Request for Proposal

RFP #2016-1

Released:

April 15, 2016

Deadline for Submission:

May 31, 2016 - 5pm, PST

RFP Table of Contents

Tentative Schedule of Events

Vendor Registration/Questions submittal: 4/29/16

DRC Response to vendor Questions: 5/13/16

Proposals due back to DRC by 5pm, PST: 5/31/16

Selected vendor presentations: week of 7/5/16

Contract in Place by: 8/31/16

Website in use by the public by: 2/1/17

About Disability Rights California

Disability Rights California has four regional offices located in Sacramento including a Fresno satellite site, Los Angeles, Oakland and San Diego, as well as 27 satellite offices throughout the State of California. Disability Rights California has over 200 employees.

Disability Rights California invites you to present a proposal for web design and development services for our public website: www.disabilityrightsca.org.

As a disability rights organization, it is critical that selected vendors comply with Section 508 & W3C 2.0 AAA web guidelines (these guidelines can be found at http://www.w3.org/consortium/) and provide materials that are fully accessible in both web and print formats. In addition, all vendor office locations must meet state and federal disability architectural access requirements (Americans with Disabilities Act and California Building Code).

This RFP does not commit Disability Rights California to award the fixed price contract to any entity that responds, or to pay any costs incurred in the preparation or mailing of a respondent’s response, or in participating in this RFP process. Disability Rights California expressly reserves the right to negotiate with some, all, or none of the respondents with respect to any term or terms of the responses.

The RFP proposals will be evaluated for consistency with our specifications for cost, scope of work and proposed time line/delivery. We will consider a number of other factors including price, quality, and customer service. Vendors must be licensed, bonded, insured, and not on the federal debarment and suspension list. Consideration will be given to past performance and financial and technical resources.

Additional consideration will be given to small business concerns, small disadvantaged business concerns, minority-owned or women-owned small business firms, HUB Zone small business concerns, veteran-owned small business concerns, and small businesses owned by persons with disabilities (OMB 2 CFR 200.321).

Overview

Evaluations of proposals will be performed by DRC staff. Based on information provided in the proposal responses, qualified vendors will be selected for on-site or live webinar presentations. Upon completion of the presentation, DRC expects to proceed with negotiation of a fixed price contract with the selected vendor whose proposal best meets our needs and budget. The selected vendor must sign a confidentiality agreement upon commencement of negotiations. If DRC is unable to successfully negotiate with the vendor, DRC reserves the right to begin negotiations with another vendor and maintains the right to not select any vendor.

We want to improve functionality and usability of our website and be a model of website accessibility. We want to upgrade the style of our website, improve DRC’s public image, enhance the image of people with disabilities, create a more mobile friendly web presence, provide information to the greater disability community and media and policy makers, provide information in various languages, provide information and assistance to clients and their families and advocates. In addition, we want to increase traffic and visitor engagement, increase donations and build a community of supporters

We do not expect the vendor to provide editorial services or develop copy.

Expectations & Deliverables

DRC clients range from novice to expert Internet users. Our audience consists of DRC staff and board members, people with disabilities of all ages and backgrounds and their families, people whose primary language is not English, service providers, and disability advocates. Some will access our website from home or a public library and may have a slow Internet connection.

Our website should project DRC’s core organizational values – legal protection, advocacy, empowerment and inclusion of people with disabilities. We want our clients to know they have a place to turn when their human, legal and service rights are in jeopardy.  We also want clients to understand we work with them in partnership and provide tools they need to self-advocate. Our website should convey/symbolize/ portray DRC as the largest disability rights advocacy organizations in the nation and a leading source for information and resources about disability rights advocacy. The website should be appealing to donors and funders and should present DRC as a polished, professional non-profit legal services organization.

Anticipated developer tasks include designing and implementing a new website, which includes the following improvements:

Usability

1. 
   Improved public navigation and usability
   
2. 
   An efficient content management system so staff can update, review and approve final content, including article auto-expiration
   
3. 
   Layered security to allow for hierarchical editing permissions
   
4. 
   A visually appealing website
   
5. 
   A way to collect contact information from users who want more information and who may become donors
   

6. 
   Easy to maintain and upgrade
   
7. 
   Options for ongoing support and maintenance
   
8. 
   Optional automatic archiving or removing of content from public access
   

9. 
   Complies with W3C Level AAA WCAG 2.0 standards
   
10. 
    Ability to include American Sign Language (ASL) and videos in other formats and languages
    
11. 
    Ability to stream live video content (YouTube, Vimeo, etc…)
    

12. 
    A site-specific search engine, including a filter for PDF content
    
13. 
    Site must be Search Engine Optimized (SEO) and pages must contain the option for user specified meta-data
    

Creation of new pages/templates

14. 
    A flexible process to create pages in non-English and display other language characters, such as Chinese characters
    
15. 
    Ability to copy and create site templates in any language
    

16. 
    Improved compatibility with mobile devices and tablets
    
17. 
    Include DRC’s multiple social media channels: YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, plus the ability to add new social media widgets, plugins, imbedded real-time streams, etc. or content as needed
    
18. 
    Google Analytics tracking code dynamically inserted into each page
    

19. 
    Convert selected pages to the new format
    
20. 
    Train staff to update the site and make page conversions
    
21. 
    Develop/provide training manuals/materials
    
22. 
    Update DRC’s web based publication file system per DRC Publications section below
    

Technical and Infrastructure Requirements

ISP/Hosting Considerations

Browser/Platform Considerations

37% Chrome, 29% IE, 22% Safari, 9% Firefox, 2% Android, 2% various others

Our site must be compatible with all browsers and operating systems including Windows, Mac and Linux. Site pages must be 100% responsive on all mobile devices.

Development Platform Requirements

Because each application has its own proprietary coding methodology, our goal is to use a tool that will provide efficient coding (to keep document size to a minimum), with no proprietary tags and comments. The developer may use any website development application as long as it results in a website based on open standards and is easily maintainable and upgradeable.

Please specify which development application you are proposing and the reason behind the selection.

Provide options for support and maintenance of the content management system.

Verify the website design is section 508 and W3C AAA compliant.

Provide staff training to maintain and update the content management system.

Active Page Delivery Systems

DRC Publications

The developed publications system must include a process to create an updated master list of the publications and their locations/links.

Current Site Content

The numbers below in brackets represent the number of estimated pages to be converted.

Home Page [1 page] – This is the landing page and main navigation point for all sections of our website. This currently includes disability issues, updates regarding our work, information about fundraising campaigns as well as links to our social media channels.

About & Contact Us [66 pages] – This section includes our annual advocacy plan, annual report, board of directors information, donation page, history/funding, diversity policy, program descriptions, current RFPs, staff directory and our vision & mission statements.

Services [11 pages] – This includes descriptions of our top ten free services, our advocacy principles, a link to all agency brochures, our 5-year advocacy plan, how to get help and a description of who we help plus our grievance forms.

Results [310 pages] – This section includes information on all of our past and current legal cases, advocacy initiatives, success stories, regional office reports, advocacy director reports, clients’ rights reports and outreach newsletters. We will be updating the content in this area.

In the Legislature [516 pages] – This section includes information on our legislative work including bill position letters, state budget information, legislative achievements and legislative/public policy platform information.

Press [1773 pages] – This section contains our press contact info, press releases, news about us articles and links, success stories, and an archive of disability related news stories we use for annual reports.

Publications & Resources [452 pages] – This is one of our most frequently visited sections. This section houses our publications in English and other languages separated by subject area and language.

En Espanol [275 pages] – Originally created as a mirror of many of our English pages, the Spanish web pages contain information of particular importance to California’s Spanish speaking community. We want a recommendation as to the most efficient way to maintain Spanish content.

Other [700 pages] – these are pages linked from the sections above.

Estimated Total pages: 4104

Proposal Guidelines

Vendor Registration/Questions

Any vendor that registers their email address in advance will be sent a copy of all of the questions and their answers. DRC will do its best to answer questions. However, we reserve the right not to answer any question.

Deadline for Submission

Withdrawal or Amendment of Proposal

Irrevocable

Subcontracting

Limitation

Vendor Presentations

The presentations can be done in person or online and are expected to last 1-2 hours and must include:

- The vendor’s company overview and examples of its completed projects

- The vendor’s experience developing accessible web sites and examples

- The vendor’s experience working with languages other than English and examples

- The vendor’s view of what they can do to improve DRC’s website

- DRC staff questions about the vendor’s RFP proposal

Accessibility Compliance

To verify the accessibility of the website after completion of the project, DRC will contract with a 3^rd party firm experienced in evaluating the accessibility of websites. If the results of the evaluation indicate access problems exist with the website, the vendor will correct all problems or explain to DRC’s satisfaction why it is not necessary to do so.

Proposal Format

Paper copies are to be mailed to:

Disability Rights California

DRC Web Content Specialist-RFP #2016-1

1831 K St.

Sacramento, CA 95811

Proposal Sections

Section 1. Vendor Information

1. 
   Company history: Please provide a description of your company, organization, history, qualifications (copies of business licenses, insurance, and other certifications) and experience in designing accessible websites. Please describe the kinds of service and support provided by your company and all of its certifications. Provide summary resumes of key technical staff who will be assigned to the project, including their relevant certification(s), length of employment, and who would most likely be responsible for initial and ongoing service and support. Please describe what differentiates your company from those of your competitors. Please describe any future changes in your organization that are planned such as mergers, acquisition, consolidation, change in key management, or any other factors that may affect this contract.
   
2. 
   Annual Reports: Please provide annual financial reports from the previous two years, or a comparable document, including detailed current profit and loss, assets and liabilities, and other relevant financial data. These statements will be reviewed by DRC’s Administrative Services Director and be kept confidential.
   
3. 
   References: At least five (5) references for whom you have completed a similar (in size and scope) development or installation, which demonstrate a thorough understanding of accessibility standards (including if possible any nonprofit agencies). Ideally these references will demonstrate the vendor’s ability to develop an accessible, multi-language website using current technologies. Please include the type of system, how long it took to develop, the type of platform on which it was developed, the number of users, how training was provided, sample screen shots showing the look and feel of the system(s), and if you are currently supporting this system. Provide the names, titles, e-mail address, and telephone numbers of contacts for each reference. DRC will contact references.
   
4. 
   Sample Screen Shots: Please provide Sample Screen shots of at least 3 websites you developed to demonstrate your designs.
   
5. 
   Conflict of Interest: Please describe in detail any possible conflict of interest you know of that you or your firm may have with DRC, its key employees and board members (DRC board members are currently listed on DRC’s website).
   
6. 
   Minimum Vendor Business Qualifications: To be considered the vendor must demonstrate how it meets the following minimum requirements:
   

1. 
   The proposed vendor must have been in business, designing or implementing similar systems for a minimum of four years for organizations similar in size and complexity as DRC.
   
2. 
   The vendor must be the responsible developer of the proposed web application or certify that it is an authorized seller.
   
3. 
   The vendor must possess all required business licenses, professional certifications or other credentials and evidence that, vendor, if a corporation, is in good financial standing and qualified to conduct business in California and with the Federal government.
   
4. 
   The vendor must have adequate insurance.
   

Section 2: Accessibility of System and Support

For more details about accessibility please review the accessibility WCAG 2.0 AAA guidelines at http://www.w3.org/consortium/ and more information at http://www.section508.gov .

1. 
   The vendor must describe how they will ensure the website meets the highest standards of accessibility and so DRC is a model of access.
   
2. 
   The vendor must describe how they will certify the website is meets accessible W3C WCAG 2.0 AAA web standards and 508 development guidelines.
   

Section 3: Project Implementation Approach

1. 
   The vendor must provide an implementation approach and proposed plan and timeline to demonstrate how the design, development, delivery, installation, configuration, test, and integration of the proposed solution will be approached. The vendor must take into account DRC's intent to have its administrative and IT staff trained and involved in the implementation of the system along with DRC’s requirement to review draft presentations of the pages before they are finalized.
   
2. 
   Describe your process for change control, including process for recommending changes, participating in the decision process, and for documenting and implementing the approved changes within vendor’s proposed budget.
   

Section 4: Technology Environment

1. 
   Recommendation of technology platform to be used to deliver web functionality along with why this recommendation is being made.
   
2. 
   Recommendation(s) of the location of the proposed technology.
   
3. 
   Description of the Content Management system used including the approval process within the system to update and keep archived content.
   

Section 5: Training Requirements

1. 
   Training plan for Web administrator
   
2. 
   Training plan for content uploaders
   
3. 
   Training plan for IT technical training
   
4. 
   Outline of the documentation to be delivered
   

Section 6: Quality Assurance and Testing Approach

1. 
   Provide a quality assurance testing plan to verify and demonstrate the newly developed system and any converted data work as designed and are complete. This plan must cover all deliverables and services proposed by the vendor. Vendors should identify all resources required for testing, including all hardware and software required along with expectations for DRC staff.
   

Section 7: Ownership/Partnership

In addition, DRC requires that vendor provide DRC copies of the source code, design documentation, and diagnostic and testing materials (and development tools, if any, that are not generally available commercially) relating to the deliverables and any other information and materials reasonably necessary for DRC to maintain, modify and evolve the deliverables and system. Vendor must provide this information and materials when delivering each of the deliverables (or at another time reasonably agreed to by the parties).

1. 
   Vendor must outline the proposed ownership details of the finished product as described above.
   

Section 8: Publications

1. 
   Vendor must recommend either to keep the pubs on the existing server and access them from this newly developed web site or propose the development of a more integrated model outlining the necessary components.
   
2. 
   Outline the process for the public to search for and retrieve DRC documents and pubs.
   
3. 
   Outline the process for DRC staff to upload new pubs, including how to create a master pubs list file, including their meta data and location.
   

Section 9: System Security

1. 
   Outline the proposed security of the overall web system.
   
2. 
   Outline the proposed page security model, including how this security is created/edited and what rights can be associated with each section.
   

Section 10: Additional Comments by Vendor

This section is provided for the vendor to explain anything that may have been overlooked or not adequately addressed in this RFP that would or could affect the implementation of this system within DRC’s offices and culture. This section should also be used if you do not agree with, or do not understand items within this RFP, including the items outlined in the Proposal Guidelines section. Otherwise DRC assumes that you agree with and understand everything stated in the RFP.

Section 11: Proposal Fixed Pricing Summary

Include the following items (and any additional items) in the fixed pricing summary. Please be very specific:

• 
  Template development
  
• 
  Page conversion
  
• 
  Cost to create system-wide solution for creating and displaying key site pages in non-English languages
  
• 
  Process for management of publications
  
• 
  Training Costs
  
• 
  Any necessary licensing costs for software not already owned by DRC
  
• 
  Provide optional support and maintenance pricing plan
  
• 
  Other Costs (necessary for the successful implementation of this web page, but not previously defined).