Alabama Next Generation Emergency Network

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

PROJECTMANAGEMEI~T AND COORDINATION

RFP # CMRSB.RFP .003

JULY 11, 2011

ALABAMA COMMERCIAL MOBILE RADIO SERVICEBOARDRequest for Proposal- #CMRSB.RFP.003

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)-INVITATION FOR SUBMISSIONS OF PROPOSALS FORCONTRACTORS/CONSULTANTSTO PROVIDE PROJECTMANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION FORTHE IMPLEMENTATION OFTHE ALABAMA NEXTGENERATION EMERGENCYNETWORK (ANGEN)

SECTION1- PURPOSE

The Alabama Commercial Mobile Radio Service Board (Board) invites consultants/contractorswith documented expertise and experience to submit proposals to enter into a consultingservices contract (Contract) to provide project management and coordination for theimplementation of the Alabama Next Generation Emergency Network (ANGEN). Based on theBoard's evaluation of proposals, the Board will enter into negotiations with one or morequalified Respondents.

SECTION2 - BACKGROUND

The State of Alabama through its Department of Homeland Security was awarded a grant underthe Ensuring Needed Help Arrives Near Callers Employing 9-1-1 Act (ENHANCE 911 Act), PublicLaw 108-494, in the amount of $950,000. Alabama qualified for this grant for theimplementation and operation of Phase " Enhanced 9-1-1 services and for migration to anInternet-Protocol (IP) based emergency network. The grant funds can be used for training andfor the acquisition and deployment of hardware and software that enables the migration ofEnhanced 9-1-1 services in an Internet IP-enabled emergency network and for achieving 9-1-1Phase " compliance as defined under the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). As agrant recipient, Alabama was required to provide a 50 percent match for the grant award andall grant funds must be expended by September 30, 2012.

The Board and the Alabama Department of Homeland Security entered into a Memorandum ofUnderstanding whereby the Board would be primarily responsible for execution of the grantfunds and along with the 9-1-1 Districts in Alabama come up with the matching funds for thegrant. Under the Memorandum of Understanding the Board is also authorized to executecontracts, purchase equipment and pay other expenditures for the implementation of ANGEN.

After receiving recommendations from the ANGEN RFPEvaluation Committee, made up of 9-1-1 District representatives, the Board will be entering into negotiations with a vendor, DashCarrier Services, to provide systems, services, and support necessary to enable the receivingand handling of 9-1-1 calls for Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs)throughout Alabama overan IP network herein known as the Solution. The Board is desirous of entering into a consultingagreement with an individual(s) to provide project management, coordination, andcommunication with the vendor as well as provide services more particularly and specificallydescribed and set forth in SECTION6 of this RFP.

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SECTION3 - SCHEDULE

1. Schedule:

July 11, 2011: Publish RFPon the Board's website at www.alwireless911.org andthe ANGENwebsite at http://angen.org/

July 21, 2011: Deadline for inquiriesAll inquiries must be received by the Board no later than 1:00 p.m.CO.T. (All inquiries and the Board's responses will be posted inwriting to the Board's website at www.alwireless911.org.

July 28, 2011: Deadline for submission of proposals to:Roger Wilson, ChairmanAlabama CMRS Boardc/o Walker County 9-1-1302 rs" Street, N. E.Jasper, AL 35504

To be considered timely filed. submissions must be received by the Board by 5:00 p.m.C.D.T.

Sometime prior to August 31, 2011: Anticipated selection of Respondent(s) fornegotiations

The Board reserves the right to change the dates in the schedule above upon writtennotification to prospective Respondents through a posting on the above referencedwebsites.

SECTION4 - CONTRACTTERM AND PAYMENT

1. Performance under a Contract pursuant to this RFPwill commence upon executionand continue through September 30, 2012.

2. Payment for services will be made in accordance with the Contract entered intobetween the parties.

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SECTION5 - GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

1. Proposal Submissions - Respondents shall submit in writing one (1) original andseven (7) copies of their proposal and one (1) electronic version on CD-ROM. Allproposals must be in a sealed envelope and clearly marked: "Request for Proposal#CMRSB.RFP.003 and received by the Board on or before the deadline provided inSECTION 3 by U.S. Postal Service, overnight/express mail or hand delivery (if handdelivery, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. C.O.T.) to the address shownabove. All proposals become the property of the Board. Proposals must set forthfull, accurate and complete information as required by this RFP. Oral or facsimileresponses, instructions or offers will not be considered.

