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RFP Concept Paper # 37
Presented to Technology Governance Board (TGB) Date Prepared: April 4, 2007
Name of RFP to be reviewed: Enhance the Iowa Waste Exchange Database Agency: Department of Natural Resources RFP Reference #: Release Date: (February 28, 2007)
Projected cost over $50,000? Yes _x__ No ___ Projected agency staff hours over 750? Yes ___ No _x__
Cost: List estimated total cost of RFP $88,820 Timelines: List both the timelines for the RFP issuance process and the major dates included in the RFP services contract.
Issue RFP Intent to Bid Form and Questions Due Answers to Questions Issued to Bidders Closing Date for Receipt of Bid Proposals Determine Successful Vendor Approval of Technology Government Board Approval of EPC (Environmental Protection Commission) Completion of Contract Negotiations and Execution of the Contract Begin Contract Contract Completion
February 28, 2007 March 14, 2007 March 14, 2007 March 23, 2007 April 2, 2007 April 12, 2007 June 5, 2007 June 8, 2007
June 11, 2007 October 15, 2007
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Goal:
The Iowa Waste Exchange is one of the nation's premiere materials exchange programs. This no-cost, non-regulatory, confidential service matches institutions that produce byproducts and waste with other groups interested in using or recycling those materials. The program helps businesses, schools, hospitals and communities save disposal money and protect the environment by reducing, reusing and recycling materials. The goal is to update and improve the Iowa Waste Exchange (IWE) program’s existing online database that is used for the dual needs of: a) proper internal tracking of client interactions, program performance results, byproducts available, byproducts matched, and companies seeking byproducts; and b) provide a web application from selected components of the internal client tracking information system that will easily allow the public to search a database collection of available and wanted materials. The public will also be able to submit available and wanted material information via that site. The database contains both confidential and non-confidential data.
Background:
Established in 1990 by the Iowa State Legislature to divert waste materials from the state’s sanitary landfills, the Iowa Waste Exchange (IWE) has a proven record of success. Since its inception, the IWE has matched almost 5,700 byproducts and other waste materials. The IWE’s success in matching materials has resulted in the diversion of more than 875,000 tons of waste from Iowa landfills. Businesses have saved more than $24.5 million in avoided disposal costs. Participating businesses also realize savings from avoided purchases of materials and reductions in transportation and storage space. The waste exchange is a partnership of the DNR, the Department of Economic Development (IDED) and the University of Northern Iowa’s Iowa Waste Reduction Center (IWRC). For more information about the Iowa Waste Exchange, please visit http://www.iowadnr.com/waste/iwe/index.html. The current IWE database application is an internal tracking application that stores 16,500+ existing program client records. The current database functions as a rolodex of program clients and the contact people within those companies. From the main menu a user can access two main areas: “Search” and “Reports.” These contain queries and reports set up to aggregate and analyze client and IWE contract performance related data such as available materials, matched materials, wanted materials, and match referrals for an organization. Market sheets and customer assistance statistics for the entire program are accessible and searchable by solid waste planning area and by individual IWE service area. Results include available materials, matched materials, number of clients assisted, types of assistance provided, materials wanted, etc. Audit columns exist in all tables to track who enters and makes changes to information and when that occurred. A third area, “Tools,” contains a mailing label generator. Originally the database was designed with a SQL Server 7 backend and Access97 client application for internal users. A small ASP application was able to pull specific nonconfidential information for public use. The database and Access 97 client serviced
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multiple state programs with a common client base within the three state agencies (IDNR, IDED, and IWRC) that partner to administer IWE. Due to the decentralized nature of the IWE program, the IWE specialists were plagued with connectivity and compatibility issues and the database and client application have since been updated to SQL Server 2000 and ASP and now are only used by the IWE program specialists and administrators.
Expected Results in this Product: Predictable Performance:
Access to data will be available 24/7 365 days a year. We expect to greatly improve the data usability by incorporating significantly more search and report capabilities into the user interface and by utilizing DNR’s standardized One Stop data model to rebuild the database schema. Data integrity will be also improved by incorporating more audit fields denoting the source and entry/update date of information. New Geographic Information Systems (GIS) capabilities will allow the program to function more effectively by allowing available and wanted material searches by distance. Improved security measures and on demand canned and ad hoc reports will also be included in the enhancements. The vendor’s performance will be measured by their ability to deliver tasks within the work hour estimates provided to the DNR Project Manager for each work assignment. Application code changes shall be completed within the mutually agreed upon delivery date and within 15% of the mutually agreed upon estimate of hours.
Response Time:
The vendor will be available on site at the DNR and remotely by phone, Internet meeting, and email as requested by the Project Manager. The vendor will take calls during normal business hours (defined in Central Time Zone hours as 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), Monday through Friday responding to: request for technical knowledge transfer and mentoring requests within one work day critical problems within 15 minutes of notification all other requests for estimates of effort within three work days
Capacity on Demand: Security:
All code members will reside in a secure code repository application, which meets or exceeds all state audit requirements. Only specifically identified DNR Employees will be allowed to check code into and out of the repository for assignment to the vendor. The awarded vendor will follow DNR and ITE security policies and possess: a high speed connection to the Internet allowing the vendor to access these environments utilizing DNR provided secure VPN technology. Visual Studio 2005.NET loaded onto vendor client machines.
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All data transmission will utilize an encryption protocol.
Quality Control:
The Department will assign a Project Manager whose responsibilities are to monitor and facilitate the project from requirements gathering to implementation, testing and user training. Additionally, the Energy and Waste Management Bureau Chief and DNR CIO will be the executive sponsors. A steering committee of select stakeholders from the IWE reps, Iowa Waste Reduction Center (IWRC), central office and IT will make-up the first level of decision making on the project. A testing team from the user community and IT will perform a comprehensive test of all components of the new system. All code changes made by the vendor to the Iowa Waste Exchange database and web application will goes through an IT review process before final acceptance testing. Under the direction of the DNR Applications Development Supervisor or CIO, the vendor will provide senior developer and DBA staff source code to review code changes prior to system acceptance. Such review shall include verifying functionality and suggesting revisions that enhance efficiency, ensure standards, promote best practices and ensure quality control for the program changes.
Pilot Testing Completed:
All code changes are tested in the user acceptance and testing environment before being certified for movement to the production environment. System testing will be performed prior to movement to production.
FY ’07 Project Funds:
Project funds are available in SFY 2007 and SFY 2008 from fees collected from landfills for every ton of waste disposed and are dedicated by the Code of Iowa for the Iowa Waste Exchange program, 455E.11.2.a(1)(b) and 455E.11.2(2)(c). These funds are in a dedicated account that can be carried over to the next fiscal year.
Some of the Interested Parties:
Interested parties include the following that use the database for tracking for performance and assisting program clients and the program clients that benefit from the Iowa Waste Exchange’s services: Department of Natural Resources Department of Economic Development Iowa Waste Reduction Center Material Recyclers Entities generating by-products Entities seeking by-products as raw materials
Some of the Recipients of this Service:
The Iowa Waste Exchange matches by-products from one entity with another entity that can reuse or recycle those by-products. The waste exchange services industry,
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commercial and retail customers, institutions, communities, recyclers, solid waste agencies, and government agencies.
Standards:
The program uses a standard Microsoft SQL Server 2000 database and will meet all enterprise (ITE) and DNR standards, policies and procedures.
Architecture:
The database is on a Microsoft SQL Server 2000 server that is connected through a firewall to the internet server.
Recommendations from DAS staff and CIO Council members: From 8 of 11 JCIO members: a) Is there duplication within Government? No. b) Can an existing program be modified to address a new need? No. c) Do you have any similar program in existence? No. d) Have you sought RFP’s for similar programs in the past? No. e) Do you have RFP’s for similar programs? No. f) Do you have an RFP that could be used as a starting point for this program? No. g) Is there anything you could provide that could assist the agency with this RFP? No. h) Are there alternatives available to the agencies? No.
Additional comments: The JCIO recommendation is to allow the agency to release the RFP under review.