Notice:
Request
for
Proposal
Website
Redesign
Quote
Return
Date:
Wednesday,
April
13,
2016
at
12:00
p.m.
DESIRED
SERVICE
This Request for Proposal is issued to obtain quotes for the redesign of Olivenhain Municipal
Water District’s current website at www.olivenhain.com. OMWD’s goal is to have a site that
presents a positive image, is informative and user friendly, is easily maintained by staff, and is
secure from outside threat.
OMWD is a public agency providing water, wastewater services, recycled water, hydroelectricity,
and operation of Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve. Organized in 1959, OMWD currently serves
approximately 84,000 customers over 48 square miles in northern San Diego County.
SCOPE
OF
WORK
The vendor shall provide OMWD with a website that will meet the following criteria:
Statement of Needs
Present an attractive, professional look and feel to the website.
Provide for consistent, intuitive navigation and search function so information is easily found
by a novice as well as an experienced internet user.
Provide a site that is easily updated, maintained, and administered by OMWD staff, including
non‐technical users.
Provide a site that will be quick to load on the visitor’s browser for all manners of internet
users.
Provide for full functionality when viewed from mobile or desktop devices.
Provide a site that is secure, with scheduled security updates.
Content
The new site will convert existing content, including pages, forms, attachments, images, and
redirects from www.olivenhain.com.
Content sections of the website will be rearranged from the current top level sections to
incorporate suggestions and best practices proposed by vendor.
can be used where needed to improve the aesthetics of the website, or as background
design elements. These details will be discussed with the selected vendor.
Design Requirements
The new OMWD website should:
Be based on a commercial off‐the‐shelf or custom‐made web‐based Content Management
System (CMS). Ability to manage files on the web server and set plain English URL shortcuts
from within the content management environment is preferred.
Produce a visually attractive design that includes a balanced mix of graphics and text.
Ensure SEO includes keyword research, keyword to page mapping, on‐page optimization,
meta definition, and 301 redirects.
Group information in a logical manner that requires minimal drilling‐down for the user to
find the desired information.
Have a common look and feel by using templates and style sheets. The use of photographs,
fonts, and layouts should be consistent throughout the website.
Display OMWD’s logo on every page as part of a common header.
Comply with the American Disability Act Code (Section 508).
Be built in accordance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 as
recommended by the World Wide Web Consortium. See http://www.w3.org/WAI\GL for
details.
Developed with HTML 5 and CSS 2 or higher per W3C specifications.
Not require plug‐ins for navigation or site elements; however, they may be used where
required for content presentation such as embedded video.
Strongly incorporate social media components as well as integration with OMWD’s third‐
party bill payment site at www.onlinebiller.com/omwd.
Ensure website design is functional and usable on computers running Windows, iOS, and
Linux operating systems, and on the most recent versions, plus one version prior if
applicable, of Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, Chrome, and Opera web browsers.
Have web pages fit into a screen resolution of 1024x768 or less.
Include the option of adding functions such as photo galleries, surveys/polls, and calendars.
To assist with design ideas, staff has identified desired elements on sites of other water
agencies. Staff will meet with selected vendor to discuss the design direction based on a
combination of elements. A list of sites and design elements will be reviewed at this meeting.
Technical Specifications
Source code is required if a custom CMS is used.
Source files are also required for any custom graphics developed (i.e. PSD files if Photoshop
is used).
Pages must load quickly on high speed and low speed internet connections. A page should
load in 6 seconds or less on a 56K modem connection.
All content paths within the site should be relative to the current page. This is especially
important on secure pages to prevent the user from getting a warning about portions of the
content or when linking from a non‐secured section of the website to a secured section login
page.
Must be search engine friendly, including informative page titles, meta descriptions, and
meta keywords.
Content should be stored in clean, logically organized directories.
Go Daddy will host the domain name and website, and supply its own SSL certificates, unless
an alternative hosting option is identified during this RFP process.
OMWD must be licensed to install the software on multiple servers for test and development
purposes, unless alternative testing capabilities are identified through this RFP process.
OMWD must be licensed to use the software for separate sites such as www.elfinforest.org
as well as OMWD.us at some time in the future without additional licensing costs. This RFP
does not include the development of such sites, just the right to use the software for such.
The software installation process must be fully documented, and have the ability to be
reinstalled from scratch if necessary.
All backup requirements (settings, configuration files, databases/tables, directories, etc.)
must be fully documented.
Identify how the CMS software support is handled once the website is live, and what kind of
support (email and/or phone) is available and with what limitations (hours or days available,
emergency contact, etc), if any.
There must be a way of logging and tracking usage of the website for later use in generating
website statistics.
CMS must have extranet capabilities for access to controlled sections of the website.
Annual maintenance fees, if required, must be specified in the proposal.
Proposal shall include all maintenance costs covering first three years of support. OMWD
requires that the technical support be located within the continental United States.
Security and Privacy Requirements
Private or personally identifiable information (PII) cannot be collected.
All login web forms must occur on a secured (HTTPS) page. These forms cannot originate
from a non‐secured page and post or redirect to a secured page.
No usernames or passwords can be hardcoded anywhere in the website.
Any user credentials stored in a configuration file or database must be stored encrypted.
Websites in the olivenhain.com domain use only non‐persistent (per‐session) cookies to aid
users in setting browsing or navigation preferences. These cookies do not collect personal
information on users and are erased as soon as the user leaves our website. These cookies
do not permanently record data and they are not stored on the user’s computer hard drive.
Cookies need to be stored in memory and be available only during an active browser session.
A method must exist to prevent email address harvesting from spammers.
Indicate if a Secure Development Lifecycle (SDL) was used in the development of the CMS,
and if so provide a brief description of the method used.
Provide information about what types of protections are present in the CMS to prevent
attacks from these common vectors:
Remote/local file includes
Cross‐site scripting (XSS) and cross‐site request forgery (XSRF)
SQL injection
Command execution
Full path disclosure
Directory traversal
Remote file disclosure
If any security issues or bugs are discovered, identify the process to address them.
Identify the process of notification about any potential issues or bugs with the CMS and the
process of applying patches to the CMS.
Schedule scans of site to verify security and advise of security concerns.
Vendor’s name, trademark or a link to vendor’s website will not be allowed on OMWD’s site.
Vendor may not list OMWD as a current or past client on their website or in promotional
material. Vendor may request contact information for individual references.
Identify the warranty period and what is covered.
Site Administration
Content Management System to distribute and automate site maintenance responsibilities
and automate formatting standards.
CMS should have a method of creating website forms, including check boxes and radio
buttons.
CMS should include a method of replacing or updating the website home page with an
emergency alert page or message.
CMS should include a method of updating an event calendar, managing job opportunities,
posting governing board meeting agendas and minutes, and updating information about
current field work being performed.
A method of approving content before it is made live is strongly preferred.
Multi‐level, role‐based access control (e.g. system administrator, as well as various levels of
content creators) including definable approval workflow are desirable. There should be a
method of notifying a content author by email when the contributed content is approved or
made live.
Changes made to the site must be able to be tracked to the user making the change.
Training, including written documentation, will need to be conducted for IT staff who may
serve as system administrators unless an alternative is agreed upon with vendor,
communications staff who will handle design and posting, as well as selected clerical staff
who will be posting content to predetermined sections of the site.
Vendor Performance Qualifications
List three to five websites that best reflect vendor’s work and relevance to this project.
Provide a list of references.
Describe experience in producing websites for government agencies.
Describe experience in providing website training to pertinent staff.
If selected by OMWD, agreement start date will be July 1, 2016. The vendor must be capable of
meeting the following schedule. Note that the schedule is subject to change at OMWD’s
discretion.
Date Task
August 1, 2016 Vendor will present three design choices
to the committee to make a design
selection
35 business days after design
selection
Vendor to provide full site to OMWD for
review and approval. OMWD will have
one week to review the site and provide
edits and feedback to the vendor.
Third week of October 2016 Training completed for all pertinent staff
(see notes above for detailed training
information and requirements)
15 business days after
comments received on first
draft
Vendor to provide second draft of
website with changes from staff
November 4, 2016 Site finalized and approved by OMWD
staff. Web application vulnerability
testing by OMWD or a third party.
November 30, 2016 Website goes live
*Timeline and dates will be confirmed at the completion of the selection process.
Note: OMWD payment terms are NET 30.
The focus of this RFP is the redesign of www.olivenhain.com; however, OMWD requires that the
vendor provide separate quotes on two potential projects relating to OMWD’s website.
This first potential project is the creation of a website for OMWD’s Elfin Forest Recreational
Reserve. This site will be modeled after the existing EFRR pages at www.olivenhain.com, and
would require the same design requirements, technical specifications, security and privacy
requirements, site administration, and vendor qualifications as the main site. Roles may be
established such that system administrators for the EFRR subsite can be granted or denied
access to the OMWD portion of the site.
The second potential project is a redesign of OMWD’s intranet with similar design requirements,
technical specifications, security and privacy requirements, site administration, and vendor
qualifications at the main site. The intranet houses all employee shared files and includes
external links to access resources on the website.
PRE
‐
PROPOSAL
MEETING
A pre‐proposal meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 23 at 10:00 a.m. at 1966 Olivenhain Road, Encinitas, CA 92024. The purpose of the pre‐proposal meeting will be for
vendors to become familiar with the scope of work and ask questions. The pre‐proposal meeting
is considered optional; however, no deviations or allowances will be allowed due to a vendor’s
failure to acquaint themselves with the conditions and restrictions.
If you will be attending the pre‐proposal meeting, please contact Teresa Chase at 760‐632‐4213
INSTRUCTIONS
TO
VENDOR
QUESTIONS:
All questions regarding the RFP should be made in writing no later than Wednesday, April 6, at 12:00
p.m. to:
Teresa Chase at [email protected]
Evidence of Responsibility
Upon request by OMWD, a vendor shall submit evidence of the vendor’s financial resources,
experience, qualifications, available organizational resources, and any other information or
qualifications that may be required to determine the vendor’s responsibility, ability, and capability to
perform under any resulting contract.
Bid Addendums
Do not rely on any oral or telephonic changes or modifications. All changes and modifications will be
confirmed in writing by an authorized OMWD representative. Any and all bid addendums must be
expressly acknowledged and included with your response.
Right to Waive or Reject
OMWD reserves the right to reject any or all proposals/bids or to waive any minor irregularities in
any proposal/bid or in the bidding process. OMWD reserves the right to cancel, in whole or in part,
this RFP. This RFP does not commit the OMWD to award a contract, to defray any costs incurred in
the preparation of a proposal, or to procure or contract for work.
Withdrawal of Proposal
A vendor may withdraw or revise (by withdrawal of one proposal and submission of another) a
proposal, provided that the vendor’s request for withdrawal is received by Teresa Chase in writing
before the proposal return date. Revised proposals must be submitted as specified herein. The
request for withdrawal shall be executed by the vendor or by his duly authorized representative.
Bid Validity
All proposals shall remain firm for at least one hundred twenty (120) days following the proposal
closing date. OMWD reserves the right to withhold an award of the proposal for one hundred
twenty (120) days from date of closing. All proposal and accompanying documentation submitted by
the proposal will become the property of OMWD and will not be returned.
SUBMITTAL
REQUIREMENTS
Electronic Response
OMWD’s preferred method of receiving responses will be electronically in PDF format to Teresa
Chase at [email protected]. Proposals may not be faxed or submitted via U.S. mail.
Return Date
All responses to this RFP must be received by OMWD on Wednesday, April 13, 2016 by 12:00 p.m.
Proposals that are received after the hour and date specified above will not be considered.
OMWD advises that the vendors allow ample time to submit their proposals, as additional time
will not be considered for electronic difficulties.
Proposal Requirements
Proposals submitted in response to this RFP shall be in the following order and shall include:
Vendor Response From:
Complete and return the Vendor Response Section (Attachment A). The Vendor Response
Section must be signed by the officer or officers legally authorized to bind the company,
partnership, or corporation.
Table of Contents:
The Table of Contents must be a comprehensive listing of the contents included in your
proposal. This section must include a clear definition of the materials, exhibits and
supplemental information identified by sequential page numbers and by section reference
numbers.
Executive Summary:
The Executive Summary shall condense and highlight the contents of the proposal to
provide the OMWD’s evaluation committee with a broad understanding of the vendor’s
approach, qualification, experience, and staffing.
Exceptions:
This portion of the proposal will note any exceptions to the requirements and conditions
taken by the vendor. Exceptions should clearly explain why the vendor is taking exception
to the requirements. If exceptions are not noted, OMWD will assume that the vendor’s
proposal meets requirements.
Vendor’s Qualifications:
Vendor shall provide a concise statement demonstrating that the vendor’s company has
the qualifications and experience capability to perform the requirements of this proposal.
The following sections must be included:
o History:
Provide a brief history of your company, including the number of years in business.
State whether your organization is an individual proprietorship, partnership,
corporation, or private nonprofit organization, and the date your company was
formed or incorporated. Provide a statement as to any judgment, litigations,
licensing violations, or other violations, outstanding or resolved, against your
company in the past five (5) years.
o Background and Experience
A summary of relevant background information describing your company’s
experience of major accomplishments and/or activities similar to the requirements
set forth under this proposal, which demonstrates your company’s ability to
o References
Provide references for three (3) successfully completed contracts including name of
company, project manager, telephone number, type of work performed, and the
value of each contract. Contracting projects currently being performed may be
submitted for consideration. Vendor may provide sample material of your
company’s work to substantiate your previous experience.
Project Organization and Key Personnel:
Describe proposed project organization, including key personnel and respective
responsibilities. Indicate role and responsibilities of prime contractor and all
subcontractors. The evaluation will consider the entire team, therefore no changes in
team composition will be allowed without prior written approval by OMWD.
Provide detailed discussion of the experience of vendor’s project manager and other key
staff members on projects of similar size, capacity, and dollar value. For each similar
project, include client’s name, contract person, and telephone number.
Proposed Method to Accomplish the Work:
The vendor’s proposal shall clearly describe in detail how the vendor will meet the
requirements of this proposal and perform the scope of work. Additionally, the proposal
should provide any special or unique qualifications which the vendor believes it possesses
to meet the requirements of this proposal. Only those levels of performance the vendor
actually believes can be accomplished should be stated as measurable objectives. Each of
the major tasks, or activities to be undertaken, as a means of reaching such objectives,
must be specifically identified. Display the essential points of activity in a time sequence
showing the amount of time allotted to each activity.
A benchmark chart may be completed to display the time frame for achieving and
accomplishing each major program/project task or activity. Flowcharts and other related
graphics may accompany this section.
Cost Proposal and Payment Schedule:
It is essential that all responding vendors include and clearly detail all anticipated costs,
payment schedules, categorization of line items, and/or other related costs associated
with your proposal such as fees, licenses, and/or stock images. All proposals must have a
narrative providing a thorough and clear explanation of your costs. Travel expenses for
meetings with staff should be included in the proposal.
DISCUSSION
AND
CLARIFICATIONS
OF
RFP
Discussions may be conducted with vendors, who submit proposals determined to be responsive
and have the potential of being selected for an award, for the purpose of clarification to assure
full understanding of, and responsiveness to, the solicitation requirements.
Such clarifications may be permitted after submission of proposals and prior to award for the
purpose of obtaining best and final offers. In conducting discussions, there shall be no disclosure
of any information derived from proposals submitted by competing vendors to anyone outside
The purpose of such discussions shall be to examine vendors:
Qualifications
Proposed method of performance
Proposed personnel and facilities
Compensation
All vendors submitting a proposal for consideration agree that their company will be willing to
enter into a negotiated, final contract if awarded this proposal. Such negotiated changes will not
change the scope of work.
AWARD
Basis of Award
Award will be made to the vendor whose proposal demonstrates to be the most qualified,
responsive, and advantageous to OMWD.
OMWD reserves the right to reject any or all proposals or any part thereof, to waive any
informalities in the proposal and minor irregularities, technical defect or clerical errors, to make an
award on the basis of suitability, quality of service(s) to be supplied, their conformity with the
specifications and for the purposes for which they are required, and not be confined to cost alone.
False, incomplete, or non‐responsive statements in connection with the proposal may be deemed
sufficient cause for rejection. OMWD shall be the sole judge in making such determination. OMWD
reserves the right to cancel or discontinue with the proposal process and reject any or all proposals
in the event it determines that there is no longer a requirement for the furnishing of such items,
materials, equipment and/or services, funding is no longer available for this proposal, or it is
otherwise in OMWD’s best interest to cancel the proposal process.
Selection of Request for Proposal
An evaluation committee consisting of selected personnel will be established to evaluate the
proposals. It is the intent of the evaluation committee to select an apparent successful vendor with a
recommendation to initiate contract negotiations. Selection will not be made on cost alone, but will
be based upon the most responsive proposal.
Evaluation Criteria
The evaluation committee will consider only those proposals which have been considered
responsive to the proposal. Any proposal which fails to meet the requirements of the proposal will
be considered non‐responsive and may be rejected. Responsiveness includes attention to detail in
following the proposal format.
The evaluation committee may contact and evaluate the vendor’s and subcontractors’ references,
contact any vendor to clarify any response, contact any current users of a vendor’s services, solicit
information from any available source concerning any aspect of a proposal, and seek and review any
other information deemed pertinent to the evaluation process.
The evaluation committee shall not be obligated to accept the lowest priced proposal, but shall
recommend such proposal that is the most qualified, responsive, and cost‐effective proposal and in
Evaluation criteria will be as follows:
Quality of bid proposal, experience and expertise
Quality of proposed website design process
Quality of construction, programming & testing proposal
Quality of implementation, documentation and training
Price and affordability
Oral Presentations
Selected vendor(s) may be asked to make oral presentations further explaining their proposal.
The vendor’s original proposal cannot be changed in any aspect during the oral presentation.
Additionally, a meeting with the evaluation committee may be necessary. If a meeting with the
evaluation committee is deemed necessary, it will be held on Thursday, April 21, 2016 at 1966
Olivenhain Road in Encinitas.
Vendor(s) will be advised as to the time of their presentation and they should be prepared to discuss
all aspects of their proposal.
Notice of Intent to Award
A “Notice of Intent to Award” will be sent to all participating vendors upon evaluation
committee recommendation to initiate contract negotiation. This “Notice of Intent to Award”
will be sent to all participating vendors by U.S. postal mail and /or email.
Negotiations:
Negotiations will cover: Scope of work, contract schedule, technical specifications, and price. If
the evaluation committee is unable to reach an acceptable contract with the selected vendor,
the evaluation committee will recommend that negotiations be terminated and that
negotiations with the second‐ranked vendor be initiated.
Professional Services Contract
The selected vendor will be required to sign a Professional Services Contract, a sample of which
is attached (Attachment B), and to provide the insurance certificates and all other required
documentation within 15 calendar days of notification of selection.
Insurance Requirements
OMWD requires contractors and vendors doing business with it to obtain insurance as shown in
the attached sample Professional Services Contract (Attachment B). The required insurance
certificates must comply with all requirements of the standards as shown in the contract and an
original copy must be provided within 15 days of notification of selection and prior to
commencement of any work on the project.
Award of Contract
After negotiating a proposed contract that is fair and reasonable, the evaluation committee will
recommend to OMWD management that OMWD enter into the proposed contract. The final
authority to approve the contract will rest with OMWD Management, or with OMWD’s Board of
ATTACHMENT
A
VENDOR
RESPONSE
SECTION
RFQ
‐
Website
Design
Bid
Return
Date:
April
13,
2016
by
12:00
p.m.
Name
of
Company:
_____________________________________
Address:
_____________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________
Signature:
____________________________________________
Name
(please
print):
_____________________________________
Title:
Phone
Number:
E
‐
Mail:
Project
Manager:
Contact
Name:
Phone
Number:
E
‐
Mail: