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HomeMy WebLinkAboutRFP - 8412 AFTER HOURS & CONTINUITY OF SERVICES TELEPHONE ANSWERING SERVICE (3)RFP 8412 After-Hours and Continuity of Service Telephone Answering Services Page 1 of 13 REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL 8412 AFTER-HOURS AND CONTINUITY OF SERVICE TELEPHONE ANSWERING SERVICES The City of Fort Collins is requesting proposals from qualified firms to provide after-hours and continuity of service telephone answering services for the City of Fort Collins Utilities. As part of the City’s commitment to Sustainable Purchasing, proposals submission via email is preferred. Proposals shall be submitted in a single Microsoft Word or PDF file under 20MB and e-mailed to: purchasing@fcgov.com. If electing to submit hard copy proposals instead, eight (8) copies, will be received at the City of Fort Collins' Purchasing Division, 215 North Mason St., 2nd floor, Fort Collins, Colorado 80524. Proposals must be received before 3:00 p.m. (our clock), November 16, 2016 and referenced as Proposal No. 8412. If delivered, they are to be sent to 215 North Mason Street, 2nd Floor, Fort Collins, Colorado 80524. If mailed, the address is P.O. Box 580, Fort Collins, 80522-0580. Please note, additional time is required for bids mailed to the PO Box to be received at the Purchasing Office. The City encourages all Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (DBEs) to submit proposals in response to all requests for proposals. No individual or business will be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, sex, or national origin. It is the City’s policy to create a level playing field on which DBEs can compete fairly and to ensure nondiscrimination in the award and administration of all contracts. All questions must be submitted in writing via email to Pat Johnson, no later than 4:00 PM our clock on November 4, 2016. Questions received after this deadline will not be answered. A copy of the RFP may be obtained at www.rockymountainbidsystem.com. The City of Fort Collins is subject to public information laws, which permit access to most records and documents. Proprietary information in your response must be clearly identified and will be protected to the extent legally permissible. Proposals may not be marked ‘Proprietary’ in their entirety. All provisions of any contract resulting from this request for proposal will be public information. New Vendors: The City requires new vendors receiving awards from the City to fill out and submit an IRS form W-9 and to register for Direct Deposit (Electronic) payment. If needed, the W-9 form and the Vendor Direct Deposit Authorization Form can be found on the City’s Purchasing website at www.fcgov.com/purchasing under Vendor Reference Documents. Sales Prohibited/Conflict of Interest: No officer, employee, or member of City Council, shall have a financial interest in the sale to the City of any real or personal property, equipment, material, Financial Services Purchasing Division 215 N. Mason St. 2nd Floor PO Box 580 Fort Collins, CO 80522 970.221.6775 970.221.6707 fcgov.com/purchasing RFP 8412 After-Hours and Continuity of Service Telephone Answering Services Page 2 of 13 supplies or services where such officer or employee exercises directly or indirectly any decision- making authority concerning such sale or any supervisory authority over the services to be rendered. This rule also applies to subcontracts with the City. Soliciting or accepting any gift, gratuity favor, entertainment, kickback or any items of monetary value from any person who has or is seeking to do business with the City of Fort Collins is prohibited. Collusive or sham proposals: Any proposal deemed to be collusive or a sham proposal will be rejected and reported to authorities as such. Your authorized signature of this proposal assures that such proposal is genuine and is not a collusive or sham proposal. The City of Fort Collins reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and to waive any irregularities or informalities. Utilization of Award by Other Agencies: The City of Fort Collins reserves the right to allow other state and local governmental agencies, political subdivisions, and/or school districts to utilize the resulting award under all terms and conditions specified and upon agreement by all parties. Usage by any other entity shall not have a negative impact on the City of Fort Collins in the current term or in any future terms. Sustainability: Consulting firms/teams participating in the proposal are to provide an overview of the organization’s philosophy and approach to Sustainability. In no more than two (2) pages please describe how your organization strives to be sustainable in the use of materials, equipment, vehicles, fuel, recycling, office practices, etc. The City of Fort Collins incorporates the Triple Bottom Line into our decision process by including economic (or financial), environmental, and social factors in our evaluation. The selected Service Provider shall be expected to sign the City’s standard Agreement without revision prior to commencing Services (see sample attached to this Proposal). Sincerely, Gerry S. Paul Purchasing Director RFP 8412 After-Hours and Continuity of Service Telephone Answering Services Page 3 of 13 I. BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The City of Fort Collins is a full-service municipal organization operating under a home rule, Council-Manager form of government. Various national organizations and magazines recognize Fort Collins as one of the best places to live in the nation. Sixty miles north of Denver, Fort Collins is home to Colorado State University (CSU), with 32,000 students, several large high-tech employers, and leading businesses in the brewing industry. The community includes 43 natural areas, a variety of cultural amenities, and is renowned for its bike-friendly, small-town feel. It has access to outdoor activities and local cultural amenities. Fort Collins Utilities is an integral part of the Fort Collins community. As a municipally owned, multi-service utility employing over 400 individuals, we provide electric, water, wastewater and stormwater services to our customers. Utilities serves more than 70,500 (both single-family and multi-family) electric meters, and 35,000 water meters. More information about Fort Collins Utilities can be found at fcgov.com/utilities. Fort Collins Utilities seeks to hire a firm to provide after-hours and emergency telephone answering services. II. SCOPE OF SERVICES A. Scope of Work: Fort Collins Utilities is seeking proposals from independent contractors with demonstrated professional competence and experience to provide answering services. The following defines the scope of work for after-hours/continuity of service telephone answering services for the City of Fort Collins Utilities. Answering services to be provided include answering a dedicated after-hours/continuity of service phone line utilizing a specified Utilities protocol, forwarding calls, taking messages and information, logging them, contacting Utilities personnel via telephone, text and email, providing customer information and transferring information to the Utility in a timely manner. Required Technical Capabilities and Resources: Contractors offering to provide this service must have the following technical capabilities and resources: 1. Power Supply Backup: Supplier must have an alternative means to provide continuous operations during a power outage of up to four (4) hours. This would include provisions that would maintain phone operation and phone features such as transfer, and maintain sufficient lighting for personnel to perform their duties. 2. Digital Electronic Data Transfer: Awarded firm must have the capabilities to digitally transfer data. This would be used to forward customer call information to the duty person's telephone, text and e-mail daily call logs. Vendor’s proposal shall include a description of their answering capabilities utilizing Interactive Voice Response (IVR) as well as their ability to receive outage notification from customers via text or through a web portal/mobile device application. In addition to the IVR capability, the vendor shall be able to provide their employees the training necessary (Red Flags, Open Records, and Cybersecurity) to protect Fort Collins Utilities’ customers’ data. The vendor shall include their policy regarding the protection of their RFP 8412 After-Hours and Continuity of Service Telephone Answering Services Page 4 of 13 customer’s data. 3. Call Transfer: Awarded firm must have the capability to transfer calls to other lines. 4. Hold and Busy-Out Feature: Telephone system must have the capability to momentarily place the incoming line on hold to allow contacting duty persons and to allow transfer of call. Telephone system must have the ability to busy-out (incoming callers would receive a busy signal) the Utilities’ incoming line if needed to control traffic during the occurrence of a large outage or water main break. Preferably, the customer would receive a phone recording indicating that a power outage/water main break is in progress, there is currently a high volume of calls, and be placed on hold for the next available operator. 5. Phone Lines: Awarded firm must have at least two lines, which can be used for Utility related incidents. One incoming line must be dedicated to Utilities and answered with the following protocol: "Fort Collins Utilities After-Hours. What is your emergency?" The other line or lines must be available for the duty person to be able to call the answering service without any delays. When possible, calls should be answered by the third ring. 6. TTY and TDD Capabilities: Contractor shall have teleprinter (TTY) or telecommunications devices for the deaf (TDD) capabilities in order to communicate with customers who are deaf, hard of hearing, or who have speech impairment. 7. Non-English Speaking Capabilities: Contractor shall have personnel available, at all hours of operation, who are fluent in Spanish in addition to English. 8. After-Hours Operation: Service must be provided from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. Monday through Friday, and 24 hours per day Saturdays, Sundays, and these holidays: New Year’s Day Martin Luther King Day Presidents Day Memorial Day Independence Day Labor Day Veterans Day Thanksgiving Day Christmas Day Contractor shall be able to provide service outside the After-Hours Operation schedule listed above in emergency situations and when advanced notification is given where Fort Collins Utilities is unable to do so. In extreme circumstances, Fort Collins Utilities may elect to discontinue forwarding the numbers and take calls at the Utilities service center. 9. Staffing - Regular and Backup Operation Personnel: The call center must have sufficient regular personnel as needed to provide quick RFP 8412 After-Hours and Continuity of Service Telephone Answering Services Page 5 of 13 telephone answer response and to provide trained backup for all hours of operation. Adequate response to incoming calls and relaying the calls to on-duty personnel will be the primary consideration in determining satisfactory performance of service. Contractor’s personnel shall conduct all work in a professional manner, even when dealing with residents, staff or other callers in high stress situations. 10. Call Types: Following are examples of the types of calls the call center shall respond to: Light & Power Streetlight Out Traffic Light Out Request for Connection/Disconnection/Transfer of Service Routine business questions Television interference Tree trimming Bill problems Request for Utility phone numbers Media Calls Underground Locate Requests No power Partial power Damaged equipment Wire down Arcing/Sparking wires Dimming/flickering lights Dig in Water\Wastewater\Stormwater Service Calls - Water Quality Service Calls - Turn Off Requests for Repairs Service Calls - Check for Leak Frozen or Broken Pipes Water Station Problems Delinquent Turn Ons Water Main Breaks Fire Hydrant Damage Missing or Damaged Water Manhole, Valve Box or Cover, and/or Meter Pit Cover Water Meter Problems Plugged Drainage Inlet or Flooded Street Detention Basins Not Draining Drainage Channels Backing Up Water Irrigation Canal Problems Bridge Damage Hazardous Material Spills Heavy or Intense Rainstorms Pets or Animals in Storm Drains Sewer/Bad Odor Smells From Storm Drains Plugged Sewer Calls Sanitary Sewer Manhole Damage RFP 8412 After-Hours and Continuity of Service Telephone Answering Services Page 6 of 13 Sanitary Sewer Service Blockages Sewer Odor Calls Emergency Locates Contractor Damage to Water/Wastewater/Stormwater Gate Open at 701 Wood Street 11. Outage/Water Main Break Area Information The vendor’s proposal shall provide a description of their ability to provide callers with outage/water main break geographical area information, if specified and provided by Utilities. 12. Call Log and Recordings: All calls received by the Contractor shall be recorded and logged. The log shall be transmitted to the Utilities at the beginning of each regular workday. Essential log information shall be date, time of call, name, address, return phone number, and problem\service request. Light & Power call logs should be sent to the appropriately provided emails. Water\Wastewater\Stormwater call logs should be sent to the appropriately provided emails. The call recordings and logs shall be stored for a minimum of 30 days and shall be available at the request of the Utility within that time period. Vendor shall include their document retention policy in the proposal. 13. Preferred Means of Contact: The preferred means of contact for the Field Duty Person will be via text message. If the on-duty personnel does not acknowledge receipt of the text message, a phone call will be placed to the duty person. Complete the notification of the duty person and take a message consisting of the time/date customer name, address, return phone number and problem, if known. If the Field Duty Person has not responded within five minutes, the Alternate Duty Person should be called if they do not answer the phone. If neither of the two Water Field Operations duty persons can be contacted someone from the alternate calling tree should be notified. See attached flowchart. 14. Text Message Notification of Calls: A text message indicating the of the time/date customer name, address, return phone number, and problem\service request shall be sent to the duty cell phone for all types of calls that designate calling the duty person. This shall be in addition to the cell phone contact. See flowchart. 15. Estimated Traffic: For purposes of estimating the cost of providing service, typical call traffic for phone lines is projected to be: Weekday Evenings: 2 to 5 calls Saturdays: 13 calls Sundays: 5 calls Holidays: 50 calls, mostly occurring during business hours Major Utility Events (Light & Power Outages, Water Main Breaks, etc.): 100 times per year. The maximum number of calls that can be expected during a major event is 200. During large sustained power outages or water main breaks, Utilities may elect to discontinue forwarding the numbers and take calls at the Utilities service center. The call RFP 8412 After-Hours and Continuity of Service Telephone Answering Services Page 7 of 13 center will be notified which way the City prefers to handle it. 16. Flowchart: A flowchart has been attached outlining the call-management process. 17. Concern/Complaint Resolution Process If Utilities’ or its customers express a concern or complaint regarding the manner in which their calls have been handled, the contractor shall have an issue resolution process in place in which to follow. That process shall be included in the proposal. B. Use of Sub-Consultants/Partners There may be areas for use of sub-consultants or partners from the award of this RFP. Provide information about the sub-consultants that may be needed during the project. The City will contract solely with the vendor; therefore sub-consultants/partners remain the sole responsibility of the vendor. C. Length of Proposals Limit the total length of your proposal to a maximum of 25 pages (8.5 x 11” only) (excluding covers, table of contents, dividers, sustainability response and proposal acknowledgement form). The Director of Purchasing may reject proposals received that are longer than 25 pages in length. D. Billing, Invoices, and Payment The vendor shall state their billing method in the proposal. Invoices for services should be submitted monthly to Utilities. Invoices should be itemized in accordance with setup, fixed monthly charges, and variable charges based on number of calls, etc. The vendor may receive monthly payments for satisfactorily completed work based on verified progress. E. SCHEDULE The overall delivery schedule for the selection process is estimated as follows: • Final Questions Due November 4, 2016 • RFP Proposals Due November 16, 2016 • Notice of Short List (tentative) week of December 5, 2016 • Interviews (tentative) December 15 & 16, 2016 F. INTERVIEWS In addition to submitting a written proposal, finalists may be interviewed by the City of Fort Collins and asked to provide an oral presentation about their company and approach to the work. G. PERSONNEL CONDUCT The successful firm shall be responsible for maintaining satisfactory standards of employees' competency, conduct, courtesy, honesty, and integrity, and shall be responsible for taking such disciplinary action with respect to any employee, as may be necessary. The personal conduct of the Consultant and its staff has a direct impact on the quality of performance. Personnel will be dealing with residents, staff or other callers in high stress RFP 8412 After-Hours and Continuity of Service Telephone Answering Services Page 8 of 13 situations. It is imperative the individuals assigned to provide these services possess good interpersonal and customer service skills. They should be comfortable and proficient in working with a diverse population. They should be skilled at de-escalating potential conflicts. Unacceptable personal conduct/behavior by the Consultant, as defined, may result in immediate or early termination of the Agreement, as also defined. The City may request the successful firm to immediately remove from this assignment any employee found unfit to perform duties due to one or more of the following reasons: (1) Neglect of duty. (2) Disorderly conduct, use of abusive or offensive language, quarreling, intimidation by words or actions or fighting. (3) Theft, vandalism, immoral conduct or any other criminal action. (4) Selling, consuming, possessing, or being under the influence of intoxicants, including alcohol, or illegal substances while on assignment for the City. III. PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL For this section, vendors are required to provide detailed written responses to the following items in the order outlined below. The responses shall be considered technical offers of what vendors propose to provide and shall be incorporated in the contract award as deemed appropriate by the City. A proposal that does not include all of the information required may be deemed incomplete and may be subject to rejection. The City of Fort Collins shall not reimburse any firm for costs incurred in the preparation and presentation of their proposal. A. Executive Summary The Executive Summary should highlight the content of the proposal and features of the services offered. Indicate your availability to participate in the interviews/demonstrations on the proposed dates as stated in the Schedule section. Exceptions to the Agreement are to be noted in the Executive Summary. B. Company Information 1. Describe the Company’s business and background 2. Number of years in the business 3. Details about ownership 4. An overview of services offered and qualifications 5. Size of the firm 6. Location(s) of offices, identify which will be the primary for our account 7. Primary contact information for the company including contact name(s) and title(s), mailing address(s), phone number(s), and email address(s). Complete Exhibit A, Proposal Acknowledgement. C. Scope Of Proposal This section should demonstrate the understanding of the Consultant (and any applicable sub- consultants) of the required services, and of the policy and procedural issues that may be involved in providing such services. 1. Provide a detailed narrative of the services your firm proposes to provide if awarded the Agreement. The narrative should include any options that may be beneficial for Utilities RFP 8412 After-Hours and Continuity of Service Telephone Answering Services Page 9 of 13 to consider. 2. Describe how the project would be managed and who would have primary responsibility for its timely and professional completion. 