Ohio University Procurement ServicesRequest for Proposal #: OU_022916 LLN

Name: Implementation of Oracle R12 Grants Accounting Due: 2:00PM EST, Tuesday, March 15, 2016

Laura L. NowickiOhio University Procurement ServicesOne Ohio UniversityWest Union Street Office Center, Room 205Athens, OH 45701Phone: 740-597-3261E-mail: nowicki@ohio.edu

Date of issue: 02/29/15

Section 1 General Information

1.1 Proposal Description Ohio University of Athens, OHIO (hereafter called The University) invites proposals for the implementation of Oracle Grants Accounting. It is expected the business processes will be redesigned in order to take full advantage of the system functionality offered by the module. The University will receive proposals electronically via the protocol described in Section 6.7.

1.2 Alternates and Variations from RequirementsWherever items or services have been specifically described, such identification is descriptive and not restrictive. It indicates the quality and characteristics that are satisfactory. If the respondent has an equal, alternative proposal, that alternative must be clearly and completely described. The University will consider alternates that meet or exceed the quality and characteristics specified. The University is not bound to accept any proposals that are not in its best interest. The determination as to acceptability of the alternate offered is the responsibility of the University, and will be based on information furnished by the respondent, as well as information reasonably available to the University. Unless the bidder clearly indicates that an alternative is being offered, it will be assumed that the proposal meets the requirements exactly as specified in this document. CAUTION TO RESPONDENTS: It is not the responsibility of the University to secure any information not identified in the respondent’s response. Information furnished may include specific references to catalogs, brochures, or other material previously furnished. Otherwise, such information must accompany the proposal.

1.3 Method of AwardAwards for goods and services will be made to the respondent(s) providing the lowest responsive and responsible proposal. The University reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and is not bound to accept the lowest-cost proposal if that proposal is not in the best interests of the University. In making an award, factors such as the firm’s service capability, integrity, facilities, equipment, reputation and past performance will be weighed.

1.4 Compliance with Federal, State and Local LawsAny supplier warrants, in submitting a proposal and in the performance of any resulting award, that they have complied with or will comply with all applicable federal, state, University and local laws, ordinances and all lawful orders, rules and regulations there under. The supplier agrees: 1) Not to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, sex, age, handicap or Vietnam era veteran status, 2) That every sub-contract for any ensuing order will contain a provision requiring non-discrimination in employment as specified above, and 3) That it is not now, and will not become subject to an unresolved find for recovery under ORC 9.24, prior to the award of any contract or agreement arising out of this RFP, without notifying the University of such finding This covenant is required pursuant to Executive Order 11246, Laws and Regulations of the State of Ohio. Any breach thereof may be regarded as material breach of contract or purchase order and cause for cancellation.

Section 2 Institutional Background

2.1 General

Ohio University was chartered by the state of Ohio in 1804. It is a state-assisted university, with a total enrollment exceeding 32,000 students. The main campus, in Athens, Ohio, has an

enrollment of approximately 22,000 students. The remaining 10,000 students are served by five regional campuses in Ironton, St. Clairsville, Lancaster, Zanesville, and Chillicothe as well as College of Osteopathic Medicine sites. The University employs an estimated 4,500 full and part-time faculty and staff.

2.2 Specific History and Current Information

Operational InformationOhio University (The University) completes financial reports in accordance with Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB). An annual financial audit is performed each year and includes an A-133 audit.

Ohio University Foundation (The Foundation) completes required financial reporting under the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). The Foundation has an annual financial audit each fiscal year. As with most non-profits, the gifts and donations received by the Foundation are generally restricted as to spending purpose.

DependenciesThe organization plans to run the implementation of Grants Accounting concurrent or nearly concurrent with a chart of accounts (COA) redesign project; the COA project timeline is included in Attachment A. The implementation of Grants Accounting will be expected to take into consideration the new COA.

2.2.1 HR and Finance System BackgroundOhio University implemented Oracle HRMS and Payroll in 2001. In 2003, Oracle E-Business Suite was implemented with a new Chart of Accounts (COA) and included the following modules:

General Ledger Project Accounting Fixed Assets Purchasing Accounts Payable Accounts Receivable

Multiple Legal Entities are setup in Oracle E-Business and only one Operating Unit exists for processing transactions for both Ohio University and Ohio University Foundation. It was decided that transactions could be processed under a single Operating Unit at the time of the Release 12 upgrade. As a result, Multi-Org Access Control (MOAC) is turned on in order to see the past activity against the inactivated Operating Unit for the Ohio University Foundation.

Multi-currencies are not currently used in Oracle. Both the University and the Foundation use a single currency, the US Dollar.

In 2006, Employee Self Service functionality was implemented for: Payslips Personal Information (i.e. Name, Home Address, Phone Numbers, Campus Address) Federal and State Tax Forms (state tax forms are simply a link to the paper forms)

Employment, Salary and Absence History W-2 Wage and Tax Statements (including School District Tax) Faculty/Staff Directory

In 2014, Oracle E-Business Suite was upgraded to 12.1.3. The Cash Management module was implemented as part of the upgrade process as was Oracle Subledger Accounting (required in R12). Only very limited new functionality was introduced as part of the upgrade and included two new functions in Employee Self Service:

Manage Payments Disability and Veteran Status Tracking

Ohio University has, as part of the system roadmap, a plan to implement the following functionality in each year indicated:

Employee Absence Tracking - 2015 Manager Self Service - 2015 Oracle Advanced Benefits – 2015 Grants Management (Post Awards)/Scope and Decide on an Effort Reporting Solution

(the University would consider using Oracle Labor Distribution for Effort Reporting) – 2016

Compensation Management – 2017 Planning & Budgeting – 2016-17 Development and Learning Management 2016-17 Performance Management 2016-17 Recruitment – 2016-17 On-Boarding 2016-17 Expense Reimbursement - 2017+ e-Procurement Solution – 2017+ Supplier Management– 2017+ Services and Contracts Management - 2017+ Sourcing Solution– 2017+

2.2.2 Current Usage of ModulesA description of how the modules are being used is presented below.

General Ledger (GL) – The GL collects detailed balances for COA segments. Minimum rollups and parent-child relationships exist in the current configuration.

No validation rules have been established in our current production environment, but this functionality is incorporated into the COA redesign project.

A single financial HR Organization (Org) Hierarchy is used currently for operating accounts and a second HR Org Hierarchy was created during the R12 upgrade in order to get the burdening to function in the Project Accounting module. This was the recommended solution from Oracle Support to deal with the particular issues experienced during the upgrade.

Defined flex fields (DFFs) are used extensively for reporting. The COA redesign will utilize the parent-child hierarchy and eliminate the need for many of the reporting DFFs.

Subledger Accounting (SLA) – No accounting derivation rules have been setup. Transaction level detail in SLA is the same as what is reported in the GL. There may be a desire, with the

implementation of Grants Accounting to setup accounting derivation rules to translate grant activity at a higher level in the GL. This option will need to be explored during the planning and decision making phase of the implementation project.

Projects – This module is currently being used to track activity related to both sponsored (grants) and capital projects. The setup of this module is heavily weighted towards grants. Defined flex fields (DFFs) are extensively used within Projects to facilitate the management and reporting of grants. Projects is currently used to generate revenue and billings. Auto-accounting is configured in the current setup of Projects for Costs, Revenue and Receivables. The consultant will need to assist the University in reviewing these processes and making sure that best practices are implemented that meet business needs and take advantage of the functionality provided by the Grants Accounting module.

Accounts Payable (AP) – Basic functionality is used; however, there are extensive interfaces with the University e-procurement system, SciQuest, and the University travel expense reporting and purchasing card system, Concur (details about SciQuest and Concur are included in the Third Party Applications section). Future functionality includes Purchasing Card functionality for single use credit cards. As part of the COA redesign project, these interfaces are being updated to accommodate both the new GL account structure and the Grants account string.

Purchasing – Basic functionality is used. Oracle Purchasing is exclusively used for the capital projects process. There are extensive interfaces with the University e-procurement system, SciQuest. As part of the COA redesign project, these interfaces are being updated to accommodate both the new GL account structure and the Grants account string.

Fixed Assets – Currently use only basic functionality. Capitalization of fixed assets is currently a manual process with the intent to move this to a more automated process with the use of the module functionality.

Accounts Receivable – Basic accounts receivable functionality is used. The University does bill grant sponsors through the Accounts Receivable module.

Cash Management – This was a new module for the University with the Oracle R12 upgrade. Currently, the reconciliation process with cash accounts occurs in the module. The processing of AR invoice payments and the corresponding cash deposit process will need to be reviewed for potential changes to CEMLI related objects or process redesign needs.

Third Party Applications The following third party and custom applications are considered critical to business processes across the University. These systems will be impacted by the implementation of the Grants Accounting module.

Concur – Used for travel arrangements, travel advance tracking, business and travel expense reporting, University purchasing card transaction processing. Transactions are posted through a custom interface to the invoices table in Oracle Payables and then standard Oracle functionality is utilized to interface the accounting transactions to GL and projects/grants. As part of the COA redesign, the Concur module and the invoice interface are being updated to accommodate both the new GL account structure and the Grants account string.

SciQuest – The University e-procurement system. Interfaces with GL and Projects for funds checking, AP for invoices, Purchasing for purchase orders. As part of the COA redesign, the Concur module and the invoice interface are being updated to accommodate both the new GL account structure and the Grants account string.

CashNet – This serves as the primary receipting system for the institution. Interfaces with Oracle Receivables through the custom Miscellaneous Receipts process. All receipts come through this system, so impact on Grants Accounting would need to be determined.

PeopleSoft – Used as the primary system for student registration and enrollment management, as well as, student accounts receivable. Interfaces with CashNet, GL and Projects. Scholarship and other financial aid transaction activity from this system is preprocessed through a custom transaction interface prior to utilizing standard Oracle Transaction Import functionality in GL and Projects. Financial aid activity is posted to Projects as miscellaneous transactions. As part of the COA redesign project, the OU transaction interface is being updated to accommodate both the new GL account structure and the Grants account string and interface table.

WorkForce – Used for entry of employee timecard information, both hours worked and costing information. WorkForce data interfaces to Oracle HRMS prior to the processing of the biweekly pay. As part of the COA redesign project, the WorkForce software is being updated to accommodate both the new GL account structure and the Grants account string.

Custom Applications Used in Addition to Oracle E-Business Suite (EBS) Impacted: Payroll Expense Distribution System (PEDS) – This custom web application is used to

post detail costing data from payroll run results and send transactions to the GL and Projects modules. The system also is used to make costing changes and generate revised transactions to GL and Projects. As part of the COA redesign project, PEDS is being updated to accommodate both the new GL account structure and the Grants account string.

Data from PEDS is utilized as the basis of the university’s effort reporting process. Depending on the scoping for an effort reporting system there could be changes needed to this application. This would need to be considered as part of the project.

Effort reporting for grants is currently a manual process but there is a desire to review options related to automating effort reporting and certification. The University would consider using Oracle Labor Distribution as a solution for the replacement of PEDS and a solution to automate effort reporting and certification if there is not a need to customize the application significantly to meet business requirements. Effort reporting and certification will be a decision point as to the potential solution, timing of the implementation and whether or not an Oracle solution is used or the custom application will need to be modified.

OU Financials Interface - This system preprocesses transaction files from university feeder systems prior to utilizing standard Oracle Transaction Import functionality in GL and Projects. Some feeder systems include PeopleSoft (mentioned above), mail systems, TMA, BSR Advance, etc. As part of the COA redesign project, the interface is being

updated to accommodate both the new GL account structure and the Grants account string and interface table.

LEO Research Management System – A custom application, developed in house, for the creation and management of the pre-award process. The system provides electronic proposal approval routing, contains subsequent awards received, and prepares annual internal reports on grant and contract activity. Tracks proposals through submission, review and award process and maintains the official record. Some award setup is performed in the LEO system that has the potential of being leveraged for award setup purposes in Oracle Grants Accounting. However, this process needs to be evaluated to determine if there is a need/desire to interface award information from LEO to Oracle.

2.3 Chart of Accounts Redesign ProjectIn the summer of 2015, the University engaged Navigator Management Partners LLC to partner on a Chart of Accounts (COA) redesign and implementation project. As of the date of this RFP release, the design of both the General Ledger account string as well as the Grants Accounting account string have been finalized. Details regarding the new account segments and combinations include:

General Ledger Account Segments:

Entity-Source-Organization-Activity-Function-Object

All segments are defined as alphanumeric; however, our intent is to use numeric values for all child values and alphanumeric for the parent values.

Segment Length Description Oracle Identifier

Entity 2 Represents major reporting components of the organization and owns assets, liabilities and fund balances.

Balancing segment

Source 6 Identifies the source of funds (examples include unrestricted and restricted sources of funds).

Organization 6 Defines where the transaction is occurring such as a college or department.

Activity 4 Allows departments to track and report internal purposes for spending. Values are defined at the planning unit level. (Segment was added to assist in eliminating “shadow” systems for monitoring and reporting.)

Function 2 Defines government and accounting purposes for spending. Values generally follow the NACUBO and A-21 Function Codes.

NACUBO functions are used to compare data among higher education institutions and used to prepare University and Foundation annual financial statements.A-21 function codes are used to group various costs into direct and indirect cost pools for the purpose of calculating indirect costs on sponsored projects.

Object 6 Defines the purpose of a financial transaction and Natural

Segment Length Description Oracle Identifier

delineates the values for Assets, Liabilities, Fund Balance, Revenue and Expense.

Account

Grants Accounting Segments:

Project-Task Award-Expenditure Type

Segment Length DescriptionProject 5 Project number to be assigned sequentially by the systemTask minimum of 2

digits up to 6 digits

Represents work breakdown structure (tasks and subtasks)

Award 7 Award numbers will use number ranges to identify certain types of awards. This format will need to be determined as part of implementation and assignment of values.

Expenditure Type

Standard Expenditure types are expected to include both the GL object code and the description. This format will need to be determined as part of implementation.

Due to the volume of core business processes occurring in third party and custom systems, the list of Configurations, Extensions, Modifications, Localizations and Integrations (CEMLIs) is extensive and complex. The University is planning to address changes necessary to CEMLI objects for both COA and Grants Accounting at the same time. The testing of the changes, will be worked on jointly between the COA and Grants Accounting implementation teams.

The University has procured and will utilize e-Prentise software to assist in the COA conversion within the Oracle E-Business Suite of products. While this tool will not automate 100% of the conversion process we are hopeful we can achieve a high level of automated conversion within the Oracle E-Business Suite.

Prototyping and proof of concept testing on the new proposed GL accounts is anticipated to be completed in March/April 2016. A mapping plan for conversion of old to new GL accounts has been developed and will occur from March through May 2016. During the GL mapping process the University will be mapping old to new account strings for those accounts that will move into the Grants Accounting module as part of the COA change for ease of completion and not having to tap resources multiple times for mapping.

As part of the deliverables for this RFP, a formal conversion strategy will need to be developed for the loading of transactions and balances from our GL/Projects data to the new Grants Accounting mapping. It is anticipated that the conversion strategy would utilize APIs.

2.4 Grants Accounting Design Project

In the fall of 2016, the University engaged Grant Thornton to partner on the design of our Grants configuration working with university personnel to gather business requirements. This design

work included a high level fit/gap analysis based on Oracle Grants Accounting functionality, as well as a high level conversion approach. The planning phase did not define a reporting strategy for Grants, but this work will need to be a part of the implementation phase.

Oracle Grants Accounting is expected to address business requirements for the following activities:

Sponsored Projects: Projects funded by external entities such as the Federal and State government and private foundations. Sponsored activities include both fixed price agreements as well as cost reimbursable agreements. Sponsored activity is currently setup in Oracle Projects Accounting module as Billable projects.

Capital Projects: Capital projects include projects such as new buildings or large infrastructure projects such as tunnel replacement/refurbishment. Capital projects are funded with a variety of sources: internal provided funds, issuance of debt, State of Ohio funds, as well as sponsored agencies. Capital projects are setup as Non-Billable projects in the Oracle Projects Accounting module. It is planned that we will use revenue generation on capital projects to record revenue from external sources and to record funding transfer entries for internal funding. We will also use generate invoices for funding from external sources.

Internal Awards: Internal awards represent internally funded projects that include student and faculty awards. Currently, these are tracked through the General Ledger. Many of these internal award programs have restrictions associated with purpose and time. It is desired that these types of activities will be handled in the Grants Accounting module on a go forward basis. It is planned that we use revenue generation on capital projects to record funding transfer entries for internal funding.

By way of reference, the university has approximately 500 open or active sponsored projects for tracking in the grants module; capital projects volume is also approximately 500. Because internal awards have not been tracked in Projects, the initial volume of converted Projects is several hundred; however, it is expected to grow as people begin using the functionality.

For all types of projects, we plan to utilize standard Grants functionality for: establishing funding, loading budgets, assigning burden schedules and allowed costs schedules, and generating revenue and invoices. Additionally, we will utilize standard functionality to track data elements related to projects, tasks and awards: project classifications, award reference fields, task service type, etc.; when needed, we will create context sensitive DFFs based on either Project Type or Award Type.

In addition to transaction interfaces, transactions are also directly entered through the Preapproved Batch Entry option as either Miscellaneous or Usage batches. We also utilize WebADI to upload miscellaneous transactions. In the Grants module, we will need to define our Usage set-up to work with the new GL COA. Also, we would like to be able to continue to use WebADI with Grants, although that is currently defined as a gap.

As part of the design phase, preliminary auto-accounting (AA) was defined. Some of the AA is variable dependent on the Award type; DFFs may be needed to track certain AA values. During the implementation phase, the AA rules, lookup sets, and SQL statements will need to be developed.

A matrix of requirements and fit/gap are presented in Attachment B for review and consideration in the supplier response to this RFP.

Section 3 Scope of Work

Ohio University seeks an implementation partner to implement Oracle Grants Accounting. Services would also need to include development of new business process in order to use out of the box functionality where required. It is not anticipated that significant departure from module functionality will be needed to meet business requirements.

Record activity related to a single awardsingle project; single awardmultiple projects; and multiple awardssingle project. These awards may be internal or external in nature and include both grants and capital projects.

Track attributes of the grant or project including but not limited to start and end dates, award date, close date, pre-award date, award name, award references, original proposal number, CFDA number, compliance parameters and budget rules. Attributes need to be specifically defined as part of the project.

Support different indirect cost rates, billing cycles and funding periods. Allow users to control spending against the award. This extends to the various other

systems/modules impacted by the control level related to grants and capital projects. Record all installments, supplements and amendments to awards. Support funding forecasts and budget planning. Provide multiple options for funds control and controls to monitor allowable costs. Allow for indirect cost allocations. Support governmental reporting and compliance requirements as well as management

reporting and decision making. Solution must interface invoice data to Oracle Accounts Receivable as well as support

online invoice review/approval. Integration with Accounts Receivable should provide for both Revenue and Receivables accounting (e.g. deferred revenue, unearned revenue, unbilled receivables, AR aging, writeoffs, etc.)

Data entry should be minimized by using system functionality such as templates and the ability to copy setups for awards.

There is a desire to post to the general ledger at a summary level and keep the details of the activity in Grants Accounting.

Define and test the auto-accounting rules, lookup sets, and SQL statements to support the university’s auto-accounting guidelines.

Develop the approach to define non-labor resources and appropriate accounting to accommodate the processing of usage batches.

Testing of all third party and custom application changes to ensure proper integration and data flow with the Grants Accounting module. Modules include: SciQuest, Concur, CashNet, WorkForce, PEDS, OU Financials Interface (PeopleSoft and feeder systems). These systems and changes are detailed in section 2.2.

Review options related to automating effort reporting and certification to replace our current manual process. The University would consider using Oracle Labor Distribution as a solution for the replacement of PEDS and a solution to automate effort reporting and certification if there is not a need to customize the application significantly to meet business requirements. Effort reporting and certification will be a decision point as to the potential solution, timing of the implementation and whether or not an Oracle solution is used or the custom application will need to be modified. This item is to be priced separately.

Integration with university pre-award system (LEO) to be determined. Reporting requirements will need to be defined as part of the project and a decision made

as to whether the reports will be written in Oracle or Oracle Business Intelligence.

Development of design documents for any Grants Accounting-specific CEMLI items. This is exclusive of items already included as part of the technical work for the Chart of Accounts redesign project (retrofitting applications and interfaces to accommodate the new GL account structure as well as the Grants account structure and interface table changes).

3.1 Overview Deliverables

The University would expect the following deliverables from this project: A detailed implementation plan. This plan needs to include work breakdown structures,

tasks, responsible person, role and resource requirements. The elements and requirements of this plan must be detailed enough to effectively coordinate CEMLI work with the Chart of Accounts project and overlay the plan with the COA implementation plan for maximum efficiency of resource allocations.

Attachment C includes a high level estimate of resource needs based on initial design phase planning for implementation, identifying both university and supplier provided resources. These estimates will need to be affirmed as part of the initial planning for implementation. The successful bidder will lead and participate in the implementation, providing additional support staff to supplement the University team. A University project manager and implementation team will be provided based on mutual agreement between The University and the contractor. Contractor is expected to engage in full knowledge transfer to University staff.

Business process documentation (both process flows as well as process documentation) related to the redesigned processes. It is expected that a detailed business process effort will be undertaken as part of this project with the outcome expected to be a process manual for all identified as part of the implementation plan.

A BR-100 that includes all of the key business decisions related to system setup for any that are implemented as part of this project. It is expected that this document would contain detailed setup steps as well as screen shots related to the setups necessary to configure and use the system(s) from both a technical and functional perspective.

Training materials for the back office users as well as campus end users. This would include a train the trainer approach to educate University functional and training staff to deliver ongoing training programs.

Detailed CEMLI analysis must be provided for any Grants Accounting-specific items. Known CEMLI items include configuration issues for Accounts Receivable invoicing/billing so the plan must address both the functionality and the form of the AR invoice to be used. This is exclusive of items already included as part of the technical work for the Chart of Accounts redesign project (retrofitting applications and interfaces to accommodate the new GL account structure as well as the Grants account structure and interface table changes).

Testing of all third party and custom application changes to ensure proper integration and data flow with the Grants Accounting module. Modules include: SciQuest, Concur, CashNet, WorkForce, PEDS, OU Financials Interface (PeopleSoft and feeder systems). These systems and changes are detailed in section 2.2.

Plans need to be developed to address any of the Gaps identified in Attachment B. Successful bidder may be asked to augment existing technical resources to properly

address the CEMLI items. In order for determination of whether the IT augmentation is something that Ohio University wants to use bidder needs to provide a per hour rate for

review. Ohio University reserves the right to review resumes and talk with any potential candidates they may choose to use.

Conversion Strategy – Successful bidder will need to begin work on a conversion strategy immediately. It is anticipated that all active projects for sponsored awards and capital projects will be converted from Projects Accounting module. Internal Awards will need to be converted from General Ledger. Initial review has determined that all budgets will be converted as well as expenses so that the appropriate budget balance is reflected. We will need to convert all historical expenditures and ensure that they are not duplicated in the GL. Burden costs will need to be converted and ensure that they are not re-burdened during/after conversion. Revenues will be generated and the resulting GL journals will be reversed as needed. We determined that we could allow billing to happen and credit the resulting AR invoices. This tentative conversion plan will need to be reviewed and potentially modified based on new inputs from the successful bidder.

It is expected that the successful bidder provide post go-live production support for a period of up to 6 weeks. This would provide support for the first month-end close and quarter close process utilizing Grants Accounting. Arrangements for post go-live support will be determined as the project progresses.

Reporting strategy must be developed as part of the scope of this RFP. Grants Accounting is a new module and there are no existing reports developed. Reports must address both back office and customer/management reports. A list of currently available reports will be provided as the initial assessment but the University already knows that these reports will not meet the needs as a result of the changes with the implementation of Grants Accounting.

3.2 Attachments

Attachment A: Chart of Accounts Implementation Project timeline

Attachment B: Business Requirements and Fit/Gap analysis from Grants Accounting Design project.

Attachment C: Suggested Implementation Resource Requirements

FY 2015 Audited Financial Statements – please see the following link for both University and A-133 audited reports: http://www.ohio.edu/finance/controller/reports_new.cfm

Chart of Accounts Redesign website: https://www.ohio.edu/finance/coa

Section 4 Timeline

RFP Issued Monday, February 29, 2016Deadline for Questions (4:00 PM ET) Tuesday, March 8, 2016RFP DUE (2:00 PM ET) Tuesday, March 15, 2016https://iucpg.ionwave.net/Login.aspxRFP Presentations (Tentative) Week of March 21, 2016Award (Tentative) Week of March 21, 2016

Expected Start Date Immediately upon execution of contract

Section 5 Proposal Evaluation

5.1 Proposal PricingProposals should address two types of quotes for the implementation of the Oracle Grants Accounting module.

Fixed price Time and materials

Pricing proposals for the effort reporting solution should be broken out separately from the Oracle Grants Accounting implementation and costed as follows:

Fixed price Time and materials

Please provide a per hour cost for personnel that can provide grants related subject matter expertise related to processes and requirements. In addition, please provide technical staffing that could be used to augment University technical (IT) resources related to the review/development efforts for the CEMLI analysis and technical implementation of Oracle Grants Accounting.

5.2 Proposal Evaluation Criteria

Section 6 General

Proposals will be evaluated on the below criteria:

Economic Costs and Benefits: Overall price and cost efficiency of purchase 20 pointsQuality and adequacy of response: Completeness, responsiveness, clarity 30 pointsReferences: Depth and quality of previous engagements 30 pointsQuality and caliber of proposed staffing 30 pointsPhilosophy and understanding of the university’s needs 20 pointsDemonstrated success of the respondent's firm and methods offered to provide services, meet requirements and timelines as requested

30 points

Project Approach/Methodology to Business Requirements Gathering 10 pointsExperience with Ohio University ERP solutions 30 points

6.1 ShortlistThe University reserves the right to shortlist the Respondents on all of the stated criteria. However, The University may determine that shortlisting is not necessary.

6.2 InterviewsThe University reserves the right to conduct interviews with all or some of the Respondents at any point during the evaluation process. However, The University may determine that interviews are not necessary. In the event interviews are conducted, information provided during the interview process shall be taken into consideration when evaluating the stated criteria.

6.3 Additional Investigations:The University reserves the right to make such additional investigations as it deems necessary to establish the competence and financial stability of any firm submitting a proposal.

6.4 Prior ExperienceExperiences with The University and entities which evaluation committee members represent shall be taken into consideration when evaluating qualifications and experience.

6.5 Exceptions To Contract Terms And SpecificationsThe Respondent shall clearly identify any proposed deviations from the Contract Terms or Specifications in the Request for Proposal. Each exception must be clearly defined and referenced to the proper paragraph in this RFP. The exception shall include, at a minimum, the Respondent’s proposed substitute language and opinion as to why the suggested substitution will provide equivalent or better service and performance.

If no exceptions are noted in the Respondent’s proposal, The University will assume complete conformance with The University’s Contract Terms and Specifications which are included as “IC Comprehensive Agreement”. Respondents who wish to propose modifications to the contract provisions must clearly identify the proposed deviations and any proposed substitute language. However, the provisions of the Request for Proposal cannot be modified without the express written approval of the Director of Procurement or his/her designee. If a proposal or offer is returned with modifications to the contract provisions that are not expressly approved in writing by the Director or his/her designee, the contract provisions contained in The University’s Request for Proposal shall prevail.

6.6 NegotiationsThe University reserves the right to conduct discussions with Respondents, and to accept revisions of proposals, and to negotiate price changes. During this discussion period, The University will not disclose any information derived from proposals submitted. Once an award is made, proposal documents are public record and will be disclosed upon request (see Additional Terms & Conditions, in the Instructions for Respondents Section, below).

6.7 Deadline & DeliveryOhio University will receive proposals through the Ohio University Purchasing Sourcing Portal (found at https://iucpg.ionwave.net/Login.aspx until 2:00pm EST, Tuesday, March 15, 2016. Firms submitting proposals will be responsible for delivery of the documents via the Ohio University Sourcing solution as outlined above.

Any proposal received after the time and date specified, prepared or submitted, may not be eligible for consideration. Respondents are cautioned to write all descriptions and

monetary amounts clearly so there is no doubt as to the intent and scope of the proposal. Erasures and other changes in the proposal must bear the signature or initials of the respondent. ALL PROPOSALS MUST BE SIGNED.

Failure to provide this information may result in rejection of the proposal. The University reserves the right to reject any proposal not prepared and submitted according to the provisions herein outlined, and may reject any or all proposals. Any proposal may be withdrawn prior to the proposal due date by accessing the Ohio University Sourcing site at https://iucpg.ionwave.net/Login.aspx

6.8 Insurance Requirements

o Proof of insurance will be required prior to award of bid. The successful supplier will be required to provide proof of insurance in the form of a COI with the below insurance levels indicated. The COI provided must name Ohio University as “additional insured” and meet the following levels:

Worker’s Compensation Insurance to the full extent as required by applicable state law. Any Ohio provider with one or more employees must have Worker’s Compensation.

Commercial General Liability (Professional Liability may be substituted)coverage for bodily injury and property damage in amounts not less than $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 in the aggregate

Commercial Automobile Liability coverage in the amount not less than $1,000,000

See http://www.ohio.edu/riskandsafety/riskmanagement/requirements.htm for more information on insurance.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The respondent is cautioned against last minute attempts to meet the due date & time and OHIO University will not be responsible for network outages, failure to register as a respondent, and other related internet malfunctions on the part of the respondent in submitting their bid. Supplier registration is not immediate and must be approved to become active. The respondent will receive an electronic confirmation of successful submission of the bid. Plan ahead.

6.9 Ohio Interuniversity Council (IUC) Consortia

As a member of the Ohio IUC and IUC Purchasing Group, Ohio University is committed to partnership and collaboration with member institutions. Please comment on your firm’s ability and commitment to extend the terms of this RFP and executed agreement to the IUC member institution’s for design, development, and/or delivery of leadership and other related development consultative services.

Section 7 Questions Regarding this Proposal

7.1 Formal Questions. All questions are considered formal and may only be submitted via email to nowicki@ohio.edu . All responses to questions posed will be added as an “Addenda” to this Request for Proposal at https://sciquest.ionwave.net/prod/vendorregistration.aspx?vcid=527Registered respondents will receive email notifications of each “Message” or “Addendum” added to this RFP. All questions should be directed to the contact address identified above via email no later than Tuesday, March 8, 2016, at 4:00pm EST.

7.2 Note: Email question to the University official listed above only. Do not include any other

recipient on the question. Email the question from a company email system – i.e., use only an email account

provided by your firm. Do not email questions from a personal email account. Clearly identify yourself, your company, and the RFP number, in the body of the email.

Do not include any proposal information in the body of the e-mail. Proposal information should be only submitted via the OHIO University Sourcing portal at:

https://iucpg.ionwave.net/Login.aspx

Include the following text in your signed submission:I understand that the Ohio University Procurement Services will take care to protect the confidentiality of my proposal prior to the bid opening date and time. I also understand and acknowledge that as a result of my choice, to attach the proposal to this email, confidentiality cannot be assured in the traditional manner (e.g., unbroken seals). I assume full responsibility for my choice to submit this proposal and for the lack of assured confidentiality inherent in that choice.

Section 8 Additional Terms & Conditions of Submitting a Proposal

8.1 Costs incurred by respondentThe respondent, by submitting a proposal, agrees that any cost incurred by the respondent in responding to this RFP, or in support of activities associated with this request, are to be borne by the respondent and may not be billed to the University. The University will incur no obligation or liability whatsoever to anyone by reason of issuance of this RFP, or action by anyone relative thereto.

8.2 Signature & submissionProposals must be dated, signed by an official authorized to bind the respondent to the terms of the proposal and submitted to the Ohio University Procurement Services in accordance with the terms and conditions of this RFP.

8.3 Obtaining clarificationAll issues and questions raised in this RFP must be answered in full. Each respondent understands and agrees that it has a duty to inquire about and clarify any RFP issue that the respondent does not fully understand or believes may be interpreted in more than one way. Every attempt will be made to promptly answer all inquiries from each respondent.

8.4 Freight TermsIf applicable, all prices quoted are to be F.O.B. Destination. Unless clearly stated otherwise by the respondent, prices quoted will include all charges for transportation, packaging, etc., necessary to complete delivery on an F.O.B. Destination basis.

8.5 No Bid RequirementIf you are unable to submit a proposal, please date and sign the Terms & Conditions sheet, and indicate “NO BID”. Give a brief explanation, and return the sheet before the due date.

8.6 Contractual obligationsThe contents of proposals submitted by the successful respondent will be considered contractual obligations upon award.

8.7 Sales TaxThe University, as an instrumentality of the State of Ohio, is exempt from Ohio sales tax and Federal excise tax, including Federal transportation tax.

8.8 Registration and TaxationThe respondent, by submitting a proposal, agrees that they will confirm to all local registration processes and payment of local taxes, if applicable, as related to the delivery of their service or good to the university.

8.9 Formal & Informal RFPs/Proposal openingThis is an informal RFP and will not be read at a public opening. Written requests for proposal results must include the Request for Proposal number and closing date. If the respondent wishes to obtain a copy of the proposal tabulation and/or evaluation form(s) once award is complete, respondent should provide a self-addressed, stamped envelope with the proposal.

8.10 Proprietary InformationAll evaluation documents for proposals are non-proprietary and subject to public disclosure after contract award. All proposal documents and information are subject to public disclosure under Ohio Revised Code Section 149.43. To exempt information provided in the proposal from public disclosure, respondents should identify any and all sections of their proposal they consider trade secrets or proprietary information. In the event of a public document request, the Ohio University Legal Affairs Office will review the sections so identified, and will make the final determination as to the need to disclose. Respondents will be solely responsible for protecting their own trade secret or proprietary information, and will be responsible for all costs associated with protecting this information from disclosure. The University will keep one (1) copy of proposals in accordance with its record retention schedule.

8.11 Use of Ohio University’s NameNo Supplier providing proposals, products or services to the University will appropriate or make use of Ohio University’s name or other identifying marks or property in its advertising without prior written consent of Ohio University.

8.12 Gratuities and giftsGratuities are not acceptable. Ohio University, by written notice to Respondent, may immediately reject any proposal, or cancel any contract that results from this RFP, if the University finds that gratuities were given or offered. Gratuities are defined as gifts, entertainment, or any other compensation offered or given by the Respondent, or any agent or representative of the Respondent, to an Ohio University officer or employee, in an effort to secure an award or preferential treatment.

8.13 Accessible EnvironmentOhio University is committed to creating and maintaining an accessible environment for people with all abilities.  In order to support an accessible environment, please note:

In submitting a proposal, Vendors certify that programs, services, and activities provided to the general public under the resulting contract conform to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the regulations issued there under by the federal government.

Should any Vendor require reasonable accommodation in the process of submitting a proposal, requests should be directed to the Office of Disability Services at 740-593-2620.  Requests should be made in a timely manner as a late request for accommodation will not result in an extension of the proposal deadline.

Section 9 Proposal Response Sheets

This section must be completed and returned with your proposal.

For reporting purposes only:

Is respondent’s firm a certified Minority Business Enterprise in the State of Ohio (Y or N)?

Certified with the State of Ohio as an EDGE Supplier?

Otherwise certified as a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise? (if yes, explain):

Signature Date