REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) No USM

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REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

No. 90939 - USM

Technical and Management Consultants to Assist USM

institutions with Consulting, Implementation and

Maintenance of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP)

Systems with a primary emphasis on Oracle/PeopleSoft

®

Software

For

Various campuses and facilities of the

University System of Maryland (USM)

and Other educational institutions in Maryland

Issue Date: March 3, 2011

Pre-Proposal Conference: Not applicable, none to be held Deadline for Questions: Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Technical Proposal Due Date: Tuesday, March 22, 2011, 4:00 P.M.

WARNING: Prospective vendors who have received this document from a source other than the Issuing Office should immediately contact the Issuing Office and provide their name and mailing address in order that amendments to the RFP or other communications can be sent to them. Any prospective vendors who fails to notify the Issuing Office with this information assumes complete responsibility in the event that they do not receive communications from the Issuing Office prior to the closing date.

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University System of Maryland RFP 90939-USM for ERP Consultants

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Version 2011.final 03-03-2011 Page 2 of 87

SECTION 1. - INTRODUCTION TO THIS REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL SECTION 2. – SPECIFICATIONS and REQUIREMENTS

SECTION 3. – PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

SECTION 4. EVALUATION AND SELECTION PROCEDURES SECTION 5. INTENTIONALLY OMITTED

SECTION 6. – RFP TERMS AND CONDITIONS ATTACHMENT A: Technical Proposal Forms

Proposal Affidavit

Acknowledgement of Receipt of Addenda

ATTACHMENT B: Mandatory Contract Terms and Conditions and Sample Contract ATTACHMENT C: Contract Affidavit

ATTACHMENT D: Form for Price Proposals (Sample Only; only shortlisted firms will be requested to submit a Price Proposal

ATTACHMENT E: Minority Business Enterprise Notice, Utilization Goal And Forms (Including Exhibits A, B, C, D and E)

ATTACHMENT F: Electronic Funds Payment ATTACHMENT G: Living Wage

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SECTION 1 - INTRODUCTION TO THIS REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL 1.1. PURPOSE

The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to select from among competing proposals the optimum combination of price and functionality to meet the requirements outlined herein. Proposals will be independently evaluated and ranked considering all the specifications contained herein. Technical merit will have a greater weight than price.

1.2. ISSUING OFFICE

The sole point of contact on behalf of the University System of Maryland (USM or University) for purposes of this RFP is the Issuing Office. The Issuing Office is:

Valerie Rolandelli, C.P.M. AVP, Strategic Contracting Office of the CFO and COO

University of Maryland University College 3501 University Blvd. East, Room ICC-3120 Adelphi, MD 20783

Telephone: (301) 985-7895 (effective March 7, 2011) e-mail: [email protected] or Kendra Fray Business Analyst Telephone: 301-985-7587 [email protected]

1.3. QUESTIONS AND INQUIRIES:

All questions and inquiries regarding this procurement are to be directed to the individuals referenced with the Issuing Office above, in writing. All such questions and inquiries must be received by close of business on Friday, March 15, 2011. It is preferable that questions be submitted via e-mail to [email protected] and [email protected] . Inquiries will receive a written reply.

All questions will be answered in writing, in the form of an addendum to the RFP. Both questions and answers will be distributed, without identification of the inquirer(s), to all

prospective contractors who are on record with the Procurement Officer as having received this RFP. No oral communications from the project team can be relied upon for proposal purposes. 1.4. PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE.

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1.5 REVISIONS OR AMENDMENTS TO THIS RFP

The University reserves the right to amend this solicitation at any time prior to the proposal due date. If it does become necessary to amend any part of this solicitation, the Procurement Officer will furnish an addendum to all prospective offerors listed by the University as having received a copy of the RFP. All addenda will be identified as such. If necessary, the proposal due date may be extended. Offerors are required to acknowledge the receipt of all amendments, addenda, and clarifications issued by completing the Acknowledgement of Receipt of Addenda Form (see Attachment A) and including it with their proposal.

1.6. PROPOSAL CLOSING DATE/DUE DATE AND TIME

1.6.1. An original plus six (6) copies (for a total of 7) and one (1) CD or flashdrive of the Technical Proposal must arrive at the Issuing Office by Tuesday, March 22, 2011 at 4:00 PM

local time in order to be considered. Offerors are requested to clearly mark the "original" set of the Technical Proposal.

1.6.2. Price Proposals are not requested at this time. At the completion of the technical evaluation, price proposals will be requested of all firms in the Competitive Range (the “short list”). An original and one (1) copy (for a total of 2) of the Price Proposal will be required (See Attachment D for sample Price Proposal form). The due date for Price Proposals will be sent to all firms in the Competitive Range, however it is anticipated that Price Proposals will be due on or about April 27, 2011. Firms that are considered not susceptible of receiving an award as a result of this RFP will be so notified. Offerors are requested to clearly mark the "original" set of the Price Proposal.

1.6.4. Offerors mailing proposals shall allow sufficient mail delivery time to insure timely receipt by the Issuing Office. Proposals or unsolicited amendments to proposals arriving after the due date and time will not be considered.

1.6.5 LATE PROPOSALS CANNOT BE ACCEPTED. Proposals are to be delivered to the University's Office of the COO and CFO, University of Maryland University College, 3501 University Blvd East, Inn and Conference Center (ICC), Room ICC-3120, Adelphi, MD 20783-8044. The University recommends against use of mail or delivery services which will not guarantee delivery directly to Room ICC-3120. Proposals delivered to the campus central mail facility or to locations other than Room ICC-3120 will not be considered "received" by the University's Procurement Office until they arrive at Room ICC-3120 and are clocked in. The University will not waive delay in delivery resulting from need to transport a proposal from another campus location, or error or delay on the part of the carrier. Directions to UMUC can be found at the website www.umuc.edu. If you are unfamiliar with the location of UMUC and/or Room ICC-3120 within the Inn and Conference Center and plan to hand deliver your proposal, it is strongly recommended that you take a trial run prior to the due date and time for proposals.

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1.7. PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT NOTICE:

Contractors should give specific attention to the identification of those portions of their proposals that they deem to be confidential, proprietary information or trade secrets and provide any

justification why such materials, upon request, should not be disclosed by the State under the Access to Public Records Act, State Government Article, Title 10, Subtitle 6, Annotated Code of Maryland.

Contractors must clearly identify each and every section that is deemed to be confidential, proprietary or a trade secret (it is NOT sufficient to preface your proposal with a proprietary statement, or to use a page header or footer that arbitrarily marks all pages as confidential). Any individual section of the proposal that is not labeled as confidential with an accompanying statement concerning the rationale for its claimed confidentiality shall be considered public information.

1.8. RECEIPT OF PROPOSALS.

Proposals will not be opened publicly; nor, can the identity of Offerors (individuals or entities) submitting proposals (“Offerors”) be disclosed prior to actual contract award.

1.9. MODIFICATION OR WITHDRAWAL OF OFFERS

Proposals may be modified or withdrawn by written notice received at the Issuing Office before the proposal due date and time.

1.10. ORAL PRESENTATIONS

Offerors may be required to make an oral presentation of their offer in order to clarify their proposals. If the University feels that such a presentation is needed, the Issuing Office will schedule a time and place for oral presentation. Each contractor should be prepared to discuss and substantiate any of the areas of the proposal submitted, as well as its own qualifications to furnish the specified products and services. Contractors are to submit a complete and

comprehensive response to this solicitation and should not rely on the possibility of oral presentations for a further opportunity to present information requested in this RFP. 1.11. ECONOMY OF PREPARATION:

Each proposal should be prepared simply and economically, providing a straightforward, concise description of the contractor's offer and capabilities to satisfy the requirements of this RFP. Emphasis should be on completeness and clarity of content.

1.12. INCURRED EXPENSES.

Neither The University nor the State of Maryland is responsible for any expenses that Offerors may incur in preparing and submitting proposals or in making oral presentations of their proposals, if required.

1.13. BASIS FOR AWARD

All proposals will be evaluated by an evaluation committee. The University may classify a proposal as "not reasonably susceptible for award" if it does not meet the requirements of this solicitation. The University may also determine that an offeror is "not responsible", i.e., does not

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have the capabilities in all respects to perform the work required. Should a proposal be found not reasonably susceptible for award, or if an offeror is found not responsible, the proposal will not be considered further and the Offeror will be notified accordingly. The committee will make a recommendation for award of this contract to the responsible offeror(s) whose proposal(s) is/are determined to be the most advantageous to the University, considering both technical and price factors as set forth in this RFP. Technical merit will have greater weight than price. An award made to an offeror pursuant to this solicitation is tentative and is final only after approval by the USM Board of Regents and the Maryland Board of Public Works, and after execution of the contract on behalf of the University.

1.14. LIVING WAGE REQUIREMENTS

A solicitation for services under a State contract valued at $100,000 or more may be subject to Title 18, State Finance and Procurement (SFP) Article, Annotated Code of Maryland. Additional information regarding the State’s Living Wage requirement is contained in this solicitation (see Appendix F entitled Living Wage Requirements for Service Contracts). If the Offeror fails to submit and complete the Affidavit of Agreement, the State may determine an Offeror to be not responsible.

Contractors and Subcontractors subject to the Living Wage Law shall pay each covered employee at least $12.28 per hour, if State contract services valued at 50% or more of the total value of the contract are performed in the Tier 1 Area. If State contract services valued at 50% or more of the total contract value are performed in the Tier 2 Area, an Offeror shall pay each covered employee at least $9.23 per hour. The specific Living Wage rate is determined by whether a majority of services take place in a Tier 1 Area or Tier 2 Area of the State. The Tier 1 Area includes Montgomery, Prince George’s, Howard, Anne Arundel, and Baltimore Counties, and Baltimore City. The Tier 2 Area includes any county in the State not included in the Tier 1 Area. In the event that the employees who perform the services are not located in the State, the head of the unit responsible for a State contract pursuant to §18-102 (d) shall assign the tier based upon where the recipients of the services are located.

The contract resulting from this solicitation will be deemed to be a Tier 1 contract or a Tier 2 contract depending on the location(s) from which the contractor provides 50% or more of the services. If the contractor provides 50% or more of the services from a location(s) in a Tier 1 jurisdiction(s) the contract will be a Tier 1 contract. If the contractor provides 50% or more of the services from a location(s) in a Tier 2 jurisdiction(s), the contract will be a Tier 2 contract. If the contractor provides more than 50% of the services from an out-of-State location, then the contract will be deemed to be a Tier 1 contract. The Offeror must identify in their Offer the location(s) from which services will be provided.

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SECTION 2. – SPECIFICATIONS and REQUIREMENTS 2.1. BACKGROUND:

2.1.1 The University System of Maryland

The University System of Maryland (USM), a public corporation and independent unit of the State of Maryland, is one of the State's most valuable assets and adds immeasurably to the quality of life in Maryland. The nation's 12th largest university system, the USM's network of 13 institutions enrolls nearly 130,000 students worldwide in 600 degree programs delivered in classrooms, laboratories, education centers, and online. The USM has a budget in excess of one billion dollars annually. The USM's nationally ranked programs, leading-edge research

collaborations, and innovative business partnerships provide opportunities that support the USM mission and the goals of the USM Strategic Plan as they prepare students for both the promises and demands of the new century. For more information about the USM and its campuses see http://www.usmd.edu/Overview/

A principal mission of the University is development and education of its students. USM students are our primary customers and stakeholders.

2.2. PURPOSE AND SCOPE

The purpose of this solicitation is to select multiple consulting firms capable of partnering with the University System of Maryland (USM) and its institutions/campuses to upgrade Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and to provide ongoing on-call services related to ERP systems. The primary, but not sole, emphasis is to implement and/or upgrade the

Oracle/Peoplesoft Enterprise application software. However, the resulting contracts may also be used for adhoc consulting for a variety of technology organizational and system needs.

In September 2000, ten of the eleven institutions within the USM licensed Peoplesoft administrative software and proceeded to implement that software in the core administrative functions for Human Resources, Financials, Student Administration, Contributor Relations, Grants Management and other significant areas. At this time, most of the ten institutions have met their implementation targets and are working with the software in production. However, the management of upgrades, implementation of additional software and integration of this software with other functions remain ongoing work at all ten institutions. This solicitation includes both long term partnering relationships for upgrades and for new implementations as well as limited, ad hoc consulting needs of short duration.

The USM Institutions that have collaborated on this RFP are: • Bowie State University (BSU)

• Coppin State University (CSU) • Frostburg State University (FSU) • Salisbury State University (SSU) • Towson University (TU)

• University of Baltimore (UB)

• University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB)

• University of Maryland, Batimore County (UMBC) • University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES)

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• University of Maryland University College (UMUC) • University System of Maryland Office (USMO)

Any campus or institution of the University System of Maryland (USM) may use the contracts awarded as a result of this RFP. (Note: The University of Maryland College Park (UMCP) is not a PeopleSoft ERP user, but may elect to utilize the resulting Master Contracts for other technical and functional consulting needs.) Participation by USM campuses and/or institutions in any PeopleSoft Implementation and consulting agreement is voluntary. USM institutions will not be required to procure IT consulting services exclusively from the selected vendor(s). The USM reserves the right to procure services from other sources when it is in the best interest of the USM and to do so without notice to vendor(s).

The requirements of this solicitation represent the very diverse and complex needs of the USM. USM and its constituents will continue to modify and enhance its administration products. The awarded Contractors must be able to adapt to changing technology needs. The resulting Master Contracts may be modified at USM’s sole discretion as technology needs and products evolve during the term of the contract.

2.3. INDEFINITE QUANTITY, INDEFINITE DELIVERY AWARD

This Request For Proposals is intended to result in Master Contracts for indefinite quantity, indefinite delivery awards that will apply to all institutions using the contracts. The USM makes no guarantee that any specific amount of work or dollar commitment will be made after award of the contract. The USM reserves the right to make multiple awards and/or split awards as a result of this RFP.

It is the USM’s intent that several firms will be awarded indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity, contracts as a result of this RFP. Participating institutions will then award Task Order Contracts (TOC’s) or issue purchase orders under the Master Contracts for specific scopes of works and/or projects as needs arise. Scopes of Work and/or Projects will be awarded on a task order by task order basis. Work may be done full time or part time, on a fixed fee basis, not-to-exceed fee basis, or Time and Materials

Successful responding firms will be expected to be capable of supplying fully qualified individuals, typically with strong higher education experience, on relatively short notice from participating institutions.

2.3.1. Scope of Services

The services required will include, but are not limited to, longer term partnering relationships for major implementations and/or upgrades including new module implementations for ERP

Systems, primarily, but again not limited to, Oracle/PeopleSoft; and shorter term, adhoc engagements directed toward limited scope of work efforts for a variety of technological consulting needs. Responders to this solicitation may elect to respond for the entire scope of services, or for only a niche area of adhoc consulting (such as, but not limited to, IT Organization Consulting, IT Security Consulting, Functional User Technology Needs Assessments, etc.)

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2.3.2. Upgrades:

Services will include long term (typically several months to one year or more) efforts to upgrade or enhance major components of the Oracle/Peoplesoft Enterprise ERP. Since all ten institutions have implemented PS in local environments, versions differ on each campus. All are on various version of 8.x and 9.x. See Exhibit A following this Section 2. Responders will provide

consultants with significant experience in Oracle/PS Enterprise implementations and upgrades to assist current staff in completing the upgrade and enhancements with new technical/functionality of these and other modules. Responders may be asked to either provide on-site consultants or may propose the use of managed services (remote upgrade labs, hosting services, etc.) or any combination of these and other alternatives.

2.3.3 Managed Services:

Services will be provided remotely such as upgrade labs, hosting services, legs/regs services, maintenance for unsupported products, etc.

2.3.4. Limited time, ad hoc consulting efforts:

Services will focus on the shorter term (typically weeks to months) with specific contracts awarded. Scopes of Work (SOW) will typically be presented by the buying USM institution for isolated tasks of limited duration aimed at the resolution of one or more specified issues. These SOW’s may cover either technical or functional areas. SOW’s may cover processes that are part of a major upgrade or implementation or may deal with issues associated with other IT or

functional user related areas, such as technology needs assessments, technology organization issues, training in technical and functional areas, etc. Tasks may range from purely technical to purely functional or a mixture of both. Task orders may be as short as a single day or may extend over months.

Examples of a typical adhoc consulting effort might be:

• Provide a consultant for two weeks to assist on campus staff in the building of a particular PeopleSoft Student Admin/Campus Solutions data table.

• Provide specific help with database issues in either Oracle or MS SQL Server.

• Assist a functional unit on assessing its technology needs to improve its business processes;

• Conducting an assessment of the organizational structure of a technology or functional unit and making recommendations for service improvement to internal customers; 2.4CONTRACT TERM

The initial Master Contract term will be for a period of five years. The Contract term is expected to start in early July, 2011 and end June, 2016. Thereafter, the Contract may be extended, at the USM’s sole option, on a month by month basis and/or annually for a cumulative total not to exceed an additional five (5) years. Any task order contract (TOC) or purchase order (PO) commencing during the term (or terms) of the Master Contract is to be completed under the terms and conditions of the Master Contract even if the TOC or PO extends beyond the term of the Master Contract term.

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2.5. PRICE INCREASES:

It will be the responsibility of the contractor to request a price increase, if any, at least ninety (90) days prior to the end of each 12 month anniversary of the Contract Start Date. Any price increase not received by that time, will not be considered and pricing will remain as stated during the previous 12 month period. A price increase, if any, shall not exceed the Consumer Price Index (“CPI”) for “All Urban Consumers” as published by the US Department of Labor

Statistics. For purposes of calculating the potential increase, the CPI to be used will be the index for twelve-month period ending at the previous calendar year. For example, if the contract term ends June 30, 2012, the price index for the twelve-month period ending December 2011 will be used. Statistics will be referenced as a cap for negotiable purposes only. The Contractor is not to assume that any price increase will be applied to yearly renewals. If a Contractor fails to request an increase in one year and does so in a subsequent year, increases will not be cumulative to include the year in which an increase was not requested.

2.6. General Scope of Work

Firms will provide expert technical, functional and organizational consultants to work with USM Campuses’ and institution’s in-house staff in accordance with the Task Order Request for

Proposal (TORP) from the buying institution. Firms should have demonstrable knowledge and experience in higher education institutions IT applications, such as, but not limited to, Oracle PeopleSoft applications ( HRMS, Financials, Campus Solutions, Portal, CRM, UPK) processes and requirements. The specific tasks, required deliverables, and TORP process are described in detail below in Sections 2.9 and 2.10.

The USM staff is equipped to handle many systems management functions and applications development functions. However, the USM may choose to use the vendor’s services for additional activities.

2.7. Participating Institutions

Refer to Exhibit A following this Section 2 for a list of the USM institutions that have collaborated on this RFP. The table in this Exhibit shows the products and version that are currently being used at each institution. The USM does not guarantee that all institutions will make a contract or purchase order award after award of the RFP.

2.8. DEFINITIONS:

Campus: Independent unit of the University System of Maryland.

Contractor: An offeror that receives a Master Contract as a result of this RFP. Also see Master Contractor.

ERP: Core application software for all administrative systems including but not limited to HR, Financials, Student administration, Grants Management, data warehousing, CRM and others. Institution: Organizational unit of the USM or other entity. Institution may be a USM campus, a research unit like the USM Center for Environmental Studies, a large but distinct unit

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of a campus (for example, UMES Department of Human Resources and IT department), a non-USM institution of higher education.

Offeror: Person or firm that submits a Proposal in response to this RFP. Same as Responder.

Master Contract: An Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity contract between the USM and a Master Contractor that set the terms and conditions of Contract agreements (like Task Order Contracts and Purchase Orders) but does not specify or guarantee any work or payment. Master Contractors are eligible to receive and/or compete for Task Orders or Scopes of Work.

Master Contractor: Person or firm awarded a Master Contract as a result of this RFP. Master Contractors are eligible to receive or compete for Task Orders under the TORP process.

Procurement Office: the Administrative office of each campus and/or Institution that is authorized to sign contracts on behalf of the Institution.

Procurement Officer: Person authorized to sign contracts on behalf of the Institution.

Responder: Person or firm that submits a Proposal in response to this RFP. Same as Offeror or Proposer.

Task Order Request for Proposal (TORP). The process used to seek proposals for specific scopes of works or projects from awarded Master Contractor(s) that have been awarded Master Contracts under this RFP.

Task Order or Task Order Contract: Written notice to a Master Contractor that has been awarded a specific scope of work or project under a Task Order Contract (TOC) or Purchase Order for work to be done under one or more Master Contracts that resulted from this RFP; The Task Order (TOC) authorizes the Master Contractor to perform work as specified in the Task Order Request for Proposal or Task Order Scope of Work.

USM: University System of Maryland.

2.9. CONSULTING SERVICES REQUIRED

The USM is seeking consulting partners, preferably with a minimum of 5 years experience in higher education technical and functional consulting, to provide ongoing on-call services related to ERP systems, such as, but not limited to Oracle/PeopleSoft Enterprise. The responders must be able to demonstrate significant levels of experience that will provide them with thorough grasp of both the applications and the higher education environment in which these applications are deployed. In addition to direct knowledge of the applications as they pertain to higher education, the responding firms must also evidence by their experiences a complete knowledge of process re-design, change management, web based services, enterprise wide project

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Master Agreements will result from this solicitation with subsequent Task Order Agreements and/or Purchase Order agreements awarded on an Institution by Institution basis. Task Order Contracts or Purchase Order agreements will be awarded and signed by the Procurement Officer for each Institution.

2.9.1. Technical Requirements/Contractor’s Obligations:

Unless a specific Task Order Request states otherwise, the following Sections 2.9.1.1 to 2.9.1.4 are requirements of all engagements done under the resulting contracts. Specifics of each engagement may be altered by the Scope of Work and/or the USM Project Manager of the individual institution.

2.9.1.1 Project Review

The Contractor shall meet with the University to fully understand the Scope of the Project and all other pertinent aspects of the project. The Contractor’s staff is expected to be fully familiar with the scope documents.

The Contractor shall become an integral part of the Project Team that will coordinate the development and progress of the project processes.

The Contractor shall develop project procedures, in cooperation with the University, that will be used as a guide for the management and coordination of this project throughout the life of the project.

Progress meetings will be held at an interval specified in the Scope of Work. These meetings are to be attended by the Contractor’s Project Manager, and periodically by the Contractor’s Project Executive to ensure that the prime contact person (Project Manager) and a back-up person are up-to-date at all times. In addition, the Contractor is expected to have its Functional Leads and Technical Leads and support personnel in attendance at select meetings based on the agenda items.

There will be other special work sessions related to specific issues that are identified during the project, such as, but not limited to, internal work sessions related to a specific project matter with the University’s Project Team to which the Contractor’s Project Manager is expected to be in attendance. The intensity of such meetings will vary during the project. All proposing firms are to anticipate meetings weekly during the project.

The Contractor’s personnel are expected to review and be well versed in the Scope of Work; particularly, the Project Manager, Functional Experts, and Technical Lead.

The Contractor is to have representatives at every meeting, presentation, etc. during the design phase; it is the University’s expectation that this representative is the Project Manager (s).

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2.9.1.2. Business Process Engineering (BPE) related to the Application

The Contractor shall, after a complete review of the current state of the application software and understanding of the intent of the University, provide business process recommendations to the University. All recommendations must be fully reviewed with the University and approved prior to implementation. The University views this as an ongoing process. The Contractor is

expected, therefore, to be pro-active and participate on an ongoing basis relative to business processing ideas. BPE efforts shall result in an implementation design that is most effective long term operational costs relative to issues of business processing and best practices.

The Contractor shall notify, in writing, the University upon observing any features in the design that appear to be ambiguous, confusing, conflicting or erroneous. The Contractor is to review with the University the format for tracking these BPE items at the onset of the project.

2.9.1.3. Schedule

The Contractor shall utilize and maintain a University approved computer based software scheduling system (such as Microsoft Project), which will allow the Contractor to provide

appropriately detailed phased schedules. The Contractor may also be asked to develop schedules related to project sequencing options.

Scheduling software shall allow for integration of all aspects of the project processes and provide for coordination of all work to be performed. The scheduling software shall be capable of

producing and coordinating logic developed network diagrams.

Scheduling includes, but is not limited to, project activities and project resources. The

scheduling software must define both of these in the schedule for the project. The schedule shall include a projection of all project phase activities to include Contractor staff and University staff (if applicable) loading throughout the phases of the project. It is intended that this schedule will be utilized throughout the project.

The project schedule shall be sufficiently detailed to allow for a realistic projection of project activity sequences and durations. Updated schedules will be required at each progress meeting. The Contractor is to establish a detailed schedule for use during the project with the concurrence of the University. The Contractor is responsible to monitor this schedule during the project, insure that this schedule is maintained and advise the University of any deficiencies in adhering to this schedule by any party.

The Contractor shall provide regular monitoring of the schedule as the project progresses,

identify potential variances between scheduled and desired completion dates, review schedule for work not started or incomplete and take the action necessary to meet the required completion date.

It is the Contractor’s responsibility to meet the required project completion date(s) as noted in these solicitation documents. If the Contractor finds that action must be taken in order to meet

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this contractual responsibility, all costs associated with such action are the Contractor’s responsibility within the fee unless a delay is attributable to the University.

If the Contractor finds that the schedule has been impacted by an action or inaction on the part of the University, the Contractor must review the situation with the University and obtain a change order amendment for such work prior to taking any action which has a cost impact.

2.9.1.4. Project Control a. Project Staffing

– At the University’s discretion, Contractor’s staff may work remotely or be required to be onsite.

-Unless stated otherwise in the University’s SOW, the Contractor’s representatives (either on-site and/or remote resources) shall manage the work of its own staff and any sub-contractors and coordinate the work with the activities and responsibilities of the University to complete the Project in accordance with the University's objectives. -The Contractor shall maintain a competent and adequate full-time staff approved by the University to coordinate and provide adequate direction of the work and to monitor progress of the Sub-Contractors on the Project at all times.

-It is understood that the designated and approved Contractor representatives will remain on the job and in responsible charge as long as those persons remain employed by the Contractor, unless the University has reason to agree otherwise during the course of the project and a contract amendment is issued accordingly by the the University

Procurement Office. The University may, at its sole discretion, request change of Contractor’s personnel if deemed to be in the best interest of the Project. If such a request is made, Contractor is to work diligently in finding a suitable replacement in a timely manner.

