REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
BROOKINGS COUNTY SOUTH DAKOTA
WEBSITE DESIGN BRANDING LOGO INTRANET SITE
Deadline for receipt of proposals: 08/14/2008
TABLE OF CONTENTS
About Brookings County………………………………………………………………pg.3 Summary of RFP………………………………………………………………………pg.3 Purpose…………………………………………………………………………..……..pg.4 Candidate Preference…………………………………………………………………..pg.5 Internet Objective and Strategies………………………………………………………pg.5 Website User Demographics…………………………………………………………..pg.5 Scope of Work……………………………………………………………………........pg.5 Consultant Questions and Agency Replies…………………………………………….pg.8 Candidate………………………………………………………………………...…….pg.8 Terms and Conditions………………………………………………………………….pg.9 RFP Submission Information…………………………………………………………pg.10 • • • Timetable…………………………………………………………………......pg.10 Candidate Information…………………………………………………..……pg.10 Proposal Criteria……………………………………………………..……….pg.11
Proposal Evaluation Criteria…………………………………………………….……pg.13 Proposal Submission...………………………………………………………………..pg.14
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About Brookings County
Brookings County was organized on July 3, 1871, and it is the 4th largest populated County in South Dakota. The 2000 Census showed the County’s population to be 28,018 with towns including: Arlington, Aurora, Brookings, Bruce, Bushnell, Elkton, Sinai, Volga, and White. Brookings County has numerous departments all working together as public advocates to help govern, protect, and increase the quality of lives for the general public of Brookings County.
Summary of RFP
Brookings County is accepting proposals to provide website design, logo branding, initial training, and intranet site setup of Brookings County Website (hereafter the work). The purpose of this RFP is to provide a fair evaluation process for all candidates with the evaluation criteria against which the contract will be awarded.
This is an open and competitive process. The proposal must contain the signature of a duly authorized officer or agent of the company submitting the proposal. The cost that you quote, for performing the Work, should be inclusive of all services requested. Provisions of this RFP and the contents of the successful responses are considered available for the inclusion in final contractual obligations.
Proposals received after 08/14/2009 will NOT be considered and will be returned unopened.
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Purpose
Brookings County currently has a Web Site; it has been maintained to date by internal staff members. Brookings County is now seeking a qualified candidate who will assume the responsibility of creating a website, train users create a branding logo, and create an intranet face for the County Employees. The candidate will provide comprehensive design, graphics, organization, content recommendations and programming services.
The goal of the process is to provide a unified appearance that is flexible enough to serve the needs of the County’s various departments, including: • • • • • • • • • • • • • Commission, Human Resources, GIS, & Building & Grounds Community Health Office Department of Equalization Emergency Management Office Extension Finance Office Highway Department Planning, Zoning, & Drainage Office Register of Deeds Sheriff’s Department State Attorney’s Office Weed and Pest Department Welfare Office, &Veteran’s Services Office
As part of the process, the contractor will also be required to design a logo for Brookings County and design of departmental letterhead, envelopes, note cards, and business cards. The candidate will also provide standards and templates to be used with programs such as Microsoft Word to generate letterhead and other typical stationary.
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Candidate Preference
Internet Objective and Strategies
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Increase awareness Improve programs Presenting comprehensive information and resources in an easy to use format Regularly updating information on the site Delivering a consistent image
Website User Demographics
Brookings County Website will be utilized by a wide range of users that include but are not limited to: • • • • • • Elected Commission Officials Governmental Staff Business owner and entrepreneurs Community development organization and small business development centers Lending institutions General Public of all Ages
Scope of Work
Description of Components or Phases
• • • • Phase One Phase Two Phase Three Phase Four Identity Issues Design and Integration Testing and Approval Deployment
Scope of Components or Phases
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Phase One •
Identity Issues
Meet with Web Development Committee and individual departmental managers to determine what information is required for web presentation and level of public interaction. These meetings will also give the contractor the ability to establish visual criteria for departmental logo design. Phase Two Design and Integration
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Take information gathered in Phase One and assemble a basic web design for the County incorporating all visual elements, photographs, miscellaneous elements, data tables, descriptive copy/text, the new County logo and any other web elements or animations to produce a visually appealing prototype. This phase will also include design of a web interface, construction of the web site, user interface security features and any additional databases that may be required. Contractor will be required to supply a plan and schedule for testing the site. Contractor will compile a users manual, if necessary, to be utilized by County personnel utilizing the administrative rights to the site. Members of the general public accessing the site should be supplied with sufficient on-line help tools, also supplied by the contractor, if necessary. The contractor will be required to bring the new web site to a production level no later than 08/01/2010. The contractor and Brookings County will then enter into the second phase of the agreement on an agreed timeline, whereby the contractor will provide site maintenance and other changes as delineated by the County. The contractor, in bidding on both phases and shall propose all potential maintenance, design and other hourly fees for both years (phases) of this agreement. The contractor will provide the necessary development documentation in electronic form that was developed during all phases of the development. Please note, that Brookings County will be the sole owner of all web site software developed and that the contractor can not resell the software without written permission from Brookings County. The following security levels will be required: o Administrator Level: It should allow the Administrator to set all levels of security for all other users. It should allow for the updating of the all other newly constructed tables established by the design phase. In addition to the above requirements, the administrator level allows all the functionality of all levels indicated below. o Departmental User Level: Allows the user to alter or modify their designated content. Testing and Approval Phase Three Contractor will work closely with Brookings County’s staff to ensure compliance with minimum guidelines.
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The website shall be hosted by Mass Media infrastructure and must meet minimum requirements. All contracted websites and applications must be evaluated to meet the basic set of web guidelines to function on the County’s infrastructure. Phase Four Deployment Contractor will work with Brookings County and its delegates to move the completed work product to production based on the following two items: Receiving completed work product approval from the Commission Board, and, working with the Web Development Committee at Brookings County to determine the appropriate ‘Date of Debut’ for the new work product. Brookings County reserves the right to contractually implement a “hold back” of funds (not to exceed 10% of total project year one costs) pending successful completion of the web project.
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Overall Expectations
Easy to Update Timeliness of Updates and Development Visually Appealing – the site must have an attractive mix of text and graphics reflecting current trends in website design. Prominent Brookings County logo – used as a predominate header for each page Consistent Design and Common Theme – each section of the site should have a common look and feel. The use of photographs, fonts and layouts should be consistent throughout the site. Easy to Navigate- the site must be easy to navigate. Information must be grouped and presented in a logical manner and require no more than three levels of “drill down” for the user to find the desired information. The Web pages must be developed to accommodate the proposed navigation scheme. Listserv Capabilities – provide listserv or similar email subscription capabilities Search Capabilities-provide search capabilities using key words or phrasing what will identify content throughout the site. Training and Support – Provide the necessary training and support to permit easy use Existing Web Content – Utilize existing Web content All content must comply with ADA requirements as it pertains to government websites
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Consultant Questions and Agency Replies
All written questions should be addressed to: technology@brookingscountysd.gov Vendors may submit written or email questions concerning this RFP to obtain clarification of requirements. No questions will be accepted after the date and time indicated in the above calendar of events. Email questions to the email address listed above with the subject line “Web Site RFP”. The questions and their answers will be sent to all vendors that received notice of the RFP and will be sent by the date and time indicated in the above calendar of events. Vendors shall not rely on any other statements, either or a written or oral nature, that alter any specifications or term and condition of the RFP.
Candidate
The Consultant(s) must exhibit the necessary expertise to fulfill the overall goals and objectives of this project. Minimum skill level: • • • • • • The Consultant must provide a Project Manager. The Project Manger will; Work with the County assigned Agency Project Manager to assign work tasks and to assure the project keeps on schedule. Supervise and have direct control over all Consultant employees assigned to the project. Determine “if” and “when” additional resources are needed. Request additional resources when needed. Have working knowledge of the vendor’s proposed solution.
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The Consultant or other member(s) of the Consultant’s staff should have direct knowledge and understanding of the Consultant’s proposed solution and should have the knowledge and ability to fulfill the requirements of each of the project components stated in the RFP. • They should have the skills to: o Develop an in-depth understanding of Brookings County. o Design communication materials that are aesthetically pleasing and user friendly in the designated medium. o Identify key website information o Strategize and present key website information clearly o Conduct meetings o Provide cost estimates They should have a general knowledge of; o o o o Content management, integration and implementation of Human Factors Designing for maintainability Website usability Branding
Terms and Conditions
Brookings will negotiate contract terms upon selection. All contracts are subject to review by the Brookings County Technology committee, and the Work will be awarded upon the signing of the contract, which will outline the terms, scope, budget and other necessary items.
Termination of Contract: This contract shall remain in effect until the contract expires or completion and acceptance of services ordered, or terminated by either party with a thirty (30) day written notice prior to any cancellation.
Termination for Default:
Evaluation: On an annual basis, the performance of the candidate will be evaluated to ensure the requirements of the Contract are being followed.
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RFP Submission Information and Timetable
Those wishing to submit a proposal may request an electronic copy of this RFP by contacting the Commission Office at 605-696-8205. The candidate can also find a link to the RFP at the following website: www.brookingscountysd.gov. Please provide your proposal to accomplish the Work in accordance with the timetable, candidate information, and proposal criteria set forth below.
Timetable • •
Proposals must be received no later than 8/14/2009 Proposals will be evaluated immediately thereafter. During this time we may require interviews with our evaluation team. The candidate will be notified if we’d like to schedule an interview.
Candidate Information •
List three (3) Websites that your company has developed and/or maintained that best reflect your capabilities and relevance to the Work. Briefly list the your role played in each project. The URLs should be submitted. Only sites that are live will qualify during evaluation.
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Provide current reference information for three former or current clients. Briefly describe your organizational capacity to develop and maintain the Brookings County website (e.g., staff, equipment, software). Provide a company profile and length of time in business. Briefly describe how you would manage the Work (e.g., staffing, responsiveness to requests for updates and development, primary contact, etc.). Your terms and conditions
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Proposal Criteria • •
Your proposal must include a cost proposal. Please us the following as a guideline to format your proposal: o Length and font size: Please use fonts no smaller than 11 point. Maximum proposal length, including title page, cover letter, proposal, qualifications, and budget, should not exceed ten (10) pages single spaced. o Title Page: Brookings County South Dakota, Website Proposal, your
company name, address, Web site address, telephone number, fax number, email address, and primary contact person. o Cover Letter: Signed by a person authorized to sign on behalf of the company (one (1) page). o Proposal: Discuss your proposed plan to accomplish the Work, including the features, benefits, and cost. o Candidate Information: As stated above. • Proposals should be prepared using the following heading and in the order that they are presented below. Please reference the section for the details on what should be included in your proposal. o Statement of Understanding of Project Summarize your understanding of what the work is and what the work will entail. This should include, but is not limited to, your understanding of the purpose and scope, critical success factors and potential problems related to the project, and your understanding of the deliverables.
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Corporate Qualifications What year was your parent company (if applicable) established? What is the business of your parent company? What is the total number of employees in the parent company? What are the total revenues of your parent company? How many employees of your parent company have the skill set to support this effort? How many of those employees are accessible from your organization for active support? What year was your firm established?
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Has your firm ever conducted business under a different name, and if so, what was the name? How many employees does your firm employ? How many employees in your firm are involved in this type of project? How many of those employees are involved in on-site project work? What percent of your parent company’s revenue (if applicable), is produced by your firm? Has your firm ever done business with other governmental agencies? If so, please provide references. Has your firm ever done business with the State of South Dakota? If so, please provide references. Has your firm ever done projects that are similar to this project? If so, please provide references. What is your Company’s web site? When providing references, the reference must include the following information: Name, address and telephone number of client/contracting agency and a representative of that agency who may be contacted for verification of all information submitted Dates of the service/contract A brief, written description of the specific prior services performed and requirements thereof Examples of the following: Logo Design Letterhead Envelopes Note cards Business cards Web pages o Schedule o Non Standard Software or Hardware Standard county hardware and software should be utilized unless there is a reason not to. If your proposal recommends using non- standard hardware and software, the proposal should very clearly indicate what non-standard hardware or software is being proposed, and why it is necessary to use non-standard hardware or software to complete the project requirements. o Proposal Amount This section should contain the grand total costs of the proposal for the website design only.
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o Staffing Table o Travel and Expenditure Table o Other Costs This section should include: Hardware Software Maintenance…Hourly phone and in-house fees License Fees Training Logo Creation Other…Candidate must specify cost o Team Organization County standard hardware and software should be utilized unless there is a reason not to. If your proposal recommends using non- standard hardware and software, the proposal should very clearly indicate what non-standard hardware or software is being proposed and why it is necessary to use non-standard hardware or software to complete the project requirements.
Proposal Evaluation Criteria
• • A committee composed of County personnel will evaluate these responses and select the best-qualified proposal. The criteria for the proposal is broken down into categories: Understanding of the scope and requirements of the project Technical skills and experience Special skills and experience gained from similar project(s) Resources available to staff the project Company references Company financial stability Proposed solution and work plan Cost proposal Other criteria specific to project Previous project experience with the State of South Dakota Previous project experience with other governmental agencies
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SUBMIT YOUR PROPOSAL TO: Brookings County RFP Committee c/o Stephanie Vogel Commission Assistant/Human Resource Director 314 6th Avenue Suite #2 Brookings, SD 57006
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