2. Proposal Deadline - The Board will not consider any proposal received after the timeand date specified above in SECTION3 - Schedule.

3. Inquiries - Questions about the Board and this RFPshall be submitted in writing to:Roger Wilson, Chairman, Alabama CMRS Board at the above address or via email torwilson@walker911.org, with "Request for Proposal # CMRSB.RFP.003" in thesubject line, and must be received by the Board on or before the deadline providedin SECTION 3. All inquiries and responses thereto will be posted on the Board'swebpage at www.alwireless911.org, with copies thereof available upon writtenrequest.

4. Cost of Proposal Preparation - No reimbursement will be made by the Board of anycost incurred for proposal preparation or presentation. All expenses associated withthe preparation of any proposal solicited by this RFP will remain the soleresponsibility of the Respondent(s).

5. Signature Requirements - Proposal must be signed by the Respondent or a dulyauthorized official of the Respondent.

6. RFPRevisions - Should it be necessary to revise any part of this RFP,or if additionalinformation is necessary to enable Respondents to adequately interpret this RFP, asupplement to the RFP will be posted on the Board's website atwww.alwireless911.org and the ANGEN website at http://angen.org.

7. Reserved Rights-~ The Board has the sole discretion and reserves the right to reject any and all

proposals and re-solicit, delay, or cancel this RFP if such action is deemed in thebest interest of the agency.

b. The Board reserves the right to negotiate modifications necessary to improvethe quality or cost effectiveness of the any proposal to the Board.

c. The Board is under no legal obligation to enter into a Contract with anyRespondent on the basis of this RFP.

d. The Board is not required to select the lowest priced proposal, but will take intoconsideration services which represent the best combination of price andquality.

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8. RFPTerms and Conditions -a. Selected Respondent(s) shall defend ,indemnify, and hold harmless the State of

Alabama, the Board, and all of its officers, agents and employees from andagainst all claims, actions, suits, demands, proceedings, costs, damages andliabilities, arising out of, connected with, or resulting from any acts or omissionsof Respondent(s) or any agent, employee, subcontractor, or supplier ofRespondent(s) in the execution or performance of the Contract to be enteredinto between the parties.

b. Proposals and supporting documents are kept confidential until the evaluationprocess is complete and a Respondent(s) has been selected. Respondentsshould be aware that any information in a proposal may be subject to disclosureand/or reproduction under Alabama law. All disclosures of proposal informationwill be made in accordance with the standard procedures of the AlabamaDepartment of Finance. Designation as Proprietary or Confidential may notprotect any materials included with the Proposal from disclosure if required bylaw. A Respondent should mark or otherwise designate any material he/shefeels is proprietary or otherwise confidential. The Respondent shall also stateany legal authority as to why that material should not be subject to publicdisclosure under the Alabama open records statutes and is marked as"Proprietarv Information".

c. Information contained in the cost or price section may not be markedconfidential.

d. No person may be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, bediscriminated against in the admission or access to, or be discriminated againstin treatment or employment in the Board's contracted programs or activities onthe grounds of handicap and/or disability, age, race, color, religion, sex, nationalorigin, or any other classification protected by federal or Alabama stateConstitutional or statutory law.

e. Any terms and conditions attached to a Respondent's proposal will not beconsidered unless specifically referenced in the proposal and may result indisqualification.

9. Execution of Agreement - If the Respondent selected does not execute .and acontract within ten (10) business days after notification of selection, the Board maycancel that selection and give notice to the Respondent of the Board's intent toselect the next most qualified Respondent or call for a new proposals, whichever,the Board deems appropriate.

10. Subcontractor(s) - All proposals must clearly document any planned or proposeduse of subcontractors. The consultant will be completely responsible for all servicesset forth in the contract to be entered into by the parties.

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11. Non-Compliance - In the event the selected consultant fails to comply with any ofthe provisions of the contract to be entered into between the parties pursuant tothis RFP, the Board may cancel the Contract in whole or in part with ten (10) daysadvance written notice.