-Contractor must provide staffing at the University per the Scope Of Work. Travel (if required) by contractor’s staff must be scheduled to accommodate the schedule mandated by the Scope Of Work, that is, contractor’s personnel must plan their travel to allow for arrival at the University sufficiently early, and are not to leave the University until the time identified in the Scope Of Work, unless prior approval has been obtained from the University’s Project Manager.

b. Meetings

The Contractor shall schedule and conduct regular weekly progress meetings, and as directed by the University, at which the University and other designated representatives, and the Contractor can discuss jointly such matters as progress, scheduling, and project-related problems.

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Agendas at these meetings are to include, but not be limited to, the development, review and updating of all phases of the project, including:

• Project Goals

• Roles and responsibilities of the Project Team • Project Communications Plan

• Project Issues Tracking Procedure to include Issues Resolution Management Process and Project Plan and Milestones

• Project Schedule

• Project Plan Status Report • Issues Tracking Log

• Quality Assurance Tasks/Testing Schedule • Change Order Activity

• Risk Mitigation Plan

-The Contractor shall distribute complete minutes of meetings to all attendees and others as directed by the University within three (3) days of such meetings (unless another interval is agreed to by the University). Representatives of the University may attend meetings and shall receive all notices and minutes of meetings.

-The Contractor shall also conduct Executive Manager’s meetings on a minimum of monthly or as requested by the University. The purpose of Executive Manager’s

meetings is to brief executive representatives of the University and the Contractor on the project’s progress and issues. The monthly report (as defined in Reports below) is to be the basis for the discussion. The Executive Manager’s meetings are to be attended by executive representatives of the University and the Contractor to discuss overall project matters and project procedures to insure that all parties are meeting their obligations to insure a successful project. The Contractor shall distribute complete minutes of

Executive Manager’s meetings to all attendees and others as directed by the University within three (3) days of such meetings (unless another interval is agreed to by the University.)

c. Quality Assurance

1. The Contractor shall test the Work to guard the University against defects and deficiencies in the Work. He shall advise the University of any apparent variation and deviation from the intent of the Contract Documents and shall take the necessary action to correct such variations and deviations within the terms of the contract documents. The Contractor shall provide documentation of all quality assurance reports in a format agreed to by the University to the University Project Manager with the monthly report.

2. The University shall, in all cases, make final interpretation of the Contract Documents and rule on compliance of the Work.

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It is anticipated that personnel from the University Project Team will be involved in all testing, as well as review and approve all Test results. It is the responsibility of the Contractor to advise the University's Project Manager of scheduled tests with appropriate advance notice.

d. Change in Scope

1. The University may make changes unilaterally, at any time, by written order (via a contract amendment) within the general scope of the work to be performed under the Contract.

2. The Contractor shall notify the University in writing with detailed cost supportive data if any apparent change in scope or design will require a change in the fee.

3. It is understood and agreed that refinement and detailing may be accomplished from time to time with respect to the project plan and specifications. No adjustment in the fee or the Scheduled Completion Date shall be made unless such refinement or detailing results in changes in the scope and/or design of the Project, as determined by the University. Nothing herein shall be construed to preclude the University from ordering minor changes in the Work not involving increases in cost, consistent with the intent of the Contract Documents.

4. No change order expenditures can be made against this contract without written approval by the University's designated representative via the issuance of a contract amendment to the contract by the University's Procurement Office.

5. Should a substantial scope change occur, the University would consider an equitable adjustment to the fee, based at the same hourly rates in the original fee proposal. Such consideration is the sole determination of the University.

6. For changes to the scope of the project, the request is to be submitted to the

Institutional Project Manager. The University will review the Contractor’s analysis and cost data and advise the Contractor of their findings. The University and Contractor shall reach mutual agreement on the nature of the subject change and upon the University's direction eliminate the circumstances of the change or negotiate a mutually agreed cost change to be made to the fee.

e. Project Documents

The Contractor shall maintain at the Project site, on a current basis, records of all necessary documents and revisions thereto which arise out of the contract or the Work.

f. Contract Close Out

1. The Contractor is required to assign a staff person, at the appropriate time, to handle project close out activities, which includes preparation of all knowledge transfer

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documents, record of customizations, training manuals and materials, maintenance items, lessons learned, etc. The Contractor is responsible for compliance with all Contract Close Out items per the Contract Documents. He shall obtain data from Sub Contractors and maintain a current set of records.

2. The Contractor is to work closely with the University Procurement Office to complete the procedures and schedule for Contract Close Out and the contractual obligations therein.

3. At the completion of the Project, and before final payment, the Contractor shall deliver all such records to the University.

g. Reports

1. In addition to the weekly progress meeting minutes, the Contractor shall provide to the University on a monthly basis or at the University's request, a written report inclusive of the items noted below. The report must be in a format acceptable to the University.

2. The monthly report by the Contractor is to include the items noted below. - Project Status: Overall summary of the project status to date for the Project inclusive of information on any Sub Contractors' Work and the percentage of completion for the Project.

- Schedule: Revised project schedules with a summary statement as to the status of the Project.

- Change Order: A summary statement as to the status of change orders for the Project inclusive of potential change orders, approved change order and rejected/voided change orders as well as change order, which require the University's immediate attention.

- Deliverables: A summary statement as to the status of deliverables for the Project inclusive of items requiring the University’s immediate attention.

- Quality Assurance: A summary statement as to the status of quality control/testing for the Project including, but not limited to, number and type of tests performed, overall project quality to date, and recommendations.

-Personnel Status Reports: A status report with Project Name, Purchase Order #, Status Report Start & End date, Consultant Name, Actual Task Hours for

Reporting Period, Actual Amount of Task Charges for the period. Status Report hours and dollars are to be reconciled with the Invoice for the status period. Invoice for the status period is tracked against the budgeted amount for the

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project. This reporting assures compliance with USM & Legislative Audit requirements.

Unless stated otherwise in a Task Order Contract, Consultants shall submit bi-weekly timesheets of the hours worked and bi-bi-weekly status reports of work accomplished ot the USM Project Manager or his/her designee for approval and sign-off for billing approval.

- Issues Log – A summary of the project issues including description of the issue, party responsible for resolving the issue, status of the issue, impact on the project, recommendations for resolution, and deadline for key decisions.

h. Separate Contracts

Without invalidating the relationships with the Contractor, the University reserves the right to let other contracts in connection with the project, the work under which shall proceed

simultaneously with the execution of the Contractor's work.

The Contractor shall afford other separate contractors reasonable opportunity for the execution of their work and the Contractor shall take all reasonable action to coordinate his work with theirs. If the work performed by the separate contractor is defective or so performed as to prevent the Contractor from carrying out his work according to the plans and specifications, the Contractor shall immediately notify the University upon discovering such conditions.

i. Functional Support: Functional support services will include but are not limited to supplying resources with expertise in system functionality as well as assistance and guidance in applying the University business rules to software upgrades. Support services in this category may also include:

• Fit-gap analysis related to the Implementation or Upgrade

• Analysis of customizations, development of customizations and retrofits • Configuration

• Assistance in developing and automating test cases • Test execution and evaluation

• Document preparation • Knowledge transfer • Data validation

j. Technical Support: The Contractor will be expected to provide a full range of resources in support of the University’s upgrade effort at a module and sub-module level. Services in this category will include but are not limited to:

• Application programming use of Oracle/PeopleSoft tools, Query, n/vision, SQL/SQR, Java, Crystal, Brio, XML Publisher, other report programs and COBOL;

• Prototyping and building scripts • Table Set up and Loading

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• Oracle database administration • System testing and evaluation

• Standards and documentation creation; and • Server configuration consulting

• Escalation Assistance

k. Project Management Services: Services in this category will include but are not limited to the following:

• Collaboration with the University's project teams in the development and maintenance of a comprehensive upgrade plan and supplying project management tools and/or updating the Project Plan Template and other applicable project management tools to meet the University's specific needs. The Contractor will be expected to work with the University and conform to its methodology.

• Project-support services will include but are not limited to assistance in project schedule development, task identification, management, and tracking. Contractors will be

expected to help project team leaders strategize, plan, conduct group meetings, and ensure effective team dynamics in execution of project plan steps.

l. Training Services: Services in this category will include but are not limited to the following:

• Conduct training needs assessment (strategy, plan, processes, schedule, etc.) for project team and end users.

• Develop, document, update, and maintain course contents, (manuals, exercises, handouts, etc.).

• Developing training methodology.

2.9.1.5. DEFINITION OF PERSONNEL REQUIREMENTS

a. Project Manager - Use their project management expertise and experience in conjunction with their fundamental understanding of the PeopleSoft Applications and PeopleTools to evaluate project task schedules and manage the overall implementation to successful completion for all modules and sub-modules. This position will manage and coordinate the other selected offerors. Each Institution may have one Campus Project Manager to coordinate the institutional implementation with the overall project management of the coalition efforts through the USM Project Director (Manager) b. Quality Assurance - Works with Database Administrators and Business Analysts to determine overall quality and testing plans for the project deliverables.

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d. System Architect - Use their fundamental understanding of the application,

PeopleTools and available technologies to evaluate and design the technical solutions for the organization.

e. Database Administrators - Manage the database by understanding how security is set up and the impact of system customizations, upgrades, and database maintenance. f. Business Analyst - Analyze strategic business requirements, map data from existing systems to PeopleSoft, and develop best business practices.

g. Module Lead - Assures system design, conversion of data, customizations, development of interfaces, and upgrades are maintained across business processes. h. Programmer Analysts - Focus on conversion of data, system customization, development of interfaces and upgrades. Write queries and customize reports.

i. Functional Lead – Provides liaison to functional user community and provides understanding of functional business requirements

j. Technical Lead – Provides the technical skills required to implement, modify and operate software in support of functional requirements

k. Upgrade Specialist – has significant experience in the upgrade of software from old to new versions

l. Upgrade Lab Technician -Can provide full service upgrade capability with minimal involvement by local technical staff, if so desired by institution.

m. Trainer – can train University staff in a variety of technical and functional areas n. Organizational Consultant – has significant experience in providing a variety of organizational consulting services related to technical and functional units within a large organization or institution

2.9.1.6. The USM expects its staff to play a very significant role in the implementation of the PeopleSoft modules and sub-modules. It is expected that the conversion of existing legacy data and development of interfaces to/from existing USM and State systems will be the responsibility of the USM staff. Offeror’s expertise and guidance will be heavily relied upon in establishing, tracking, and successfully completing detailed tasks associated with upgrades and maintenance.

2.10 IMPLEMENTATION:

2.10.1. Award of Projects: As a need arises in a participating institution, the University will be contact one of more of the Master Contractors using the following Task Order Request for Proposals process (TORP).

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As well, the University may designate any TORP as a “Small Business Reserve” TORP, whereby only those On-Call ERP/IT Contractors who are Small Businesses as defined by the State of Maryland will be asked to respond.

Projects may be awarded on a task order by task order basis as a) fixed lump sum price; b) Not to exceed price; or c) time and material basis.

2.10.2 TORP Scope of Work and Proposals:

2.10.2.1 The task order proposal process will be handled as follows:

(1) The buying institution’s applicable institutional staff will (i) prepare a written scope of work for the particular project inclusive (at a minimum) of:

• implementation time frame/schedule;

• scope of services required including hours of operation; and

(ii) conduct a pre-proposal meeting, if applicable, with one or more of the awarded Contractors.

2.10.2.2. The Contractor or Contractors will provide to the University a Task Order Proposal for services for the specified project in accordance with the TORP issued by the applicable University institution. Proposals may be requested to include, but are not limited to, the following:

a. Names of the ERP/IT Contracting firm's personnel who will staff the project inclusive of position and applicable background/resume and references.

b. Project plan and approach to providing the services;

c. A statement committing to the required time frame to complete the work in accordance with the University's scope

d. Quoted 1) lump sum fee or 2) not-to-exceed price or 3) time and material (dependent on the requirements within the University's scope of services) with a breakdown by position, task hours for each, and billable hourly rate (ERP/IT firm are required to use the quoted hourly rates established and specified in their contract with the University.) and, e. A statement indicating the MBE percentage commitment for the project (Note: The contract has a 10% MBE goal.)

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f. The University reserves the right to request other information (such as project experience, firm references, etc.) from an ERP/IT

Contracting firm as it deems appropriate. In such instances, this requested information will be included in the scope of services/proposal request issued by the applicable USM institution.

2.10.2.3. Evaluation: The applicable USM institution will review the Task Order Proposal or Proposals received and make an award to the Contractor whose offer is the most advantageous proposal(s). The applicable Institution will evaluate the proposals for, but not limited to, cost advantage, proposed assigned key personnel's expertise and time commitment, MBE

commitment, ability to meet the required schedule, and other factors specific to each project. The evaluation criteria and process is solely at the University’s discretion and will be included in the scope of services/proposal request issued by the applicable USM institution. The award will be based in accordance with the task order proposal request and may be based:

a) solely on price with the lowest responsive and responsible cost receiving the award;

b) on a combination of technical and price evaluation/ranking,

c) solely on technical expertise followed by the USM Institution negotiating a fee with only the top ranked firm; in the event of unsuccessful price negotiations, the USM Institution may discontinue negotiations with the top ranked firm and proceed to the next rank, and so forth; or

d) solely on the university’s judgment that an extension of an existing TORP award to the same vendor is in the best interest of the university.

2.10.2.4. Award: A Task Order Contract (TOC) or Purchase Order (P.O.) will be issued to the Contractor for each specific task order by an Institution. All Offerors further understand and agree that the University makes no guarantee of any work or dollar amount will be assigned to the selected Contractors.

2.10.2.5 Task Order Contract or Purchase Order Terms and Conditions. Although the terms and conditions of the Master Contract apply to all TOC’s and/or PO’s done under it, the TOC or PO may contain terms and conditions specific to the buying institution. The University’s Task Order Contract or Purchase Order terms and conditions, plus any addition terms and conditions specified in the Task Order Project Request (solicitation) will control.

Note: If the contractor wishes to propose alternate or additional terms and conditions, or agreement/contract forms, those terms and conditions and/or forms must be clearly included in the Technical Proposal response to this RFP, and must be clearly delineated for the Procurement Officer's review. Any proposed agreement forms or additional terms and conditions are subject to modification required by State of Maryland Law,

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Regulation, and University Procurement Procedures. The University shall not be

obligated to consider any terms or conditions submitted after the proposal due date. The University's refusal to consider forms, terms or conditions submitted after the closing date shall in no way relieve the contractor from performing the services specified herein under the specific provisions, terms and conditions of this RFP and USM Task Orders. If a contractor's Technical Proposal does not contain any statement relative to the

acceptance of or requested modification to the provisions, terms and conditions contained in this RFP, then the contractor shall be deemed to concur in full with all provisions, terms and conditions of this RFP.

When a Contractor is awarded a Master Contract from USM, the Contract will include all of the applicable contract terms and conditions (including those terms submitted by the Contractor and accepted by the USM).

2.10.3. Project Communications: All communications on projects by the Contractor are to be directed to the designated applicable USM Institution’s IT Project Manager only. All

instructions, directions, and information will be by the designated University's Project Manager only.

2.10.4. Project Change Orders: Change order work shall not proceed until a written Change Order or Task Order Contract Amendment has been issued to the Contractor by the applicable University's Procurement Officer confirming the additional work and the applicable additional cost (if any).

2.10.5. Personnel Changes: Any staff changes by the selected Contractor in the submitted key personnel must be reviewed and approved by the applicable USM Institution’s Procurement Office via the issuance of a task order contract amendment or purchase change order prior to any reassignments being made.

2.10.6. Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Participation: As noted in Attachment E, the MBE participation goal is set at 10% under this contract. At the time of the receipt of Task Order Proposals, each Master Contractor is to submit to the applicable USM Institution’s Procurement Office the appropriate MBE Forms for the applicable project. MBE forms are available from the applicable USM’s Procurement Office.

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EXHIBIT A

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PeopleSoft Enterprise Product Status July 2010 USM COMPOSITE See explanatory notes at bottom

Product Line Application BSU CSU FSU SU TU UB UMB UMBC UMES UMUC

Database Oracle MS SQL MS SQL MS SQL Oracle MS SQL Oracle Oracle MS SQL Oracle

Financials General Ledger 8.4 8.9 9.0 8.9 9.1 8.4 8.8 8.9 8.9

Receivables 9.0 X X 8.8 8.9

Payables 8.4 8.9 9.0 8.9 9.1 8.4 8.8 8.9 8.9

Asset Management 8.4 D 9.0 FUTURE 8.8 8.9 8.9

Financials Portal Pack X X X X

Project Costing X 8.9 9.0 X X X 8.8 8.9 Contracts 9.0 X X 8.8 8.9 Grants 9.0 X 8.8 8.9 Budgeting 9.0 X X 8.8 8.9 Puchasing 8.4 8.9 9.0 8.9 9.1 8.4 8.8 8.9 8.9 Billing 9.0 X X X 8.8 8.9 Expenses 9.0 X X

Mobile Time and

Expense X X X X X

eProcurement D FUTURE FUTURE FUTURE 9.0 D 8.9

Cash Management X X x Deal Management X X x X Risk management X X x X eSettlements X X x Internal controls enforcer X X x Resource Mgmt X X x Program Mgmt X X x Proposal Mgmt X X x X

ESA Portal Pack X x

Project portolio Mgmt X x

Supply Chain

Mgmt Inventory x X

eSupplier Connection X x X

Strategic Sourcing X x X

Supply chain Portal X x X

Catalog Mgmt X x X

HRMS Combined HR/CS datab 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 X 9.0 8.0

Payroll 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 8.3 9.0 8.0

Benefits Administration 9.0 X FUTURE X X

Time and Labor 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 8.3 X

Candidate Gateway 9.0 9.0 D FUTURE FUTURE FUTURE

Talent Acquisition Mgr X 9.0 D FUTURE FUTURE FUTURE

eCompensation FUTURE

eProfile FUTURE

eDevelopment FUTURE

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ePay FUTURE

Directory Interface FUTURE 9.0 X

eCompensation Mgr

Desktop X FUTURE

eProfile Mgr Desktop X FUTURE

ePerformance FUTURE FUTURE

Recruit Workforce 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 FUTURE 8.0

Training

Administration FUTURE 9.0

Competency

Management X X X 8.3

Career Planning X X FUTURE X X

Succession Planning X X FUTURE X X

Workforce

Administration 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 8.3 9.0 FUTURE

Position Management X FUTURE 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 8.3 9.0 8.0

Health and Safety X FUTURE 9.0 X

International Assignments X X FUTURE X X Labor Relations X X X X X Regulatory Requirements X X 9.0 X X Base Benefits 9.0 X 9.0 9.0 9.0 8.3 9.0 8.0 Variable Compensation X X X

Salary Planning X X X FUTURE X

Total Compensation X FUTURE X

HRMS Portal Pack X

Campus

Solutions Academic Advisement 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 FUTURE SUNGARD 9.0 9.0 8.0

Campus Community 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 X 9.0 9.0 8.0 Financial Aid 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 X 9.0 9.0 8.0 Recruiting and Admissions 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 X 9.0 9.0 8.0 Student Financials 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 X 9.0 9.0 8.0 Student Records 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 X 9.0 9.0 8.0

Contributor Relations DROPPED 9.0 X 9.0 X X 9.0

Outreach X FUTURE X X 9.0

Community Directory FUTURE X X 9.0

Learning Management 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 X X 9.0

Personal Portfolio 9.0 9.0 FUTURE 9.0 9.0 X X 9.0 9.0

Learner Services 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 9.0 X X 9.0

Community Access 9.0 X FUTURE X X 9.0

Gradebook 9.0 FUTURE X FUTURE FUTURE X 9.0

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EPM Enterprise Warehouse X x X

Workforce Scorecard X x X

Workforce Rewards X x X

Workforce Planning X x X

EPM Activity Mgmt X x X

EPM portal Pack X x X

EPM Enterprise

Scorecard X x X

UPK Developer 9.0 D (3.5.1) X LIVE 3.1 D(3.5.1) 3.1.5 3.5.1 Content for HRMS 9.0 D X LIVE 8.8 3.1 8.3 3.5.1 Content for Financials 9.0 D X FUTURE 9.0 3.1 8.8 3.5.1

Content for EPM X X X X X X

Content for Campus

Solutions 9.0 D X LIVE 3.1 X 3.1.5 3.5.1

CRM Support X x X

Sales X x X

Marketing X x X

Help Desk X x X

Cust Self Service X x X

Help desk Empl Self

Service X x X CTI Integration X x X Mobile Sales X x X Online Marketing X x X Help Desk HR X x X MultiChannel Comm X x X CRM Portal X x X Telemarketing X x X

Campus Self Service X x X

x X Advancement Advancement/Involve ment X x X Campus Portal X x X NOTES: 1. A version number in a cell indicates that the module is live 2. LIVE indicates that no version number was supplied but module is live 3. FUTURE indicates that there is some level of consideration to bringing up the module but no commitment 4. X means that the module will not be deployed 5. D indicates module under developmen t and will be deployed soon 6. a Blank cell means no commitment in any direction

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3. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

The following information should be submitted for all Proposals:

Submission of the following documentation is required in the Technical Proposal. Reminder: No pricing information is to be submitted with the Technical Proposal.

3.1 Transmittal Letter

A transmittal letter prepared on the Proposer's business stationery must accompany the proposal. The purpose of this letter is to transmit the proposal; therefore, it should be brief, but shall list all items contained within the Technical Proposal as defined below. The letter should include the name, address telephone number, FAX number and e-mail address of the primary contact person that the University should contact with questions, requests for clarification or notifications. The letter must be signed by an individual who is authorized to bind the firm to all statements, including services and financial, contained in the proposal.

The Technical Proposal should be prepared in a clear and concise manner. It should address all appropriate points of this RFP except price information. The contents of this volume must address the following items, as indicated below, and additionally, must include the appropriate responses as indicated in item 3.3 as listed below. Offerors must indicate page numbers on their proposal, and are requested to provide tabs to separate responses to each of the technical criteria. 3.2. In general, proposals submitted in response to this RFP must demonstrate that the firm and, in particular, the project team will have:

a. An understanding of key processes in higher education administration and experience providing guidance on best practices;

b. An understanding of the modules and applications provided by ERP systems, such as Oracle/PeopleSoft and experience solving the issues that arise in implementing as well as upgrading the administrative systems in a higher education institution, particularly with regard to system integration issues;

c. Knowledge and experience in the creation of data conversion methodologies and scripts to assure accurate movement of data from existing systems to the new systems;

d. Proven ability to partner in implementing ERP systems such as Oracle/PeopleSoft products in a timely, efficient and effective manner; and interfacing with existing non-Oracle/People Soft products;

e. Experience in carrying out ERP applications such as Oracle/PeopleSoft version upgrades or enhancements in a higher education or similar environment that demonstrates a full understanding of system life cycle issues;

f. Ability to identify quickly and solve the technical issues that arise in a complex network environment and provide adequate guidance to minimize implementation and operational risks;

g. Ability to integrate its methods and philosophies with those of the University and Oracle/PeopleSoft and develop relationships that are comfortable for the institution; h. Ability to build sustainable alliances in the service area(s) it proposes to provide;

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i. Experience and expertise in professional services related to ERP Applications such as Oracle/PeopleSoft products; and/or in adhoc consulting services associated with technical and functional applications;

j. Strong project management procedures

k. Ability to respond quickly to task order requests.

l. The firm must demonstrate the added value the firm brings to the engagement.

3.3 Technical Proposal Requirements: The following information must be furnished in the Technical Proposal. Failure to include any of the items listed below may disqualify your firm's response.

3.3.1. Executive Summary

The proposal must begin with an Executive Summary which clearly and concisely summarizes the content of the proposal. This summary is for introductory purposes and will not be part of the evaluation process as the information is to be a summary with the details provided in subsequent proposal contents.

3.3.2 Firm Profile

a. Provide general information about the Proposing Firm: its location(s), number of employees by job title, types of work done, sales volume, brief history of the firm. b. An organization chart of the company showing parent company and any affiliates as well as where company that will be servicing the University is found on the

organization chart.

c. Address of firm’s headquarters, nearest offices, and branch offices. d. Address of the office that will be serving University.

e. Indicate what percentage of the firm’s business is related to ERP Applications and what percentage of the firm’s business is related to Oracle/Peoplesoft Enterprise

consulting.

f. Describe the relationships the firm has with Oracle/Peoplesoft.

g. Describe how the firm partners with Oracle/Peoplesoft to insure successful upgrades/implementations.

h. Describe the firm’s higher education focus including what percentage of the firm’s business is dedicated consulting in higher education information systems. i. Describe the firm’s knowledge and experience in enterprise-wide software, particularly Oracle/PS Enterprise.

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j. Annual Sales Volume for company and the branch office which will service the University on a per year basis for the last three (3) years [2008, 2009, and 2010]. k. Annual Sales for ERP Applications such as Oracle/PeopleSoft

Installations/Implementations.

l. Firms shall provide a statement of financial condition, prepared in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. Audited financial statements of the firm’s last fiscal year and the past three (3) years must be provided. This information shall remain confidential unless the University is required by legal order to release such information. It is acceptable to provide one copy of this statement in the original copy of the Technical Proposal.

3.3.2 Experience of the Firm

a. Provide a list of all higher education clients for whom the firm has task order based consulting in ERP Applications such as Oracle/Peoplesoft Enterprise products and related technical services. This list must include at least three institutions and/or University Systems. It is preferable that one of these clients was for Oracle/Peoplesoft Enterprise products.

b. Describe in detail three (3) representative University/Institutional clients from the list above. Provide client contact including phone numbers with extension numbers that the USM may call for a reference. Information provided is to include description of the work done, dollar amount of the work; schedule of the work done; how long the firm has worked with the client; types and applicable versions of ERP Applications such as Oracle/PeopleSoft products involved; names of Firm’s staff assigned to the project (and their roles).

c. All references provided must be for professional services where the proposing firm provided professional services ERP Applications such as Oracle/Peoplesoft products and/or adhoc consulting engagements. It is preferable that references are from

firms/institutions that are similar to the USM. It is preferable that references are from an institution of higher education.