PROJECT DEFINITION .us



March 1, 2002

Dear Contractor:

The New York State Education Department Office of Teaching is initiating a Consulting Services project for NYSED Office of Teaching System Design and Requirements Model (SED 2002-02). This Project Definition (PD) is being sent to the OGS Procurement Services Group (PSG) Consulting Services Contractors for the Categories of Expertise: BPA/BPR and IT Management & Planning. This project will be based on a Deliverable with a Fixed Cap Cost model.

There will be a mandatory Pre-Proposal Conference (see schedule which follows) which Contractors are required to attend. You are required to return an “Intent to Attend” form by fax (518 474-2004) or e-mail otdesign@mail. Subject: OT Design Bidder’s Conference in accordance with the schedule below whether or not you plan to attend. Meeting minutes from the Pre-Proposal Conference will be sent to all attending Contractors. Contractors will also be afforded the opportunity to mail, fax, or e-mail questions to otdesign@mail. Subject: OT Design Inquiries prior to proposal submission regarding the project requirements. It will be the responsibility of the agency contact to respond to your questions in writing and provide all the questions and answers to all contractors who attended the Pre-Proposal Conference.

Ira Certner:

Office of Information and Technology Management

FAX : 518.474-2004

E-MAIL ADDRESS: otdesign@mail.

At the termination of the question and answer period, you will submit your Proposals to the New York State Education Department (NYSED) which will evaluate the Proposals. Upon selecting the contractor(s), NYSED will forward the bid documentation to the Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) for final approval.

If you will not be responding to this Project Definition with a formal Proposal, please use the “No Bid” Response form to notify NYSED in writing no later than April 5, 2002. On the “NO BID” Response form, please provide a brief explanation as to why you have opted not to bid.

Page 2

The following is the schedule for the bid/award:

Date Event

March 1, 2002 Mailing of Project Definition

March 15, 2002 4:00PM “Intent to Attend” forms due ( Pre-Proposal Conference)

March 19, 2002 10:00 AM Time and Date of Pre-Proposal Conference

March 22, 2002 Contractor Query Deadline by 4:00 p.m.

March 27, 2002 NYSED responds to queries by e-mail, fax or mail. (If there was a pre-

proposal conference, mails the meeting minutes.)

April 5, 2002 Proposal Submission to Contract Manager, Room 409 EB, Education Building, Albany NY 12234 received by 4:00 PM.

April 30,2002 Proposal Evaluation & Selection Process (Interviews optional)

May 14, 2002 OSC Approval Process & Contractor Award Announcement

May 15, 2002 Project Commences

Please be aware that any expenses your firm incurs in the preparation and submission of the proposal(s) will not be reimbursed by the State.

Your firm's continued interest in providing service to the State of New York is appreciated.

Sincerely,

Ira Certner

Deputy CIO

Enclosure

cc: Project File

State of New York - Executive Department

Office of General Services

Procurement Services Group (PSG)

“NO BID” RESPONSE

ATTENTION:_Ira Certner

(Entity Contact Name)

ENTITY FAX#: 518 474-2004 ENTITY E-MAIL: OTDESIGN@mail. Subject: No Bid

____________________________________ has opted NOT to bid on _ NYSED 2002-02

(Contractor Name) (Project Code)

NYSED Office of Teaching System Design and Requirements Model ____ for the following reason(s):

(Project Name)

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

CONTACT NAME: ________________________________________________________________________

(Signature)

DATE: __________ / __________ / _____

State of New York – Executive Department

Office of General Services

Procurements Services Group (PSG)

“INTENT TO ATTEND”

ATTENTION: Ira Certner, Office of Information and Technology Management

FAX#: 518 474 2004 E-MAIL: OTDESIGN@mail.

will attend ___

Contractor Name: _

will not attend____

Number of people:

PROJECT NAME: NYSED Office of Teaching System Design and Requirements Model

PROJECT CODE: SED2002 -02

DATE: March 19, 2002

LOCATION: Museum Theater

Cultural Education Center, Empire State Plaza

Albany NY 12230

TIME: 10:00AM

PROJECT DEFINITION

FOR CONSULTING SERVICES

FOR NYSED TEACHER CERTIFICATION SYSTEM

SYSTEM DESIGN & REQUIREMENTS

1 OGS Project Code 2002-02

TIMETABLE OF KEY EVENTS

|PROJECT DESCRIPTION RELEASE DATE |03/01/02 |

|MANDATORY BIDDER'S CONFERENCE |03/19/02 10:00 AM |

|CLOSING DATE AND TIME FOR WRITTEN INQUIRIES |03/22/02 4:00 PM |

|RESPONSES TO VENDOR QUESTIONS PUBLISHED |03/27/02 |

|CLOSING DATE FOR SUBMISSION OF PROPOSAL |04/05/02 4:00 PM |

|BID OPENING |04/08/02 10:00 AM |

|APPROVAL PROCESS BEGINS |04/09/02 |

|NOTIFICATION OF SUCCESSFUL VENDOR |04/30/02 |

|PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION BEGINS |05/15/02 |

|PROJECT END |90 DAYS FROM PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION|

PROJECT DEFINITION

for the

NYSED Office of Teaching

System Design and Requirements Model

SED 2002- 02

Prepared By: Gino Danese

Office of Teaching

NYSED

Date: March1, 2002

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. OVERVIEW

A. Purpose

B. Goals of NYSED Office of Teaching: Short and Long Term

II. SCOPE OF PROJECT

A. Overview

B. Project Deliverables

C. Minimum Technical & Non-Technical Requirements & Evaluation Criteria

III. PROJECT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

A. Consultant Responsibilities

B. NYSED Office of Teaching Responsibilities

C. OGS/PSG Responsibilities

D. Contract/Proposal Specifics

E. Date/Year Warranty

F. Project Scope Change Procedures

IV. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS

V. EVALUATION AND SELECTION

A. Evaluation Criteria

B. Technical Component: Proposal Evaluation and Criteria/Weight

C. Financial Component: Project Cost

VI. ATTACHMENTS From OGS/PSG – Separate File

Attachment 1 – Weekly Status Reports

Attachment 2 – Time Distribution Reports

Attachment 3 – Meeting Summaries

Attachment 5 – Fixed Cap Deliverable Project – Proposal Cost Statement

Attachment 7 – Staffing Roster Sheet

Attachment 9 – Transmittal Letter of Deliverable For Sign-Off

Attachment 10 – Contractor Technical Skill Checklist

III. VI. ATTACHMENTS (From NYSED Office of Teaching) – Separate File

1. OT Functional Overview

2. Current Office of Teaching Procedures

3. OSPRA Procedures

4. Current Office of Teaching Functional Overview

5. Office of Teaching Initiatives Current Functions – Clerical

6. Office of Teaching Initiatives current Functions – Certification Specialists

…..

I. OVERVIEW

A. Purpose & Background

The New York State Education Department is responsible for general supervision of all

educational institutions in the State, for operating certain educational and cultural institutions, for

certifying teachers (OT), and for registering and licensing practitioners of thirty-eight professions. The Department’s supervisory activities include chartering all educational institutions in the state, including schools, libraries, museums, and historical societies; developing and approving school curricula; accrediting college and university programs; allocating State and federal financial aid to schools; and providing and coordinating vocational rehabilitation services. The Department is composed of six major organizational areas: the Office of Elementary, Middle, Secondary and Continuing Education, the Office of Higher Education, the Office of the Professions, The Office of Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities, the Office of Cultural Education, and the Office of Management Services. In addition, the Department operates the New York State School for the Blind and the New York State School for the Deaf. The Department has a staff of over 3000 and an annual budget exceeding $16 billion, including $250,000,000 of operating capital.

A Board of Regents, consisting of sixteen members elected by the State Legislature, governs the State Education Department. The Board is head of The University of the State of New York consisting of all public and private schools, colleges and universities, and chartered libraries, museums, historical societies, and other educational institutions in the State. The Department’s chief executive officer is the Commissioner of Education and President of the University, who is appointed by the Board of Regents.

The Office of Teaching is a division of the Office of Higher Education and is responsible for the evaluation and certification of applicants for New York State Teacher Certification. Additional responsibilities include investigation and discipline, teacher recruitment, and school district employee background checks -.

The Office of School Personnel Review and Accountability (OSPRA)- within the Office of Teaching was established to facilitate the statutory and regulatory duties and mandates associated with fingerprinting, moral character complaints and investigations, tenure hearings and Part 83 & 87 due process. OSPRA is comprised of four operational units: Fingerprint Process Unit, Investigations, Legal Services and the Employer-Employee Relations Unit.

The Office of Teaching receives approximately 92,000 new certification applications and issues over 72,000 certificates annually. The Office investigates approximately 1,000 complaints and disciplinary cases and processes 70,000 fingerprinting requests annually. OT currently maintains 200,000 paper records and over 700,000 electronic records. The agency receives approximately 800,000 field contacts annually. OT has an annual revenue collection of $3.7 million.

The Office of Teaching currently has 83 employees, 19 of whom are assigned to OSPRA. Of the 64 in Teacher Certification, there are 23 Evaluators, 11 in Administration and Policy -policy and 31 clerical staff.

Count of Certificates Issued Calendar Year 2000

| |Issued Through College |Issued Through |Issued Through |Issued Through |Issued Through |Total |

| |Recommendation |Reciprocity |Individual |Regional BOCES |Miscellaneous | |

| | | |Transcript | |Process | |

| | | |Evaluation | | | |

|CQ/Provisional |18500 |1200 |7000 |3200 |0 |29900 |

|Permanent |3600 |100 |7200 |3800 |0 |14700 |

|Temporary License |0 |10 |17000 |10 |0 |17020 |

|Extensions/ |1100 |100 |2100 |100 |0 |3400 |

|Renewals | | | | | | |

|Conditional Provisional |0 |1000 |50 |0 |0 |1050 |

|Transitional B |300 |0 |0 |0 |0 |300 |

|Certificate | | | | | | |

|Adult Education |0 |0 |200 |0 |0 |200 |

|Teaching Assistant |0 |0 |4000 |1000 |0 |5000 |

|Misc. |500 |50 |10 |20 |700 |1280 |

|Total |24000 |2460 |37560 |8130 |700 |72850 |

B. Goals of the Office of Teaching

The Office of Teaching has set the following high level goals and targets for a proposed new system. These goals are to be used as the foundation for the systems requirement definition.

• Development of an Integrated Office of Teaching Database

Development of an integrated database consolidating related functions and data

of the Office of Teaching in order to enable information sharing.

• Implement On-Line Applications

A primary goal of the project is the transition to a browser-based application, - offering

electronic transactions to customers on a 24/7 basis.

• Integrate Electronic Payment Capabilities (EVTA)

All transactions must incorporate electronic payment capability, - regardless of the

transaction medium (paper, phone, web, etc.).

• Integrate Document Management System (Imaging)

An integrated document management system must be implemented with a focus on

transitioning to a paperless environment.

• Integration With Existing NYSED Applications (SEDREF, SEDFIN, BEDS, PMF, IRP)

Integration with finance, teacher employment information, teacher college data, -and institutional databases is necessary for administrative purposes and report generation.

• Integration with External Data Systems

The system will integrate and/or exchange data with external data systmes, including regional BOCES, the New York City Board of Education, individual school

districts, NASDTEC out-of-state disciplinary data, NES and any other possible

testing services for test results.

• Automated Work-Flow Capacity - Allow for a Computerized Transcript Evaluation Process

The system will enable professional staff to complete all transactions and communications to

applicants via computer, and maintain historical record of each transaction.

• Flexibility -Allow for Adaptation of New Procedures to an Ever-changing Set of

Requirements and Regulations

Any new system must allow for the adaptation of new procedures and requirements caused by statutory, regulatory or policy changes. The system must be user-controlled to allow for adaptation to new regulations -being implemented in 2004.

• Accessibility -Increase the availability of OT information

The system will reach more customers/users through a variety of methods including Interactive Voice Response, –web- based activities and E-mail.

• Security

The system will provide multiple levels of system user security (roles and responsibilities) and maintain applicant privacy and confidentiality

II. SCOPE OF PROJECT

A. Overview

The Division of Higher Education’s Office of Teaching of the New York State Education Department (SED) seeks proposals for the purpose of performing a comprehensive business analysis leading to the design specifications for a Web-based Teacher Certification system. Project activities should address the full range of the Office of Teaching business processes, including Teacher Certification application and evaluation, certification renewal, investigation and discipline, public school employee background check, and teacher clearinghouse and recruitment. The business case analysis and requirements model should be based on the project’s conceptual goals and incorporate potential business and organizational re-engineering.

The Contractor will develop system specifications and alternative implementation scenarios to be presented to the Office of Teaching for review, selection and approval. The Office of Teaching anticipates that the Contractor will develop and present alternative workplans (timeframes, resource estimates and costs) for both full-scale implementation and phased implementations.

B. Project Deliverables

Deliverable 1: Conceptual Design and Requirements Model for an automated system for the Office of Teaching, including:

▪ A description of a re-engineered business process, including process-flow diagrams for all

major business functions, operations, and procedures indicating those that can be automated.

▪ High level database design, including an entity relationship diagram, a statement of the

purpose of each entity, and an estimate of the number of instances in each entity.

▪ A descriptive list of major interfaces with external systems.

▪ A description of the system users with associated roles and responsibilities.

Deliverable 2: Implementation strategies and workplans:

The Contractor will develop an implemenation plan for the system proposed in Deliverable 1, with alternative strategies developed as needed. Each alternative will address the following factors:

• Definition of the implementation modules / phases.

• Implementation schedule.

• Estimated Contractor staff resources by skill set and associated cost .

• Software and hardware required for implementation.

• List of implementation risks

• Estimated total cost to implement.

Bidders will propose a firm price for the project based on:

(1) Anticipated levels of expertise/skill sets for activities

equating each level(s) of expertise to contracted mandatory job title(s) which includes the Project Managers, Programmer Analysts, Specialists, or already contracted Ancillary job title(s) and their not-to-exceed hourly rates

(2) Any additional job title/skillsets with their hourly rates which

might be needed

(3) A project timeframe which requires that the Contractor completes all deliverables within 90 days of project implementation.

C. Minimum Technical & Non-Technical Requirements & Evaluation Criteria

The NYSED will evaluate each Contractor’s bid based on the “Best Value” concept. This means that the bid(s) which “optimizes quality, cost, and efficiency among the responsible and responsive bidders” shall be selected for award (State Finance Law, Article 11, Section 163). The Contractor(s) must meet all the technical and non-technical mandatory requirements. Factor(s) which are part of the evaluation are included below. The method of evaluation and selection are included at the end of this project definition.

MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS

• The NYSED standard application development tool set is Oracle. For this project Oracle database (Version 8.1.7 or higher), Oracle Application Server (9iAS), Oracle Designer (6i), and Oracle Portal (3.0.9) will be employed where appropriate.

• For the duration of the project, the primary workplace for the Consultant Project Team will be the NYSED, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany NY 12234. Appropriate office space will be established and necessary equipment and supplies will be provided.

• JOB CLASSIFICATIONS:

For purposes of the Bid Proposal and the Project, Contractors must use or equate project personnel to the job titles established in the OGS/PSG Computer Consulting, Systems Integration, and Training Back-Drop Contract .

Contractor consultant staff must have at least 2 years experience with the Oracle suite of application development tools. This equates to the Level I Programmer Analysts and Specialists or already contracted Ancillary Job Title.

The Project Manager must demonstrate verifiable experience of at least one (1) successful project implementation as Project Manager and five (5) years experience with Oracle development tools. This equates to the Level II Project Manager or already contracted Ancillary Job Title.

III. PROJECT TERMS AND CONDITIONS

A. Consultant Responsibilities

1) The Consultant Project Team will be primarily located at the New York State Education Department, 89 Washington Avenue, Albany NY 12234 for the duration of the project. Appropriate office space, desktop PCs, and access to test and development databases, will be available to Consultants.

2) The Consultant firm will designate one of its Project Team members the role of Project Manager. The Consultant and NYSED will jointly establish a Project Team that includes (at least) the Consultant Project Manager, NYSED Business Lead, and NYSED Technical Lead.

The Project Team will be responsible for:

a) Maintaining control over the work duties, schedule, and performance of the Consultant Project Team members.

b) All project reporting in the form of:

1) Weekly Status Reports

2) Time Distribution Reports (TDRs)

(3) Meeting Summaries

c) Attend weekly status meeting to be held at NYSED

d) The Project’s success.

3) The Consultant will maintain continuity of the Consultant Team staff throughout the course of the project. Changes in staff will have to be approved by the NYSED Office of Teaching. The replacement consultant(s) with comparable skills will be provided at the same or lower hourly rate.

4) At the culmination of the Project, all documentation in hard copy and in electronic format and other documentation which the NYSED Office of Teaching offered to the Consultant to assist in their efforts will be turned over to the NYSED Office of Teaching.

5) The Consultant will provide a work plan (MSProject preferred) which will define tasks, responsibilities and resources, as well as projected starting and ending dates. The work plan will be updated weekly and will be attached to the weekly status report.

6) The consultant must be available to work within the normal work hour range which is from 7:00 AM to 6:00 PM Monday through Friday. The Consultation is required to abide by any security requirements imposed by NYSED or the State of New York.

The following State holidays may need to be considered during the course of this project:

New Year’s Day Labor Day

Martin Luther King Day Columbus Day

Lincoln's Birthday (floater) Election Day (floater)

President’s Day Veteran’s Day

Memorial Day Thanksgiving Day

Independence Day Christmas Day

B. NYSED Responsibilities

1) NYSED will assign a staff member to act as the NYSED Business Lead for the agency and as a primary contact for the Consultants and PSG.

2) Vacation schedules of NYSED staff who will be associated with the project will be provided so that the Consultant may plan accordingly.

3) NYSED will provide the Consultant Project Team with documentation and other information which will assist the Consultant Team in its efforts on developing the project.

4) The NYSED Office of Teaching will review project work plan on a weekly basis.

5) A Bidder’s Conference will be held to provide additional explanation of the project. Specifics about this Conference can be found in the Cover Letter that accompanies this Project Definition.

C. OGS/PSG Responsibilities

1) Work as liaison between the Consultant, and the NYSED.

2) Be available to assist the NYSED when the administration of the Contractor's contract requires clarification.

3) Receive from the NYSED a copy of the following:

▪ OSC approved Summary & Affidavit form for project

▪ OSC approved Summary & Affidavit for any project scope changes

▪ Agency sign-off upon project completion

D. Procurement Issues & Conditions

1) Under State Finance Law 163a-2, the successful Contractor for this system design project may be precluded from bidding on the subsequent system build RFP.

2) The Consultant will comply with the terms of the OGS/PSG Computer Consulting, Systems Integration, and Training Back-Drop Contract unless otherwise approved in writing by the OGS/PSG.

3) As stated in the OGS Computer Consulting, Systems Integration, and Training Back-Drop Contract, the Consultant firm is responsible to provide its own secretarial support – the State will not provide any such support or associated materials.

4) NYSED reserves the right to terminate the project at any given time either prior to award or after based on conditions/situations such as:

▪ unforeseen budget constraints,

▪ change in agency priorities,

▪ the acquisition of additional in-house resources

▪ the price is determined to be unreasonable, in the sole judgment of State

5) In the event of early termination, the Consultant will be paid for the portion of the deliverable completed and accepted by the NYSED Office of Teaching based on the total cost/price for that project deliverable.

6) New York State Education Department retains the right to bid the same work

if project is terminated for stipulated reasons.

6) Material Exceptions - NYSED will not entertain any exceptions to the back-drop terms and conditions. NYSED reserves the right to reject any proposal that contains exceptions to the back-drop terms and conditions that are deemed "material."

8) If there is a need for a Scope Change to the original Project which will result in an increase to the project’s cost, a Scope Change Procedure is in place to provide for such a situation. Refer to the following section F: Project Scope Change Procedures. Consultant work performed beyond the scope of this project as defined by this Project Definition without prior approval from OSC will not be compensated.

9) All deliverables must be transmitted with a dated and signed Transmittal Letter (Attachment 9) to the NYSED which will review and supply a written approval or rejection to Consultant.

E. Contract/Proposal Specifics

1) The Contractor’s Proposal will be composed and presented in the following format and order:

I. Proposal Cover Letter

II. Title Page and Table of Contents

III. Project Scope Overview

IV. Work Approach Narrative

V. Work Plan (MS Project)

VI. Fixed Cap Deliverable Project – Proposal Cost Statement (Attachment 5)

VII. Staffing Roster (Attachment 7-1)

VIII Staffing Roster Resumes

IX. Contractor Technical Skill Checklist (Attachment 10)

Bidders

2) This Proposal must satisfy all the requirements cited in this Project Definition (PD) and comply with the stated format for Proposal composition. The Proposal is subject to outright rejection from further consideration if the Proposal is unsatisfactory in the judgment of the NYSED Office of Teaching.

3) For this project, using the attached forms, the Consultant firm will provide a Fixed Cap Deliverable Project – Proposal Cost Statement.

Rates bid include all auxiliary costs, such as printing, secretarial, program entry, and costs for Travel, Meals and Lodging.

Note: Fixed Cap Deliverable Project – Proposal Cost Statement. Only upon written acceptance of each deliverable by the NYSED may the Consultant submit an invoice for payment of the deliverable (less the withholding percent).

4) The Contractor’s Proposal will include a resume for each consultant recommended for this project. The resume will be referenced to verify that the consultant has met the minimum requirements in terms of years of experience requested in this Project Definition. The contractor will complete Attachment 10, Contractor Technical Skill Checklist, as a means of facilitating the evaluation process.

NYSED reserves the right to interview any or all of the candidates prior to selecting candidates, and reserves the right to interview any or all of the candidates substituted for or added to the Consultant team during the course of the project. NYSED also reserves the right to request the Consultant to reassign Consultant team members in the event of unsatisfactory performance.

Note: When a Contractor submits a Proposal with prospective resumes, it will be assumed that those Consultants identified on the Staffing Roster (Attachment 7) whether direct employees or subcontractors have agreed, prior to the Proposal submission, to perform the services for which their names and resumes have been submitted.

5) This project is targeted to commence upon project award by OSC (targeted for May 15, 2002)

F. Date/Time Warranty

Contractor warrants that Product(s) furnished pursuant to this Contract shall, when used in accordance with the Product documentation, be able to accurately process date/time data (including, but not limited to, calculating, comparing, and sequencing) transitions, including leap year calculations. Where a Contractor proposes or an acquisition requires that specific Products must perform as a package or system, this warranty shall apply to the Products as a system.

Where Contractor is providing ongoing services, including but not limited to: i) consulting, integration, code or data conversion, ii) maintenance or support services, iii) data entry or processing, or iv) contract administration services (e.g. billing, invoicing, claim processing), Contractor warrants that services shall be provided in an accurate and timely manner without interruption, failure or error due to the inaccuracy of Contractor’s business operations in processing date/time data (including, but not limited to, calculating, comparing, and sequencing) various date/time transitions, including leap year calculations. Contractor shall be responsible for damages resulting from any delays, errors or untimely performance resulting therefrom, including but not limited to the failure or untimely performance of such services.

This Date/Time Warranty shall survive beyond termination or expiration of this contract through: a) ninety (90) days or b) the Contractor or Product manufacturer/developer stated date/time warranty term, whichever is longer. Nothing in this warranty statement shall be construed to limit any rights or remedies otherwise available under this Contract for breach of warranty.

G. Project Scope Change Procedures

NYSED Office of Teaching will justify their need for a scope change to OSC when they are for "unforeseen occurrences". A Scope Change encompasses changes in the quantity, quality or time schedule of the workflow which results in an increase to the original cost of the project. The rates applicable to any Scope Change will be governed by the rates set forth and awarded in the mini-bid project. Services related to any Scope Change must be submitted to OSC for their prior approval. Contractor will not be reimbursed for any services performed related to any Scope Changes without OSC’s prior approval. Contractor shall not be obligated to perform any scope changes unless and until the approval of OSC is obtained. The procedure for authorizing Project Scope Changes can be found in the Mini-Bid Guidelines.

I. Accessibility

Any custom applications or programming delivered pursuant to the Contract

shall comply with NYS Office for Technology Policy 99-3, titled, "Universal

Accessibility for NYS Web Sites (Supplement to 96-13)", dated September 30,

1999 (), which requires that all NYS agencies'

web sites provide universal accessibility to persons with disabilities. The

State of New York has adopted the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

() as a means to provide access to NYS agency web sites and the content therein. The Prime Contractor agrees to

apply the most current version of these guidelines and conform with level

"A" of the guidelines, satisfying all priority one checkpoints, as respects

any custom applications or programming delivered pursuant to the Contract.

IV. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION PROCESS

1. A mandatory Bidder’s Conference will be held at the New York State Education Department, Museum Theater, Cultural Education Center, Albany NY 12230 on March 19, 2002 at 10:00 AM. A maximum of two representatives per Consultant will be allowed In order to participate in the Conference, Consultants must indicate their intention to participate by completing and submitting the Intent to Attend Form by 4:00PM March 15, 2002. E-mail submissions should indicate Subject OT Design Bidders Conference

2. All inquiries concerning this proposal must be submitted via e-mail to: otdesign@mail. Subject OT Design Inquiries. All questions should cite the proposal section and paragraph number. Written questions will be accepted until 4:00 p.m. on March 22, 2002 at 4:00PM. Prospective Consultants should note that all clarifications of the contract are to be raised prior to the submission of a proposal.

The questions and answers to all questions will be in the form of a formal addendum which will become part of this project definition and any contract. The New York State Education Department will answer all Consultant questions as quickly as possible but no later than (insert date and time).

Any verbal information obtained from or statements made by representatives of the New York Sate Education Department shall not be considered as an amendment to the project definition. Only corrections or additions issued in writing to all Consultants shall be official and become part of the contract.

3. Consultant Proposal Clarification

Consultants may be required to provide written clarification of portions of their proposals. Written clarifications will be considered in the evaluation process.

4. Key events

Refer to cover page, Timetable of Key Events.

5. Proposals

All proposals and accompanying documentation will become the property of the State of New York and will not be returned.

6. Appropriate Proposal Format

Proposals must be received both in hard copy and in electronic format. Facsimile proposals will not be accepted for this mini-bid. Detailed information on content of the proposal is found in Section III of this project definition.

7. Submission of Sealed Proposals

Consultants must submit a complete response to this project definition, using the format and forms provided in this project definition. Submission of the Consultant's proposal, with submission of a cover letter, shall be construed by the New York State Education Department as the Consultant's acceptance of the procedures, evaluation criteria, and other instructions in this project definition.

Non-compliance with the submission of proposals as required by this section may result in disqualification of the offering.

Complete proposals are to be packaged, sealed and submitted to: Timothy Lehahan, Contract Administrator, New York State Education Department, Room 409, Education Building, Albany, New York 12234. Proposals must be received at the New York State Education Department by April 5, 2002 at 4:00 PM. Facsimile proposals will not be accepted.

Complete proposals must be clearly marked on the outside of the package itemizing the following: PROPOSALS ENCLOSED, TEACHER CERTIFICATION SYSTEM DESIGN PROJECT, CONSULTANT'S NAME AND ADDRESS, PROPOSAL SUBMISSION DATE AND TIME.

If using a commercial delivery company that requires that you use their shipping package or envelope, your proposal must be placed within a sealed envelope labeled as detailed above and this envelope put into the commercial delivery company's envelope. This will ensure that your proposal is not prematurely opened. Proposals not received at the New York State Education Department by April 5, 2002 at 4:00 p.m. will not be opened.

The Consultant is required to supply three (3) hard copy proposals AND one (1) electronic (diskette or CD) proposal. All proposals must be submitted in a single package per the above instructions .

8. Liability for Proposal Preparation Expense

The State is not liable for any costs incurred by the Consultant in the preparation and production of a proposal or for any work performed prior to the execution of a formal contract.

Prior to the award, a Consultant may, at the sole discretion of the New York State Education Department, be asked to deliver a presentation to the Evaluation Team. A Consultant will not be compensated for any costs incurred to deliver the requested presentation.

9. Contract Negotiations and Approval

During contract negotiations, the New York State Education Department expects to have direct access to Consultant's personnel who have full authority to make commitments on behalf of the Consultant. A Consultant must include, as part of its proposal, any restrictions under which its primary negotiators will operate.

Any negotiated contract must conform to the laws of New York State, and the provisions of this project definition, and will be subject to approval by the New York State Office of the State Comptroller. The contract will not be considered fully executed until formal approval has been granted by this State control agency.

10. Proposal Security

The content of each Consultant's proposal will be held in strict confidence during the evaluation process, and details of any proposals will not be discussed outside the evaluation process.

If a Consultant submitting a proposal feels that public disclosure of such proposal would result in substantial injury to the competitive position of the Consultant, it may request that the proposal submitted be kept separate and apart from other agency records on the grounds that the proposal contents constitute trade secrets. Such a request must be submitted in writing, should accompany the original submission and conform to the requirements of Public Officers Law Article 6, Freedom of Information Law.

V. EVALUATION AND SELECTION

A. Evaluation

1) The evaluation of the written proposals may require any of the following methods of clarification and validation:

a) Proposal presentations

b) System demonstrations

c) Telephone, e-mail, mail, etc., correspondence with authorized Consultant representatives

2) The Technical and Financial components of the bids will be evaluated separately bearing the weight assigned below:

a) Technical Component = 70%

b) Financial Component = 30%

3) A proposal shall be deemed unresponsive if it fails to meet the minimum proposal criteria defined in this PD. Non-responsive bids will not be evaluated or ranked.

4) All proposals deemed responsive to the proposal criteria shall be ranked based upon the combined evaluations received for the Technical and Financial components of the bids.

5) The NYSED reserves the right to award all or part of this project.

B. Technical Component (70%): Proposal Evaluation and Criteria/Weight

The Technical Evaluation will be organized into three (3) categories:

1) Qualifiers (Pass/Fail) – This is a Pass/Fail Category in which the Consultant must meet minimum evaluation criteria to receive a passing grade. Failure to do so will result in disqualification. The qualifying criteria are as follows:

a) The Contractor must stipulate that they will utilize Oracle application development tools (Designer/Developer) in the production of project deliverables.

b) The Contractor must stipulate that the Consultant Project Team will be primarily located at NYSED in Albany NY for the duration of the project

2) Quantifiers: (100% of the Technical Evaluation Rating) –Consultants who meet the minimum qualifying criteria will be scored and rated for each of the Project’s Technical Requirements. Consultants not meeting qualifying criteria would have been disqualified and, therefore, will not be scored or rated. Scores will be assigned to responses to each of the Project’s Technical Requirements within this Project Definition on the following basis:

Evaluation Categories

• Project Management Approach & Experience – 20%

• Personnel Technical Knowledge Experience – 15%

• Product Development Methodology – 20%

• Proposed Work Plan & Schedule – 25%

• Commitment to Technical Knowledge Transfer – 10%

• Verifiable References – 10%

Score of:

1-3 = meets minimum requirements

4-7 = exceeds minimum requirements

8-10 = substantially exceeds minimum requirements

A. Financial Component (30%): Project Cost

Costs will be independently evaluated with the lowest cost awarded the maximum available points (30 points). All other bids will be pro-rated using the following formula: Cost points equals available points for the category (in this case 30 points) x (low bid / bid under evaluation). For example, if the low bid is $100 (scoring 30 points) and a second offer is $200, the second bid would achieve a financial score of 15 [30 x (100 /200)].

Note: OSC will not approve zero (0) points to be assigned to any bid.

Note: Please be advised that any contractor who submits a mini-bid proposal where the rates exceed its firm's back-drop contract rates, depending on the language in the project specifications, the Issuing Entity will either:

(1) Disqualify/reject the entire proposal from further consideration OR

(2) Disqualify the consultant whose rates were excessive

There will be no opportunity to correct the cost information under these circumstances.

D. Evaluation Process

1. Bids will be received and opened by the NYSED Contract Administrator

2. Proposals will be separated into Technical and Financial sections and distributed to separate rating teams

3. All proposals shall be scored individually by members of the Technical Evaluation Team and submitted to the Contract Administrator

4. All proposals shall be scored individually by members of the Financial Evaluation Team and submitted to the Contract Administrator

5. The Contract Administrator will compile the scores from the Technical and Financial Teams and hold in confidence.

6. The Technical Team will meet as a group , review the technical proposals and if desired, re-score their individual evaluations and resubmit to the CA

7. The CA will recompile the scores and rank Contractor proposals

8. The top three proposals and any other proposals that fall within 10% of the top score may be required to meet with the Evaluation Team for a demonstration/presentation/Q&A

9. After the Contractor meetings, Technical Team members may again re-evaluate the proposals and resubmit the scores to the CA.

10. The CA will make a final compilation of the Technical and Financial scores and present a final ranked list to the Evaluation Team.

11. The award will be made to the bidder with the highest combined score.

VI. Attachments (From OGS/PSG)

Refer to OGS Attachments Package File

VII. Attachments (From NYSED Office of Teaching)

Refer to OT Attachments File

|PROJECT ABSTRACT |

| |

|CUSTOMER FOR WHOM SERVICES WERE PERFORMED: ___________________________________________________________________________ |

| |

|CUSTOMER ADDRESS: _________________________________________________________________ |

| |

|_______________________________________________________________________________________ |

| |

|_______________________________________________________________________________________ |

| |

|PROJECT START DATE: ___________________________ |PROJECT NAME: |PROJECT COST: |

| |___________________________ |________________________ |

|PROJECT DURATION: |HARDWARE ENVIRONMENT: |SOFTWARE ENVIRONMENT: |

| |___________________________ |________________________ |

|___________________________ | | |

|NETWORK ENVIRONMENT: |

|_______________________________________________________________________________________ |

|PROJECT DESCRIPTION: (Please attach additional sheets as necessary) _______________________________________________________________________________________ |

| |

|___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ |

| |

|__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ |

| |

|__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ |

| |

|__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ |

| |

|_______________________________________________________________________________________ |

| |

| |

|PROJECT REFERENCES: (REQUIRED AND WILL BE VERIFIED) |

| |

|Reference #1: |

| |

|CONTACT NAME: ___________________________________________________________________________ |

| |

|PHONE NUMBER: ___________________________________________________________________________ |

Office of Teaching Attachments

6. Current Office of Teaching Procedures

7. OSPRA Procedures

8. Current Office of Teaching Functional Overview

9. Office of Teaching Initiatives Current Functions – Clerical

10. Office of Teaching Initiatives current Functions – Certification Specialists

1. Current Office of Teaching Procedures

Definitions of Terms:

Record – Information of an individual applicant on the computer including all certificate areas applied for, demographic and educational degree data

File – A paper folder containing all documents submitted by an individual in support of

application(s) for certificates

Application – An application for a single certificate. One individual may submit several

applications, but all will be placed in the same paper file and appear on the same

computer record.

Case – An application for certificate ready for review by an evaluator

The Office of Teaching is committed to changing the current certification process and transitioning to a computerized and paperless office. We envision a system that will allow staff to enter documents and communications to applicants on the computer, retain a history of these documents, issue certificates, and allow applicants to determine the status of an application submitted or whether a certificate has been issued. Our overriding goal is to provide more timely evaluations and better customer service.

Applications for certificates can be processed as college recommended applications or through regular transcript review. College recommendations are largely a clerical function. Such applications are received by the clerical processing unit, reviewed for completeness, and processed. Either a certificate is issued or a deficiency letter is sent. This process can take up to three months from receipt of an application submitted by the college to the issuance of a certificate.

The regular transcript review process represents the majority of evaluations. Incoming mail is sorted and paper files are created by clerical staff for each individual. Basic information is entered on the computer (degrees, DOB, demographic, etc.). A preliminary review of the application and supporting documents is conducted by clerical staff to determine if the application is complete, documents are provided in the correct format, affidavits are signed, etc. Missing items are identified and staff notify applicants of any missing documentation that may be required. Complete applications are then placed in a “pending” drawer to be evaluated by professional staff. The number of credits earned toward reaching academic requirements is computed by evaluators. Certificates may not be issued until the fingerprinting requirement has been met, as communicated by OSPRA.

The current system requires down time in order to “catch up” to data entered in a previous session. For example, if a certificate is issued in the morning, the fact that it has been issued will not appear on the screen for a case until after 12:30, the beginning of the afternoon session. The period between 12 and 12:30 is used to enter transactions made during the previous morning session. Items entered in the afternoon sessions will not appear on the screen until the next day.

As of February 1, 2004, new regulations governing teacher certification will take effect. Both the levels and types of certificates given will change significantly. Provisional and permanent certificates will be replaced by initial, transitional and professional certificates, which must be renewed on a regular basis. The current division between Pre K-6 and Grades 7-12 will be replaced by more specific categories (Birth-Grade 2, Grades 1-6, etc.). Any new system must have the flexibility to accommodate these and similar future changes and have the capability of retaining the older titles.

2. OSPRA Procedures

A) Fingerprinting

The OSPRA fingerprint database is a separate data set within the OT mainframe. data files are created for every individual required to be fingerprinted and cleared for employment or certification. New files are established by the Office of Fiscal Management upon receipt of the completed fingerprint cards and fee. Fiscal management inputs a name, social security number and fee number and then electronically transfers that information to OSPRA each night. Common fields found within both the OT and OSPRA systems including SS#, name, DOB, address and employing school district are not readily shared. A program run each evening links the two systems to communicate fingerprint “clearance” or “hold” status information to the OT system. OT cannot issue a certificate when a fingerprint hold is in place. When a file receives a “clear” status, a clearance notice can be generated to the individual and the school.

B) Moral Character Investigations and Due Process

Moral character complaints received by SED are acknowledged by letter and assigned a case number. Case information and identifying data are stored on an ACCESS database. Common fields exist on both the investigative ACCESS database and OT mainframe, but are not automatically linked and/or shared. When an investigation is active a “hold” is placed on the certification file (OT database) preventing the issuance of a certificate. When disciplinary action has resulted in denial or invalidation of certification, then numerical code information is placed in the field creating a hold on the certificate file. Out of state disciplinary actions against educators are routinely downloaded from the clearinghouse website and entered on to the OT system. A program is then run to identify connects to existing NYS certification files in the event that a “flagged” individual ever seeks NYS certification.

C) Employer-Employee Relations

SED is responsible for maintaining a record of disciplinary charges preferred against tenured teachers by their employing school districts. Each case received is assigned a case number and entered into an ACCESS database. There are no direct or programmed links between the ACCESS database and the OT mainframe system. The current ACCESS database does not Allow for the collection of fiscal information associated with each case.

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Appendix 5

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Appendix 5

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Appendix 4

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Appendix 3

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