12. Modification or Withdrawal of Proposal - Any proposal may be modified orwithdrawn even after receipt by the Board at any time prior to the submissiondeadline. No material changes will be allowed after the expiration of the proposaldue date; however, non-substantive corrections or deletions may be made with theapproval of the Board's attorney.

SECTION 6 - SCOPE OF SERVICES

The Board's primary goal is the successful and timely implementation of the ANGEN project.The grant project must be completed by September 30, 2012. The successful Respondent willbe expected to work with the Board, Telco providers, ECD management personnel, thedesignated IP network provider and the vendor selected by the Board to implement theSolution. A copy of the RFP for the E9-1-1 System Service Provider may be reviewed athttp://angen.org. As such, the following is list of qualifications, examples of tasks anddeliverables necessary or desirable for a successful Respondent to this RFP:

1. Qualifications and Experiencea. Experience or knowledge in developing or creation of ECD/PSAPdatabases.b. Experience or knowledge in developing or creation of a GIS platform to support next

generation 9-1-1 features.c. Physical presence in Alabama or explanation of physical presence should

Respondent be selected.d. Knowledge and experience dealing or communicating with the Board, ECD

management personnel, Telco providers, the designated IP network provider, theAlabama Criminal Justice Information Center or Virtual Alabama.

e. Experience or knowledge communicating with E9-1-1 System Service Providers whohave developed or who are developing 9-1-1 calling systems for PSAPsover an IPnetwork.

2. Expected Tasks and Deliverablesa. The project manager will provide the Board with regular (a minimum of monthly)

reports and briefings both in writing and in person concerning the progress of theproject.

b. Attend meetings and conduct timely email correspondence with all project partners.c. Organize meetings with ECDjPSAP management in various locations to explain the

conversion process.d. Coordinate network installation and testing with the designated IP network

provider.e. Meet and coordinate with existing 9-1-1 tandem operators to facilitate conversion

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f. Coordinate and verify operation of the 9-1-1 System Service Provider prior toaccepting live calls and afterwards as conversion of PSAPscontinues.

&. Meet via phone and/or in person with ECD/PSAP staff to address technical andlogistical issues relative to conversion.

h. Certify through a testing process that each PSAPis working as intended prior to andafter conversion.

i. Provide information for the ANGEN Website which is anticipated to contain bothpublic and restricted content.

The above list of tasks and deliverables is not an all- inclusive list but merely an illustration ofthe type of activities the Board expects to be performed by the Project Manager.

SECTION 7 -CONTENTS OF PROPOSAL

To be considered responsive, all proposals must consist of the items listed below (in order).The Board reserves the right, in its sole judgment and discretion, to waive minor technicalitiesand errors in the best interest of the state.

1. Transmittal letter - A letter on his/her letterhead addressed to Roger Wilson (addressprovided in Section 3) identifying the person or entity submitting the proposal. Theletter shall include a commitment by the Respondent to provide the consulting servicesrequired by the Board. The letter must include:a. Identification of this RFP;b. A statement that the proposal is binding and valid at the discretion of the Board for

90 days from the date of submission;c. A statement acknowledging and accepting the requirements and processes

established by the Board governing the procurement of services;d. A statement that no attempt has been made or will be made by the Respondent to

induce any other company or individual to submit or not submit a proposal for thepurpose of restricting competition;

e. A statement certifying on Respondent's behalf that the Respondenti. has read and understands Request for Proposal #CMRSB.RFP.003;ii. is capable of providing the consultant services requested.

Any exceptions or qualifications to the foregoing must be specifically noted in the letter.However, any exceptions or qualifications may disqualify the proposal from furtherconsideration at the Board's discretion or impact the Board's evaluation of the proposal.

2. Executive Summary - A summary of the proposal contents, excluding cost information.For any requirement in the RFPnot addressed or included in the Respondent's Proposal,Respondent should explain in detail the reasons for the omission. (Failure to provide allrequested information, particularly service deliverables, may result in disqualification ofRespondent's proposal.

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3. Qualifications - A response to each of the following (in order):a. A brief statement of Respondent's knowledge of the Board, ECD management

personnel, Telco providers, the Alabama Supercomputer Authority or the designatedIP network provider, and Virtual Alabama

b. Respondent's Statement of Qualifications for the consulting services requested,specifically the qualifications of the person(s) who will be providing the actualconsulting services.

