Schenectady City School. Request for Proposal for Website Design and Content Management System RFP #

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Schenectady City School District

Request for Proposal

for

Website Design and Content Management System

RFP #0620‐16

Proposals to be received:

Time: 9am Date: June 20, 2016 Place: Schenectady City School Business Office 108 Education Drive Schenectady, NY 12303

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The Schenectady City School District (SCSD) is requesting proposals from quality website design/programming firms to design a contemporary, dynamic and engaging website on a web‐ based content management platform and provide content management training for the deployment of the school district, including all district schools and central office programming.

Scoring Information

Approach & Planning 0‐10 Points The evaluator will rate the proposer’s detail of information and process overview regarding approach to the project, flow of discovery, design, development, milestones, testing and build. Aesthetic and Design Capabilities 0‐10 Points The evaluator will rate capabilities as relates to this RFP and review and rate previous experience and demonstrations based on a showcase of artistic ability and innovative approaches. Content Management System/Functionality 0‐10 Points The evaluator will rate the proposed CMS solution, other technology, functionality and features. Project Toolset 0‐10 Points The evaluator will rate the project management toolset, options available and the structure to the management process. Schedule and Timeline 0‐10 Points The evaluator will rate the proposed schedule and timeline and ability to meet district schedule. User Training Services 0‐10 Points The evaluator will rates training program and services offered. Experience & Qualifications 0‐10 Points The evaluator will review and rate experience as it relates to the requirements of this RFP with focus on experience providing and managing the delivery of products and services similar to those described in this RFP. Please include K‐12 school districts where vendor has designed and installed similar systems to that being proposed. Warranty and Future Services 0‐5 Points The evaluator will review and rate proposer’s warranty and coverage of any correction of software bugs, coding, changes to software, maintenance plans and on‐going support. Value & Pricing Structure 0‐25 Points The evaluator will rate pricing data for proposed evaluation. Cost should reflect design, hosting, installation, implementation, training, licensing, hardware, ownership of the system and consultant hourly rates.

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Evaluation of Proposals

The evaluation process will include two possible stages of evaluation and selection. Stage I: Evaluation of written proposal and feedback from references. An evaluation committee will apply the scoring rubric to evaluate vendor responses and determine finalists for Stage II. Stage II: Finalists demonstration. Finalists selected may be required to provide a demonstration of the proposed product. If required, demonstrations will be held on June 23, 2016 and June 24, 2016. Rejection of Proposals SCSD reserves the right to reject any and all proposals upon its sole discretion. Time and Date of Deadline Proposals will be received until 9am on Monday June 20, 2016. All proposals must be received by the time and date designed in this document and not will be considered thereafter. SCSD will not assume the responsibility for any delay as a result of the failure of mail to deliver the proposals on time. Mailing Address All proposals must be mailed or delivered to the Schenectady City School District, 108 Education Drive, Schenectady, NY, 12303, in a package clearly marked “RFP 0620‐16 Website Design and CMS.”

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1A OVERVIEW

The Schenectady City School District includes a population of approximately 10,000 students in grades Pre‐K through 12. SCSD is extremely diverse, with a population of students speaking approximately 30 different languages. English, Spanish, Chinese, Arabic and Pashtu are the most common. SCSD has more than 800 teachers and a total staff of about 1700. Schenectady is located in the Capital region of New York State. The city of Schenectady includes about 63,000 residents. Students move to Schenectady, not only from throughout the state, but from throughout the world. Our goal is to ensure that race, economics and disability are never predictors of student achievement. In 2016‐17, SCSD structure will include:  11 elementary schools  3 middle schools  1 high school with a satellite site  1 adult education center

1B Overview

The Schenectady City School District (SCSD) is seeking the services of a quality website design/programming firm to design a contemporary, dynamic and engaging website on a web‐ based content management platform and provide content management training for the deployment of the school district, including all district schools and central office programming. The district seeks a site that is attractive, with a consistent uniform platform presentation, easy to navigate and understand with search engine optimization and browser recognition. The district also seeks the ability to generate web usage and other site analytics. The district website should be the hub that connects all stakeholders and serves as our online community to engage, showcase, educate and communicate. The district currently uses an HTML generated software program. The entire school district website and all school and program pages are created and maintained by one individual. Therefore, as part of the plan to create a site with a modern presentation, the district is seeking to simplify the management of the site so that school leaders and central office staff can self‐ maintain the majority of their content. Most of these content providers do not have HTML coding knowledge. Therefore, the district is seeking a platform that will allow the content providers to manage their pages by editing and updating without having prior experience.

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Services should include the training of the CMS as well as training tools that are needed moving forward. The new website should be modern and visually appealing and one which translates to a mobile application when loaded on hand‐held devices. The site should be inviting with a friendly feel but present information so that it is easy for users to find. The new website design aims to improve communication, enhance engagement and reflect a culture that is based on high expectations, respect and accountability for performance. The information architecture must reflect the district’s vision to “be a continually improving school district dedicated to excellence in teaching and learning, equity, engagement and efficiency.” SCSD is in a unique situation ‐ in which redefined school grade configurations and attendance zones will be implemented in the next school year – creating somewhat of a district rebranding opportunity. As such, the project is on an accelerated timeline with the goal of having a site complete by September 1, 2016. The district seeks a firm that will be able to meet the timeline, ensure the system selected meets current needs and will also continue to meet state of the art solutions moving forward. The District is evaluating proposals to meet the current needs of the Schenectady City School District Central Office and the sixteen schools (elementary, middle, high school and one adult education center).

2. GOALS OF THE NEW WEBSITE

Based on responses to a brief survey, users offered the

following:

The school district website is accessed most frequently by:

 Personal computer  Laptop  iPhone  Tablet or iPad  Droid  Netbook  Other

The most commons reasons, visitors access the SCSD website is:

 Calendar information

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 To see information regarding specific school  Contact Information  To learn about important initiatives  Resources  Emergency closings  Pictures and stories on school events  Budget information  To find out what’s new  To see grades  Find out about network outage  Watch videos and highlights  Information on sports  Find ways to help kids at home

Most important features:

 Easy navigation  Helpful links  Accessibility  Attractive Design  Ability for schools, programs, departments to maintain own pages  Search  Customize calendar views by school and topic  Online forms and surveys  Platform for curriculum  Classroom Webpages  Consistent theme  Event publishing tool for staff  Integration with social media  Ability to create e‐newsletters  Ability to support wikis, blogs, forums

3. Required Product Features

The proposed solution should be a complete system with a comprehensive plan that includes training and ongoing support. The following is a brief summary of capabilities and management characteristics the district is seeking in the final product: Design  Relevant, attractive, professional and user‐friendly  Seamless delivery

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 Reflective of student diversity  Reflective of goals, values, educational benefits and services  Logical roadmap with clear navigation  Drop‐down menu option  Easy to manage and update  Consistency throughout ‐ design guide, color palette, typography and page structure Users and Management  Unlimited number of users  Remote access from multiple devices including cellphones, laptops and workstations  Password controlled – The ability to manage users, role‐based security, permissions and log‐in process  Password recovery  Functionality whereby content is easily maintained and does not require HTML programming to change or add content Editing, Content and Other Features  User‐friendly interface  Includes tools to develop and load content without the need for program assistance.  Ability to embed flash or video files  Ability to post .PDF documents  Social media integration  Automatic translation solution  ADA compliance requirements met  Support of multiple content types including: o Events o News Feeds and Widgets o Hyperlinks o Images and Photo Galleries o Form/Fillable Forms o Maps o Videos o Podcasts and audio files o Graphs, charts and other data visuals o Polls o Wikis o Blogs o Forums  Ability to add scripts or multi‐media files for use on site pages (Adobe Flash)  Ability to post banners for easy notification

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Calendar  Ability to sync events, categories and updates to events with website  Manage calendar events using integrated or embedded calendar tools  Ability to filter  Ability to post documents, flyers related to events  Ability to print Search  Site search capability with navigational options  Search engine optimization  Filterable search  Searchable directory Department, School, Classroom Pages  Ability to have department pages created and edited by department. For example: athletics, human resources, fine arts, food services, alumni, guidance, library, curriculum … etc.  School pages edited and managed by schools  Classroom pages created, edited and managed by teachers Notifications and Newsletters  Ability to create and manage electronic newsletter subscriptions.  Ability to create and send newsletters from the CMS to target user groups  Ability to create newsletters from website content.  Ability to send urgent alerts to all school site and pages simultaneously – via single administrative platform. System Security  Plan to ensure monitoring and maintenance. Migration The website will be a “new” site not a re‐design of the existing site. The district will determine what, if any, content will be migrated to the new site. The architectural analysis will play a role in determining the organization and information mapping. File Management The solution should provide means of managing and sharing files within website including the ability to update files, rename, move and set permissions for updating files. Storage and Hosting

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The solution should include estimated annual costs for maintenance of servers and hosting. Vendor should provide recommendation for bandwidth and hosting solution as well as any cost associated with exceeding storage limits and purchasing additional space if needed. Recovery Requirements The vendor should detail recovery plans for events that may cause service disruption. These should include prevention, response and recovery strategies. Transitional Requirements The vendor will present a plan and schedule to include responsibilities, testing plan, implementation plan, training, plan and transition plan that meets the project deadline as closely as possible. Analytics The website solution should include the ability to produce site metrics. Training The vendor will work with the district to develop an effective training plan for all site managers. Training should be provided for the most common features of the CMS used by staff. Training can be provided prior to launch as well as after launch. Training will include Central Office Administrators and/or designees, School Administrators and/or designees, Teacher/Other Staff (unlimited). Vendor should include other innovative solutions that are not listed above but would enhance the website and goals.

4. The Overall Design

 Ease of Use – Emphasis should be on user’s need to find information easily and quickly with accessibility to services, information and activities.  All pages should be easily accessible from any device (including mobile) and with fast load times.

 All pages should be modern, visually appealing, reflect the diversity and enhance the image of the school district.

 Consistency across the site. All pages should be easily identifiable as SCSD including typography, navigation, structure and style.

 Pictures and imagery should reflect the students, staff and community.

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5. Requirements

The design, technicality, functionality and content of the new website and CMS will support district goals, outlined product features and design requirements as outlined above

5A RFP Goals

 To gain knowledge and understanding of the CMS product and process of web design development in order to select, implement and operate a tool that will best needs the needs of the district;  To gain understanding of the total project costs to design, deploy and maintain the district website and all pages;  To gain understanding of the training efforts that will be required and costs associated with training district staff on the CMS project and ongoing maintenance;  To understand hosting options and any associated costs;  To select a vendor for initial branding, image and presentation consultation for design of the SCSD website including website content management software, implementation and training;  To select a vendor with implementation history that will meet the SCSD’s current and future needs;  To select a vendor with a final product that meets the needs of a diverse population;  To work with selected vendor to develop implementation plan, training and launch for the start of the 2016‐17 School Year.

6. RPF CALENDAR

RFP Calendar

June 20, 2016 – 9am: Deadline for submissions of proposals June 23‐24, 2016: Interviews and Demos (if necessary) June 29, 2016: Complete Evaluation/Select Finalist July 6, 2016: Board of Education Approval

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7. Instructions for Submittal

 Please submit package that includes individual tabs addressing each criteria and Appendix items I, II, III, IV, V, VI  Please be sure all pages of proposal documents are included.  Please provide one (1) original and four (4) copies of proposal and related materials.  Please be sure proposal is complete and properly signed

8. Check List and Organizer

The checklist is provided for proposers. Response Package Due: ___ Appendix I: Company Name, Product, and Signature Page ___ Appendix II: References ___ Appendix III: Company and Product Overview ____ Appendix IV: Sections addressing criteria ___ Appendix VI: Additional Items, as desired by Vendor (Optional) ___ Bid Pricing Submittal

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Appendix I

Proposal Submitted By: Name of Company ______________________________________ Street Address ______________________________________ City, State, Zip ______________________________________ Telephone Number ______________________________________ Name of Responsible Representative ______________________________________ Signature ______________________________________ Title ______________________________________ Date ______________________________________

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Appendix II

References Please provide reference contacts for at least six customers who, implemented your product within the last three years, and are currently using your product. Please be sure at least three or four of the references are K‐12 school districts. College references may be provided. Please provide references as follows: Contact Name School District Name City and State Phone Number Website Address Date of Product Launch Please provide a contact who can address both selection and implementation of the product.

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Appendix III

Company Overview

Please provide an overview of this company and experience as it relates to the requirements of this RFP with focus on providing and managing the delivery of products and services similar to those described in this RFP. Please include names.

Appendix IV

Criteria

Please address each of the following criteria. Please present each in a section separated and labeled by tab.  Presentation: Approach and Planning 0‐10 points Please provide detail of information and process overview regarding approach to the project, flow of discovery, design, development, milestones, testing and build. Explain how the approach will meet the needs and criteria set forth.  Aesthetic Capabilities 0‐10 points Please provide information regarding expertise, experience and a showcase or demonstrations of artistic ability and innovative approaches. Please provide detail of prior work that demonstrates artistic, innovative, user‐friendly and engaging solution.  Content Management System/Functionality 0‐10 points Please describe in detail the CMS solution and any additional technology that will be needed or used. Please include a list and explain functionality and features of the CMS solution. Please address ownership rights and indicate if this is a proprietary CMS package. Include information regarding the update/release life cycle for the product including anticipated date of next update.  Project Toolset 0‐10 points Please list and describe all project management tools and options including the structure of the project management process.  Schedule and Timeline 0‐10 points Please provide proposed schedule and timeline.  User Training 0‐10 points Please provide detailed information regarding the training program as well as any other support services that are included in the proposal. Please be as specific as possible.

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 Experience & Qualifications 0‐10 points Please provide detailed information regarding your expertise and experience in regard to the products and services being proposed. Provide specific examples of K‐12 school district where proposer has designed and installed similar systems.  Warranty/Future Services 0‐5 points Please outline and explain warranty and future services offered under the proposal. Please include any maintenance plan and ongoing support.

Appendix V

Cost Please provide pricing data for the proposed solution on the bid pricing submittal sheet. The cost should reflect design, hosting, installation, implementation, training, licensing, hardware, ownership and any hourly rates. Please provide a total cost as well as costs for products or services outlined below.

 Total Cost Summary

 Design Cost  Installation Cost  Implementation Cost  Hosting Cost  Training Cost  Products and Licenses  Hardware Cost  Consultant Rates  Other Costs

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Appendix VI

Please include any additional items, as desired. (Optional)

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Bid Submittal Sheet

Please enter your cost proposal on this bidding sheet. The District has listed expected cost areas to identify a breakdown of those costs. If there are any other costs associated with the proposed product that are not listed here, please add these, and their costs, under “other”. Please fill out the “Total Cost” line to reflect the summation of the individual costs included here. The Total Cost is what will be evaluated as part of the proposal.

Design Cost $_______________________ Installation Cost $_______________________ Implementation Cost $_______________________ Hosting Cost $_______________________ Training Cost $_______________________ Products and Licenses $_______________________ Hardware Cost $_______________________ Consultant Rates $_______________________ Other Costs _____________________________ $_______________________ _____________________________ $_______________________