Request for Proposals RFP Title: Recruiting & Applicant Tracking System Re-Posting Date: 10/15/2014 Proposal revised submission deadline: 11/07/2014 8:00 PM EST Proposals previously submitted are still under consideration. Those Vendors may take this opportunity to revise their proposal submission during this extension. All initial proposals and any revised proposals must be submitted no later November7, 2014, 8:00 PM EST. Please find updated key dates for this RFP on page 8. Purpose of the RFP The NeighborWorks America Human Resources team is seeking an information system to support its recruiting and applicant tracking efforts. Background on NeighborWorks America NeighborWorks America is a national non-profit organization created by Congress in 1978 to provide financial support, technical assistance and training for community-based revitalization efforts. It is composed of three major parts: NeighborWorks America, the founder of the NeighborWorks network, provides support to and strengthens NeighborWorks organizations by providing training, technical assistance, funding and organizational assessments. NeighborWorks America was created by Congress in 1978 in order to revitalize older urban neighborhoods by mobilizing public, private, and community resources at the neighborhood level. Today, NeighborWorks America supports more than 235 organizations revitalizing their communities in rural and urban America. The NeighborWorks Network is a national network of more than 235 independent, community-based nonprofit organizations working to revitalize more than 2,700 urban, suburban, and rural communities through the work of thousands of residents, business people, government officials and other partners. Related Capital Corporations. NeighborWorks America works with several specialized capital corporations to build partnerships, develop loan products, and support financing vehicles that expand affordable housing opportunities in communities served by local NeighborWorks organizations. Background on Division/Program: NeighborWorks America (NeighborWorks) competes with many other organizations for talent, and some of these organizations are utilizing information systems that leverage recent advances in technology for improved candidate experiences, faster and more
Page 2 effective hiring, and streamlined internal operations in support of this effort. Additionally, compliance with laws, regulations, and even best practices in Human Resources is especially important for NeighborWorks as a recipient of and intermediary for Federal funding. This effort is being pursued in parallel with an effort to standardize and improve the recruiting processes throughout the organization. NeighborWorks America has a national office and 7 district and regional offices around the United States. These are all part of the 501(c)3 known as NeighborWorks America. Additionally, there are approximately 240 NeighborWorks Organizations (NWOs), which are independent, community-based nonprofits across the United States through which NeighborWorks America delivers many of its programs and services. Recruiting for all of the NeighborWorks America offices is managed by the HR Division at the national office. Additionally, NeighborWorks Organizations may elect to submit job openings to be displayed on NeighborWorks America s recruiting portal, but NeighborWorks America does not provide hiring services for the NWOs. As a congressionally-chartered corporation, receiving a direct annual appropriation, the organization is subject to a significant level of oversight, and holds itself to the highest operational standards. Oversight includes, among other things, an annual third-party financial audit plus a more rigorous organization-wide OMB A-133 compliance audit submitted to the Office of Management and Budget and Congress each year. Scope of Services: This project is being undertaken to provide recruiting and applicant tracking functionality. In the broadest terms this includes: creating positions and job descriptions posting position ads through various digital channels accepting applications and communicating with applicants evaluating candidates in collaboration with hiring managers assessing the results and effectiveness of these functions supporting compliance with relevant laws and policies Other HR and Talent Management solutions are already in place for the following functions and are not being considered for replacement at this time: onboarding, including employee self-service for benefits enrollment and other onboarding tasks core HR including benefits management compensation timekeeping and payroll While an information system to support the performance management process will be sought in fiscal year 2015, that system will not be acquired as part of this project.
Page 3 Objectives: The Human Resources team has been planning improvements to the recruiting function at NeighborWorks America with the intent of providing the following benefits: Better understand the performance of the recruiting function and gain data-driven insight into what s working Utilize this knowledge to improve the process and to better leverage NeighborWorks investment in recruiting Bring more consistency to the recruiting and hiring process, particularly to ensure greater compliance with employment laws Provide an improved candidate experience, both to increase the success of the recruiting efforts and to reinforce a positive impression of NeighborWorks America among all applicants Make more efficient use of staff time by facilitating improved collaboration among all staff involved in the hiring process Stakeholders: There are currently 5 personnel in the HR Division who are involved in the recruiting process, and between 50-80 hiring managers who participate in interviews as the need arises within their respective teams. Additionally, due to the use of panel interviews at least once in the interview process for every position, any one of the approximately 325 staff at NeighborWorks America may be involved in this process at one time or another. The term HR Business Partner at NeighborWorks refers to the Human Resources professional that works directly with departments/business units to provide Human Resources services. Additional executive staff members are involved in the approval of new positions, and in approving hiring decisions. Scale: The recruiting system must support the following volume: 30-40 position openings per year, with the heaviest volume typically from November through February 75-100 applicants per position A total of approximately 2,250 to 4,000 applicants per year Invoice Submission: Contractor shall submit invoices for payment no later than 10 business days after the end of each quarter (December 31, March 31, June 30, and September 30). Information Technology Environment & Security Requirements: Compatibility The system should support full functionality from clients using either Mac OS X or Windows 7 or higher, and should support the most common browsers including Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, or Safari.
Page 4 NeighborWorks primarily utilizes Windows servers and desktops and Active Directory for identity management. Configuration NeighborWorks envisions a solution that is hosted by the vendor, so it is expected that no on premises hardware will be required to run the server or application platform. Reliability System must provide a minimum of 99.9% uptime. Backup/Recovery Data must be stored in real time on servers in at least 2 geographic redundant facilities. Data must be appropriately backed up and recoverable. Must have ability to archive/inactivate data (applicant and administrative). Security System access must only be available for authenticated users. Integrated Active Directory authentication is required. Use of the nw.org FQDN is preferred, including use of a NeighborWorks America certificate. The system must support granular, role-based access security. For example, one requirement is that hiring managers only be able to view personally identifiable information about candidates they re involved in reviewing. Hosting facilities must meet common requirements for datacenters that host sensitive information. The vendor, upon request, must provide us with their current security compliance reports. Application must contractually comply with NeighborWorks America Third Party Security requirements. Third party security compliance requirements are listed on the last page of this RFP. A NeighborWorks staff member designated as Administrator must have full access to all NeighborWorks data in the system, for export to an SQL format or flat file exports to Excel spreadsheets, including access for a reasonable period of time to retrieve data if the license to utilize the software is not renewed. Non-Disclosure and Confidentiality Agreement This agreement will be provided to service providers that have declared intent to bid. Upon receipt of the intent to bid, NeighborWorks America will provide a copy of their Non- Disclosure and Confidentiality Agreement for review and sign-off. Timeline: NeighborWorks America expects to procure a solution by December 2014. Anticipated start of implementation: December 2014. NeighborWorks America anticipates the award of a five year contract inclusive of a base year and four one-year options.
Page 5 Proposal Format: We request the following items in proposal submissions: 1. Cover letter (please limit to 2 pages) to include the name of the company s point of contact, position held within the company, email address, and phone number. The cover letter shall also clearly list any requirements that your proposed system/solution doesn t meet of the Request For Proposal. 2. Full proposal inclusive of requirements below (A through D) no more than 25 pages Proposal Submission Requirements: Proposals become the property of NeighborWorks America. Proprietary information that you wish to remain confidential should not be included in your response materials. The proposal should include (total proposal not to exceed 27 inclusive of cover letter): 1. Answers to company and solution questions listed in Section A. 2. Cost Proposal, including all components listed in Section B. 3. Responses to requirements listed in Section C. 4. Transition Plan, including start up, implementation and exit of system in Section D. A: COMPANY/SOLUTION INFORMATION - Please answer the following questions about your company and solution. If the solution provider and implementation partner are different companies, both should answer all applicable questions. 1. What is the official registered name of your company and where is it headquartered? 2. What is the key contact name, title, direct telephone, and email address? 3. How many employees does your company have? 4. What is your company s annual revenue? 5. Who owns your company? 6. How long has your company been in business? 7. Approximately what percentage of your company s revenue does the proposed solution represent? 8. How long have you provided the proposed solution?
Page 6 9. Approximately how many customers are currently using your solution, including the number of organizations and total licenses (as applicable)? 10. Describe your approach to implementation, including data migration. 11. Provide your training plan for NeighborWorks users. 12. Describe your support services, including Service level Agreements (SLA) and hours of support. Provide copies of standard SLA and system availability (uptime/downtime reports). 13. Please provide a concise description of the top 3 differentiators that represent a competitive advantage for your company and solution. 14. Is your company facing any legal actions, ownership changes, or other situations that could have an impact on your ability to deliver the proposed solution and services? 15. Please list and very briefly describe the 3 most similar implementations you have performed, either in terms of the size or nature of the customer. 16. Provide Third Party Security compliance reports for review, as outlined within Security of NeighborWorks America (NW) Data within Third Party Environment B: COST PROPOSAL - Please provide a cost proposal that includes the following: 1. Implementation costs, including data migration and training 2. Annual ongoing costs, including licensing/subscription, support, and the rates for any services not covered as part of the support package 3. Additional costs that may be required, such as third party solutions required to provide the desired functionality 4. Key assumptions upon which the cost proposal is based
Page 7 C: FUNCTIONAL RESPONSES: Please include a System Functions List with the following classifications for each function: Supported supported as delivered, out-of-the-box Modification supported through configuration (i.e., does not require coding or developer-type expertise) Customization supported through custom coding Add-on supported through an additional module or third party solution that is added to the core product or platform D: TRANSITION PLAN: Provide your methodology for system start up, implementation and exit Proposal Evaluation and Selection Process: NeighborWorks America reserves the right to determine which bidders have met the base requirements of this RFP. In addition, NeighborWorks America may reject, in whole or in part, any and all proposals, waive minor irregularities in proposals, allow an offer to correct minor irregularities and negotiate with all responsible efforts in any matter deemed necessary to serve the best interest of NeighborWorks America. NeighborWorks America reserves the right to reject any and all proposals when such rejection is in the interest of NeighborWorks America, to reject the proposal of a bidder who has not met the prerequisites of the bid proposal or who has previously failed to perform properly or complete on time contracts of a similar nature, and to reject the proposal of a bidder who is not in the sole opinion of NeighborWorks America, able to perform the contract to the sole satisfaction of NeighborWorks America. NeighborWorks America also reserves the right to waive any informalities and technicalities in the bidding. NeighborWorks America reserves the right, however, to award the contract in accordance with its best interest and will not be required to accept the lowest bid. Responses will be evaluated using the following criteria: Strategic and Corporate Profile: o Capacity and qualifications of the service provider Deliverables: o Ability to provide all the services requested Technical Capability: o Evidence of successfully conducting similar services for other agencies, companies or organizations Project Schedule: o The soundness of the project approach and proposed plan for implementation/execution and exit. Cost Benefits: o Cost/fees breakdown
Page 8 RFP Provisions The proposal is a firm offer that will be considered valid for ninety (90) calendar days from the due date. NeighborWorks America shall not be responsible for any errors or omissions on the part of the Bidder in preparing this proposal. Bidder shall bear all costs associated with preparing the proposal. The project will be awarded based on organizational qualifications and experience, proposal content, schedule, and cost. We will be unable to provide any verbal or written feedback on individual proposals. NeighborWorks America also reserves the right to cancel or to reissue the RFP in whole or in part, prior to final award of a contract. Revisions to the RFP In the event it becomes necessary to revise any part of this RFP, all modifications will be posted to the NeighborWorks site at: http://www.neighborworks.org/about-us/consulting- Opportunities. Any submitted questions and their answers relating to the RFP shall be provided as a modification to the RFP. Summary of Key Dates Revised: Description Date Request for Proposal is posted October 15, 2014 All Questions regarding this RFP must be October 22, 2014 received no later than NOON EST. All Questions and Answers will be posted to NeighborsWorks.org no later than (NLT) close of business on Friday, September 26, 2014. Proposal Submission Deadline November 7, 2014 NLT 8pm EST NeighborWorks America completes proposal November 14, 2014 review NeighborWorks America may request additional information from Service Provider or request conference call with Service Provider to confirm proposals before selection Presentations by Finalists (Estimated) Notification of selected Service Provider (Estimated) November 17, 2014 November 20, 2014 - November 25, 2014 December 1, 2014 Anticipated Service Start Date (Estimated) December 2014 Qualified bidders will be alerted to schedule changes.
Page 9 Submission Details: All inquiries and written submittals should be directed to: Jason McRae Sr. Manager, IT Security & Compliance - Information Management NeighborWorks America 999 North Capitol Street NE Suite 900 Washington, DC 20002 202-760-0139 jmcrae@nw.org All proposals and inquiries must be submitted via email. All questions must be submitted in writing to jmcrae@nw.org NLT noon EST October 22, 2014 All Proposals must be submitted to jmcrae@nw.org NLT 8pm EST November 7, 2014, 8:00 PM EST
Page 10 INFORMATION SECURITY ADDENDEUM Security of NeighborWorks America (NW) Data within Third Party Environment 1. Security Measures. Third Party agrees to implement data security measures that are consistent with industry best practices and standards so that it: a) Protects the privacy, confidentiality, integrity and availability of NW data; b) Protects against accidental, unauthorized, unauthenticated or unlawful access, copying, use, processing disclosure, alteration, transfer, loss or destruction of NW data; c) Complies with all applicable federal and state laws, rules, regulations, directives and decisions that are relevant to the handling, processing, and use of NW data in accordance with this Agreement. 2. Risk Assessments. Third Party shall perform comprehensive internal and external risk assessments (at least annually and/or after major changes) and provide results to NW. a) Third Party agrees to send completed Third Party Information Gathering Questionnaire to NW for review prior to executing this agreement. b) Third Party agrees to provide NW with any information technology audit report as to provide an understanding of Third Party security controls and requirements in place currently. c) Upon request by NW, Third Party agrees to provide NW with the results of their most recent vulnerability scans conducted for review. d) Upon request by NW, Third Party agrees to allow NW to conduct an information security control review as it pertains to the scope of service outlined within the agreement. 3. Organizational Security Responsibility. Third Party shall assign responsibility for information security management to a senior management officer or a designated data steward to maintain the security of NW data. Third Party will provide their contact information to NW. Third Party agrees to provide NWA with evidence of destruction of NWA information upon end or termination of this agreement. 4. Third Party or Shared Hosting Service Provider. If Third Party uses any third party or shared hosting service provider, NWA requests to receive independent security assessment reports (e.g. ISO 2700x Certification and Report, SSAE 16 SOC Reports, Shared Assessment Program Agreed Upon Procedures Review, PCI DSS Report on Compliance, or IT Audit External) from those parties and\or hosting service providers. The third party must protect each entity s hosted environment and data. NWA reserves the right to move NWA data within its own data center at its discretion.