4. Proposed Statement of Work - A detailed plan of how Respondent intends to assist theBoard for each category of the grant project activities as outlined and identified inSECTION 6, included therein, an estimated timeline for each. For each grant activity,Respondent shall provide a detailed proposed deliverable that will allow theBoard to evaluate and determine satisfaction of each activity.

5. References - Names of at least three (3) different references meeting the followingcriteria:a. The reference company/entity or individual must not be affiliated with the

Respondent in any ownership or joint venture arrangementb. References must include:

i. Name of Referenceii. Name of Reference Contactiii. Title of Reference Contactiv. Contact information for Reference Contact; andv. Description of services directly provided by Respondent to Reference, if

services were performed for the Reference6. Cost Estimates - The Board desires to enter into a contract for a monthly fixed amount

of staff time plus expenses as they are approved. It is anticipated that many meetingswill be via conference call using on-line meeting tools to reduce travel costs whenpossible. The proposal should provide cost estimates for the following and anyadditional items affecting the total contract price:a. Average hourly cost of principal and staff time with breakdowns by nature of

services and/or the persons providing those services.b. An estimate of your travel expenses for a monthly meeting in Birmingham, Alabama

assuming you have a 30 day notice of meetingc. An estimate of travel expenses for a meeting in Birmingham, Alabama on short

noticed. Any general overhead expenses you expect to add to the contract price to be

negotiatede. The price estimate to create/develop on-line ECD/PSAPdatabase and projected

annual on-going expense to the Board for hosting and maintenance of the database.

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SECTION 8 - PROPOSAL PRESENTATION

All proposals must be typed, double spaced, on 8 W' x 11 paper, clearly legible, with all pagessequentially numbered and bound or stapled together. The name of the Respondent must betyped at the top of each page. Do not attach covers, binders, pamphlets, or other items notspecifically requested. In addition to the required number of written copies, Respondents arerequired to submit proposals on a CD-ROM in a format that is capable of being read byMicrosoft Word or Adobe Reader.

A Table of Contents must be included with respective page numbers opposite each topic. Theproposal must contain the following completed items (in order):

1. Transmittalletter2. Executive Summary3. Qualifications4. Proposed Statement of Work5. References6. Cost Estimate

To be considered responsive, the proposal must set forth full, accurate, and completeinformation as required by this RFP. A non-responsive proposal will not be considered forfurther evaluation. If the requirement that is not met is considered a minor irregularity or aninconsequential variation, an exception may be made at the discretion of the Board and theproposal may be considered responsive.

SECTION 9 - EVALUATION, NEGOTIATION AND SELECTION

1. Evaluation - The Board will use the following criteria in selecting the proposal thatpresents the best matching expertise needed with this project, in the following order ofpriority:a. The Respondent's demonstrated competence, experience, knowledge, and

qualifications to provide the requested consultant services; andb. Respondent's Proposed Statement of Work which demonstrates the reasonableness

and effectiveness of the plan to successfully implement the grant project bySeptember 30, 2012.

c. Cost Estimates provided2. Negotiation - Negotiations with the top-ranked Respondent(s) may be held at the

discretion of the Board. The Board may decide, at its sole option and in its solediscretion, to negotiate with one, several, or none of the Respondents submittingproposals to this RFP. During the negotiation process, the Board and any Respondent(s)with whom the Board chooses to negotiate, may adjust the Proposed Statement ofWork, alter the method of providing the services, and lor costs of the services so long as

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changes are mutually agreed upon, and are in the best interest of the Board and state.The Board may, at its sole discretion, permit Respondent(s) prepare one or more revisedoffers. It is for this reason, Respondents are encouraged to treat their proposals and anyrevised offers, as his/her final and best offer. Statements made by a Respondent in itsproposal will be binding unless specifically changed during final negotiations. A Contractaward may be made by the Board without negotiations if the Board determines that suchan award is in the Board's best interest.

3. Selection - The Board will select the consultant in accordance with the above-referenced evaluation criteria based on their evaluation of the proposals and interviewswith selected Respondent(s). In selecting a consultant, if other considerations areequal, the Board will give preference to a consultant whose principal place of business isin the State of Alabama or who will manage the Contract wholly from an office in thisstate.

END OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL