it out. It is placed last for easy removal and use during the evaluation and selection process.
E-RATE PROGRAMS FY 2010-2011
Rev: 10/1/2009 at 4:27:28 PM Page: 55 of 109