3. Describe the anticipated interaction with the City. Include any resources you would expect City staff to provide. 4. Identify the firm’s approach to measuring and verifying value delivered. 5. Describe your disaster recovery processes for the call center and dispatch. 6. Provide a sample invoice showing the detail to be included. 7. Provide copies of reporting that is available through your firm. D. Assigned Personnel The Consultant should provide the following information: 1. List of Project Personnel: This list should include the identification of the contact person with primary responsibility for this Agreement, the personnel proposed for this Agreement, and any supervisory personnel, including partners and/or sub consultants, and their individual areas of responsibility. 2. A resume for each professional and technical person assigned to the Agreement, including partners and/or sub consultants, shall be submitted. The résumés shall include at least three individual references from previous assignments. Please limit resumes to one page. 3. Some functions of this project may require the use of sub-consultants. If you intend to utilize sub-consultants you must list each and provide resumes for their key personnel. Provide examples of at least two projects where you’ve worked with your sub- consultants. List the sub-consultant firm(s) for this Agreement, their area(s) of expertise, and include all other applicable information herein requested for each sub-consultant. Identify what portion of work, if any, may be sub-contracted. Resumes shall be submitted in accordance with D.2 above. E. Availability 1. Describe the availability of project personnel to participate in this project in the context of the Consultant firm’s other commitments. 2. Provide a proposed schedule for the work, estimating the number of hours for each proposed or optional task, including the time required for meetings, conference calls, etc. 3. Describe the backup system and procedures you have in place in the event of power loss or communications failure? Do you have redundancy built-in to your procedures? 4. Describe what continuity of service means to your firm. F. Sustainability/TBL Methodology In no more than two (2) pages please describe how your organization strives to be sustainable in the use of materials, equipment, vehicles, fuel, recycling, office practices, etc.. Address how your firm incorporates Triple Bottom Line (TBL) into the workplace, see below in Section IV: Review and Assessment for additional information. G. Cost And Work Hours In your response to this proposal, please provide the following: 1. Estimated Hours by Task: Provide estimated hours for each proposed task by job title and employee name, including the time required for meetings, conference calls, etc. 2. Cost by Task: Provide the cost of each task. With the call volumes listed in Section 15, Estimated Traffic, what would the typical weekday, weekend, holiday, major utility cost. Provide detail for each RFP 8412 After-Hours and Continuity of Service Telephone Answering Services Page 10 of 13 3. Schedule of Rates: Provide a schedule of billing rates by category of employee and job title to be used during the term of the Agreement. This fee schedule will be firm for at least one (1) year from the date of the Agreement. The fee schedule will be used as a basis for determining fees should additional services be necessary. Include a per meeting rate in the event additional meetings are needed. A fee schedule for sub- consultants, if used, including mark-up if applicable shall be included. 4. All direct costs (i.e., travel, printing, postage, etc.) specifically attributed to the project and not included in the billing rates must be identified. Travel expenses will be reimbursable as per the attached Fort Collins Expense Guidelines. Consultant will be required to provide original receipts to the City for all travel expenses. H. Firm Capability Provide relevant information regarding previous experience related to this or similar Projects, to include the following: 1. Provide an Organization Chart/Proposed Project Team: An organization chart containing the names of all key personnel and sub consultants with titles and their specific task assignment for this Agreement shall be provided in this section. 2. Provide your firm’s qualifications to perform the consulting services described. 3. Provide a minimum of three similar projects with governmental utilities in the last 5 years that have involved the staff proposed to work on this project. Include the owner’s name, title of project, beginning price, ending price, contact name, email and phone number, sub-consultants on the team and a brief description of the work and any change orders. 4. Provide copy of your most recent Client Satisfaction Survey regarding your services. I. Additional Information Provide any information that distinguishes Consultant from its competition and any additional information applicable to this RFP that might be valuable in assessing Consultant’s proposal. RFP 8412 After-Hours and Continuity of Service Telephone Answering Services Page 11 of 13 IV. REVIEW AND ASSESSMENT Professional firms will be evaluated on the following criteria. These criteria will be the basis for review and assessment of the written proposals and optional interview session. At the discretion of the City, interviews of the top rated firms may be conducted. The rating scale shall be from 1 to 5, with 1 being a poor rating, 3 being an average rating, and 5 being an outstanding rating. WEIGHTING FACTOR QUALIFICATION STANDARD 2.0 Scope of Proposal Does the proposal address all elements of the RFP? Does the proposal show an understanding of the project objectives, methodology to be used and results/outcomes required by the project? Are there any exceptions to the specifications, Scope of Work, or agreement? 2.0 Assigned Personnel Do the persons who will be working on the project have the necessary skills and qualifications? Are sufficient people of the requisite skills and qualifications assigned to the project? 1.0 Availability Can the work be completed in the necessary time? Can the target start and completion dates be met? Are other qualified personnel available to assist in meeting the project schedule if required? Is the project team available to attend meetings as required by the Scope of Work? 1.0 Sustainability/TBL Methodology Does the firm demonstrate a commitment to Sustainability and incorporate Triple Bottom Line methodology in both their Scope of Work for the project, and their day-to-day business operating processes and procedures? 2.0 Cost and Work Hours Does the proposal included detailed cost break-down for each cost element as applicable and are the line- item costs competitive? Do the proposed cost and work hours compare favorably with the Project Manager's estimate? Are the work hours presented reasonable for the effort required by each project task or phase? 2.0 Firm Capability Does the firm have the resources, financial strength, capacity and support capabilities required to successfully complete the project on-time and in- budget? Has the firm successfully completed previous projects of this type and scope? RFP 8412 After-Hours and Continuity of Service Telephone Answering Services Page 12 of 13 Definitions Sustainable Purchasing is a process for selecting products or services that have a lesser or reduced negative effect on human health and the environment when compared with competing products or services that serve the same purpose. This process is also known as “Environmentally Preferable Purchasing” (EPP), or “Green Purchasing”. The Triple Bottom Line (TBL) is an accounting framework that incorporates three dimensions of performance: economic, or financial; environmental, and social. The generally accepted definition of Andrew Savitz for TBL is that it “captures the essence of sustainability by measuring the impact of an organization’s activities on the world…including both its profitability and shareholders values and its social, human, and environmental capital.” REFERENCE EVALUATION (TOP RATED FIRM) The Project Manager will check references using the following criteria. The evaluation rankings will be labeled Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory. QUALIFICATION STANDARD Overall Performance Would you hire this Professional again? Did they show the skills required by this project? Timetable Was the original Scope of Work completed within the specified time? Were interim deadlines met in a timely manner? Completeness Was the Professional responsive to client needs; did the Professional anticipate problems? Were problems solved quickly and effectively? Budget Was the original Scope of Work completed within the project budget? Job Knowledge a) If a study, did it meet the Scope of Work? b) If Professional administered a construction contract, was the project functional upon completion and did it operate properly? Were problems corrected quickly and effectively? RFP 8412 After-Hours and Continuity of Service Telephone Answering Services Page 13 of 13 EXHIBIT A PROPOSAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Consultant hereby acknowledges receipt of the City of Fort Collins Utilities’ Request for Proposal and acknowledges that it has read and agrees to be fully bound by all of the terms, conditions and other provisions set forth in the RFP. Additionally, the Consultant hereby makes the following representations to Utilities: a. All of the statements and representations made in this proposal are true to the best of the Consultant’s knowledge and belief. b. The Consultant has obtained all necessary authorizations and approvals that will enable the Consultant to commit to the terms provided in this proposal. c. This proposal is a firm and binding offer, for a period of 180 days from the date hereof. d. I further agree that the method of award is acceptable to my company. e. I also agree to complete the proposed Agreements with the City of Fort Collins within 30 days of notice of award. f. If an Agreement is not completed and signed within 30 days, City reserves the right to cancel and award to the next highest rated firm. g. I acknowledge receipt of addenda. Consultant Firm Name: Physical Address: Remit to Address: Phone: Authorized Agent of Firm Name: Signature of Authorized Agent: Primary Contact for Project: Title: Email Address: Phone: Cell Phone: