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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS:
WEB INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPER SERVICES
The Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation (CEDAC) is seeking Web Infrastructure Developer services to develop and implement an effective content management system that communicates CEDAC’s mission, activities and newly redesigned brand.
Background on CEDAC
CEDAC serves as a vital financial and technical assistance resource to non-profit organizations engaged in effective community development. Created in 1978 as a quasi-public corporation, CEDAC works with its non-profit partner agencies statewide to focus resources in support of their development agendas, and is an important element of Massachusetts’ community development infrastructure. Our work supports three key building blocks of community development:
Affordable Housing: Financing and technical assistance for development, preservation, and modification of affordable housing. CEDAC has deep roots in housing development and has operated housing programs for more than thirty-five years. CEDAC is also active in state and national housing preservation policy research and development; Early Care and Education: Carried out through CEDAC’s affiliate, Children’s
Investment Fund (CIF) for over twenty years, CEDAC provides financial and technical assistance for the development of quality early childhood and out of school time facilities serving children in low- and moderate-income neighborhoods; and
Workforce Development: Through the Commonwealth Workforce Coalition (CWC), CEDAC provides professional development and networking for workforce development staff in community based organizations. CWC’s Sharing Skills~Building Connections conference draws approximately 400 participants annually.
Our Need for Infrastructure Developer Services
CEDAC’s current web environment includes three websites: http://www.cedac.org/
http://www.cccif.org/ (www.childrensinvestmentfundma.org) http://cwc.cedac.org/
In 2007 CEDAC began working with a Massachusetts-based developer to build a specialized web infrastructure to fit our needs. We are requesting proposals to develop a new modern web infrastructure that will support the CEDAC website, as well as those of its affiliate, the
Children’s Investment Fund (CIF), and its program, the Commonwealth Workforce Coalition (CWC).
2 Over the last year, we have engaged in a rebranding process that has helped us refine our corporate messaging and visual identity. We are currently working with a design firm to develop full website architecture and design guidelines, which are estimated to be completed by October/November 2015. We are looking to debut the new website by mid-December 2015. For a complete schedule of deliverables, please refer to Appendix B: Deliverables.
Scope of Work
The scope of this project is to replace the existing CEDAC/CIF/CWC web infrastructure and implement the web design for the three sites. The successful candidate will be provided all necessary content, style guidelines, brand standards, and data. This will be a two-phase process. Phase I will include the infrastructure and CEDAC website. Phase II will include the CIF and CWC websites. Please see Appendix C: Site Architecture for more information. To be effective for internal administrative audiences, our infrastructure must:
Allow CEDAC staff to retain direct editorial control of content, to deliver constantly changing information to our key audiences
Put all three web sites (and any future site) in one centralized management system Offer a full-featured Content Management System like Drupal, Wordpress, or other
modern equivalent that is flexible enough to allow adaptation over the near term Offer a comprehensive administration panel (tool) for managing all necessary
application(s), module(s) and plug-in(s)
Offer routine reporting features based on information gathered from website statistics, events management module, and contacts database
Integrate existing contact database with web-based management interface Enable a MS-SQL based environment for all hosted data sets
To be effective for external audiences, our infrastructure must:
Provide the ability for the public to sign up as a member, and modify personal/organizational contact information, through a member portal Allow the members to register (and pay) for events online
Limit certain content to registered users only
Be responsive to common user platforms (i.e. mobile, tablet, desktop) Maintain the HomeMod web-based portal for eligible members
The selected vendor should satisfy the following requirements. For specific use cases, please review Appendix A: Use Cases
Requirement – Hosting
Provide the external hosting environment for all web components and data sets. Provide ongoing technical support as needed. Components include, but are not limited to:
http://www.cedac.org/
http://www.cccif.org/ (www.childrensinvestmentfundma.org) http://cwc.cedac.org/
3 SSL Certificate renewals for all domains
Newsletters/e-blasts event listings
contacts management interface
Requirement – Content Management System
The CMS may be used for creating, accessing, and managing menus, submenus, hyperlinks, content and new page creations, etc. It must offer an organized structure to maintain all three web sites. It should include the following functionalities:
The Content editor must allow copying and pasting code and formatted text from other applications while optionally preserving all formatting and special characters
The CMS should allow code to be imported and exported to/from such software as Dreamweaver, FrontPage, and other authoring tools
An auto-log-out procedure where all unsaved work should be queued for immediate review once the content developer logs back in
The ability to create simple new pages using a selection of authorized templates.
Items such as menus, forms, repeating blocks of text, etc. should be able to be accessed/ modified through the appropriate templates
The ability, for authorized staff, to modify the location of a page between directories by simply dragging and dropping the page symbol. The system should automatically modify all referred hyperlinks
Ability to embed videos and slideshows on any given hosted page
The ability to specify when content should be published and/or retired (i.e., schedule publication for a future date or dates) using a scheduler
The ability to search the entire site and metadata using advanced search tools The CMS should produce a log where all edits can be reviewed by time/date/user Requirement – User Management System (Rights & Permissions)
The User Management System should have the following attributes: Permission-based access
o Admin level
o Editor level
o User level
o 3rd party contributor (e.g. jobs poster)
Any user may have only one active session at a time. The ability to limit certain content based on permission
A password recovery option for easy email retrieval of passwords Requirement – Report Generator
The system should provide a selection of canned reports, as well as the ability to define new reports.
4 Searched keywords
Website/page traffic
Most/least popular pages/areas
Sign-in sheets of registered users for a given event All events and registrants over a given time period
For a given email Newsletter/e-blast, indicate the success rate of each email address Other various administrative reports needed for events management
Requirement – Contacts Management, Events and Websites
CEDAC has developed a comprehensive database of contact information which is constantly being edited, scrubbed, and improved. The new system should be able to support this practice in the following ways.
Provide a web-based portal for the management of the contacts database and CEDAC events
Allow existing users and administrative staff to log in and modify personal/organizational contact information
Ability to export contact or event data in various formats (pdf, excel, word, etc.) Provide the ability for the public to sign up as a new member
Provide members option to easily opt in or out to any email/contact group within the member area
Before creating a new contact, alert the user of possible existing record(s). Provide the option for the user to re-open existing contact, and provide password reset instruction as necessary
Ability to create new or duplicate (single or multiple day) events (paid or unpaid) with options for limiting capacities, adding waitlists, entering multiple confirmation messages, flexibility to add additional registration questions, and pre-registration of multiple
workshops within each event
Ability to easily resend email event confirmations to registered members
Set up a Privacy Policy & Terms of Service that members have to read and accept Requirement – E-blast (Newsletter and Event marketing) generation
CEDAC produces multiple e-blasts every year, which are customized for select audiences. CEDAC and its affiliate and programs send newsletters and event marketing emails for
trainings offered throughout the year. The new system should be able to support this practice in the following ways.
Allow administrative staff to create a new e-blasts that follow existing brand standards Optimize the e-blasts for email and browser viewing
Provide dynamic text fields, similar to that of “Mail Merge” feature found in MS Word. Integrate the fields with existing data sets.
Export option for physical printable copies of an e-blast
Provide a contacts import feature to send an e-blast from external/one-time-use distribution lists
5 Allow the option to send e-blasts to any of the specific email/contact groups, or to a
specific region of the state for any one entity (CEDAC, CIF or CWC)
Feature to allow administrative staff to send test e-blasts to self or others while remaining in the e-blast creation engine
Ability to select different sending email addresses depending on the nature of the communication
Provide a feature to easily save the e-blast code for use as template on future blasts. Email bounce management for distributed e-blasts
Provide ability for public/members to easily unsubscribe from unwanted email messages/groups
Requirement – Post Launch Services
Once the system is put into place, we expect ongoing support from the Developer, which will allow us to use the system most effectively. The Developer shall be responsible for the following:
Provide post-launch training for key CEDAC personnel Provide all administrative level usernames and passwords
Commit to an ongoing service level contract to address post-launch system improvements
Criteria for Selection
The purpose of this RFP is to allow for a fair evaluation of all candidates and to provide the candidates with the evaluation criteria against which they should be judged. Successful candidates should be able to demonstrate:
A strong track record of service to mission-driven public and/or non-profit agencies (experience with other intermediary agencies a plus);
A history of reliable account management;
Familiarity with relevant social media outlets and applications;
A rate structure in line with the budget of a 25-person non-profit organization;
An ability to make this effort a priority and to meet the deadlines set out in Appendix B: Deliverables
Submission Standards
Responses are due by 4:00 pm on Thursday, August 13, 2015 and should include: Cover letter
Resume(s) or brief bio(s) of proposed team
MA SDO (Supplier Diversity Office) certification (if applicable):
o WBE (Woman-Owned Business)
o MBE (Minority-Owned Business) Sample of other relevant work
List of references (3-5) List of recent clients
6 Proposed schedule in Appendix B: Deliverables
Summary of rate structure or proposed fee schedule. Your cost proposal must encompass all items specified in this RFP
Proposals will be evaluated immediately after submission. During this time we may require personal interviews with our evaluation team. You will be notified if/when this is required. Our intention is to select a firm by August 28, 2015.
Please address responses to this RFP to: Jennifer Brown
Public Information & Program Assistant CEDAC
One Center Plaza, Suite 350 Boston, MA 02108
Feel free to contact Jennifer Brown with any questions at 617-727-5944, or [email protected]. Please note that this is an open and competitive process. The proposal must contain the
signature of a duly authorized officer or agent of the company submitting the proposal. The price you quote should be all-inclusive. If your price excludes certain fees or charges, you must provide a detailed list of excluded fees with a complete explanation as to the nature of those fees.
If the execution of work to be performed by your company requires the hiring of
sub-contractors you must clearly state this in your proposal. Sub-sub-contractors must be identified and the work they should perform must be defined. In your proposal, please provide the name, address, and other contact information of the sub-contractor. CEDAC will not refuse a proposal based on the use of subcontractors; however, we retain the right to decline the subcontractors you have selected.
Provisions of this RFP and the contents of the successful responses are considered available for inclusion in final contract terms and conditions. CEDAC will negotiate contract terms upon selection utilizing CEDAC’s standard form of contract.
7 APPENDIX A: USE CASES
1. CEDAC staff is planning a new event. The responsible staff member opens the event creation module and enters information into required fields. The staff decides to open registration 60 days in advance of the event. 15 days before the event, the staff member reviews the registration list in order to determine if additional advertising is necessary. 2. A member of the public discovers a CEDAC event. This person visits the CEDAC
website to find out more about the event. S/he decides to attend the event, and signs up as a new member. The member pays a registration fee for the event, and is sent
additional event content/email confirmation.
3. Administrative staff is directed to create an e-blast for an upcoming CEDAC event. The staff creates an e-blast and addresses it to all members who have shown interest in
CEDAC events, except for those who have already registered. The staff sends the e-blast by email, and monitors any increase in registration.
4. The CEDAC event planner is preparing for an event the next day. S/he reviews registration and prints out a sign-in sheet, which indicates whether or not the registrant has paid the required fee. On the day of the event, the planner then directs un-paid participants to the CEDAC website to complete the payment process.
5. An internet user browses to the jobs page of the CWC website, and clicks on the button labeled, “Post a Job”. A pop-up message states, “You must be a registered user to post a job,” and prompts the user to sign in.
6. Administrative staff decides to grant an existing member the privilege to post a job on the CWC jobs board. The staff member opens the permissions module of the contact
database and upgrades the requesting member from “User” to “3rd party contributor”. The requesting user then browses to the jobs page of the CWC website, and clicks on the button labeled, “Post a Job”.
7. Following a successful CEDAC event, the co-worker of an event participant wants to know when the next event will be held. The co-worker visits the CEDAC webpage and attempts to create a new user. The system provides an alert that the new user matches an existing one. The co-worker is provided the ability to reset their password, which s/he does. The co-worker opens his/her user account and updates the preferences. Sometime later, the co-worker receives an email blast providing the details of the next event. 8. CEDAC receives several legal notices (so-called “40T notices”) during the month.
Throughout the month, the information contained in the notices is summarized and uploaded to a staging area reserved for 40T notices. The CMS automatically promotes this info to live production. The CEDAC website now displays the most updated and relevant 40T information. CEDAC Housing Preservation staff receives an automated email alert that the month’s 40T notices have successfully been posted.
8 9. A CEDAC staff member begins entering 40T information into the CMS, but fails to click
“save” before the system times out as a result of an extended period of inactivity. Sometime later, the staff member successfully logs back in. The staff member navigates to the 40T section, and recovers the partially completed work, as though the user had saved it on purpose.
10. CEDAC staff schedules an event, and invites all Boston-Metro area contacts to
participate. Due to growing interest, the staff decides to invite CIF contacts as well. The staff sends a second invite which excludes contacts that already received the first
9 APPENDIX B: DELIVERABLES
Design firm shall provide the following to the Developer:
Item No. Description Date Due
01 Site Architecture (CEDAC, CIF and CWC) July 27, 2015 02 Wireframe of key page types (10) CEDAC (CIF and
CWC) determined for design and development
August 31, 2015
03 Layer Photoshop files (10 Key pages): these will act
as a style guide for the developer October 26, 2015 04 Consulting with developer to test launch site and
give design feedback July until Launch
Please advise schedule and process by proposing dates for the following line items. CEDAC shall provide the following to the Developer:
Item No. Description Date Due
01 Copy of CEDAC Contacts database 02 Copy of HomeMod database
03 Website Content
04 End user’s Privacy Policy/ Terms of Service
Developer shall host/produce/provide the following items:
Item No. Description Date Due
01 Kickoff meeting 02 Test site (round #1) 03 Test site (round #2) 03 Test site (round #3) 04 Full site flight-check 05 Staff training
10 APPENDIX C: SITE ARCHITECTURE
