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Request for Proposal for Customer Service andCall Center Services for Water/Sewer Billing OperationsSpecification No. 100153B.The City may, but is not required to accept Proposals that are not received by thedate and time set forth in Section 4.2.A above. Only the Chief ProcurementOfficer (“CPO”) is empowered to determine whether to accept or return lateProposals. No additional or missing documents will be accepted after the duedate and time, except as may be requested by the Chief Procurement Officer.Failure by a messenger delivery service or printing service to meet the deadlinewill not excuse the Respondent from the deadline requirement. Hand-carriedProposals must be placed in the depository located in the Bid and Bond Roomlocated in Room 301, City Hall. The time of the receipt of all Proposals to thisRFP will be determined solely by the clock located in the Bid and Bond Room ofCity Hall. It is Respondent's sole responsibility to ensure that the Proposal isreceived as required.C.Proposals must be delivered to the following address:Jamie L. Rhee, Chief Procurement OfficerCity of ChicagoDepartment of Procurement ServicesBid and Bond RoomRoom 301, City Hall121 North LaSalle StreetChicago, Illinois 60602Attention: Jacoby Radford, Assistant Procurement OfficerD.Respondents must submit the following Proposal Items:1.2.3.Proposal ItemOriginal Copy - PaperDuplicate Copy - PaperElectronic Copy - CD-ROM (in PDF format)Quantity1210The original Proposal must be clearly marked as “ORIGINAL”. All documentsrequiring a signature must bear the original signature of Respondent's authorizedsignatory. Respondent must enclose all documents in clearly labeled sealedenvelopes or boxes.E.The outside of each sealed envelope or package must be labeled as follows:Proposal EnclosedRequest for Proposals (RFP) for Customer Service and Call CenterServices for Water/Sewer Billing OperationsSpecification No.: 100153Due: 4:00 p.m., October 26, 2011Submitted by: (Name of Respondent)Package ofThe City's opening of Respondent's sealed envelope(s) or package(s) containinga Proposal shall neither be deemed nor constitute acceptance by the City ofRespondent's Proposal. The City reserves the right to open and inspect all suchsealed envelope(s) or package(s), regardless if the same were submitted by the4

Request for Proposal for Customer Service andCall Center Services for Water/Sewer Billing OperationsSpecification No. 100153due date and time specified herein, for any purpose, including without limitation,determining the particular RFP to which Respondent has responded, determiningif a Proposal was submitted by the date and time specified in this RFP, and inorder to determine a Respondent's return address.F.FEES FOR THE SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS. Section 2-92-418 of theMunicipal Code of the City of Chicago requires for each competitively bidcontract and each request for proposal where the estimated dollar value of theContract, as determined by the Chief Procurement Officer, exceeds 10,000,000.00 that each bidder or proposer submit with its proposal a nonrefundable "submittal fee" in the amount of 900.00. The submittal fee must besubmitted no later than the date and time on which the bid or proposal is due.The submittal fee must be in the form of a certified check, cashier's check ormoney order payable to the City of Chicago. The CPO has determined the valueof the contract for the Services required under this Contract does not exceed 10,000,000.00. As a result, a submittal fee to the City with its Proposal to thisRFP is not required.4.3RFP Information ResourcesRespondents are solely responsible for acquiring the necessary information or materials.Information for preparing a response to this RFP can be located in the following areas ofthe City’s website: www.cityofchicago.org/Procurement: 4.4Search MBE/WBE Directory DatabasePre-Bid/Proposal Conference AttendeesAddendums and Exhibits, if any.Procurement TimetableThe timetable for the RFP solicitation process is summarized below. Note that these aretarget dates and are subject to change by the City.Key ActivityTarget DateCity Issues RFPSeptember 6, 2011Non-Mandatory Pre-Proposal ConferenceSeptember 21, 2011Pre-Proposal Questions DueSeptember 28, 2011Proposals DueOctober 26, 20114.5ConfidentialityRespondent may designate those portions of the Proposal, which contain trade secretsor other proprietary data that must remain confidential. If a Respondent includes datathat is not to be disclosed to the public for any purpose or used by the City except forevaluation purposes, the Respondent must:5

Request for Proposal for Customer Service andCall Center Services for Water/Sewer Billing OperationsSpecification No. 100153A.Mark the title page as follows: “This RFP proposal includes trade secrets or otherproprietary data (“data”) that may not be disclosed outside the City and may notbe duplicated, used or disclosed in whole or in part for any purpose other than toevaluate this Proposal. The data subject to this restriction are contained insheets (insert page numbers or other identification).” The City, for purposes ofthis provision, will include any consultants assisting in the evaluation ofProposals. If, however, a contract is awarded to this Respondent as a result ofor in connection with the submission of this data, the City has the right toduplicate, use, or disclose the data to the extent provided in the resultingcontract. This restriction does not limit the City’s right to use informationcontained in the data if it is obtained from another source without restriction.B.Mark each sheet or data to be restricted with the following legend: “Use ordisclosure of data contained on this sheet is subject to the restriction on the titlepage of this Proposal.”All submissions are subject to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).VPREPARING PROPOSALS: REQUIRED INFORMATIONEach Proposal must contain all of the following documents and must conform to thefollowing requirements.5.1Format of ProposalsProposals must be prepared on 8 ½" X 11" letter size paper (preferablyrecycled), printed double-sided, and bound on the long side. The Cityencourages using reusable, recycled, recyclable and chlorine free printedmaterials for bids, proposal, reports and other documents prepared in connectionwith this solicitation. Expensive papers and bindings are discouraged, as nomaterials will be returned.Proposals must be submitted in two separately-bound volumes. The first volumemust contain the Respondent’s Statement of Qualifications and must be labeled“Volume I, Statement of Qualifications”; the second volume must containrepresentations and certifications as described herein and must be labeled“Volume II, Representations and Certifications”.Each separate volume and individual sections should be clearly identified and/orseparated by labeled tabs and organized in accordance with subject mattersequence as set forth below.Sections should be separated by labeled tabs and organized in accordance withsubject matter sequence as set forth below. Each page of the Proposal must benumbered in a manner so as to be uniquely identified.5.2Volume I - Required Content of ProposalsRespondents are advised to adhere to the submittal requirements of the RFP.Failure to comply with the instructions of this RFP may be cause for rejection of6

Request for Proposal for Customer Service andCall Center Services for Water/Sewer Billing OperationsSpecification No. 100153the non-compliant Proposal. Respondent must provide information in theappropriate areas throughout the RFP. Submission of a Proposal in response tothis RFP constitutes acceptance of all requirements outlined in the RFP. Bysubmitting a response to this RFP, Respondent is acknowledging that if itsProposal is accepted by the City, its Proposal and related submittals maybecome part of the contract. While the City recognizes that Respondents providecosts in varying formats, compliance with the enclosed costing structure inExhibit 4 is critical to facilitating equitable comparisons and failure to comply mayresult in rejection of the Proposal.The Proposal must include the following information:1. Cover Letter– limit of one pageRespondent(s) must submit a cover letter signed by an authorizedrepresentative of the entity committing Respondent to providing the Servicesin accordance with the terms and conditions of any Agreement, which may beawarded pursuant to the RFP process.2. Executive Summary – limit of five pagesRespondent must provide an executive summary, which addresses thefollowing information:(i)Outline the number of years Respondent has been in business andidentify Respondent's legal name, its headquarters address, itsprincipal place of business, its legal form (i.e., corporation, jointventure, partnership), the names of its principals or partners, andwhether Respondent is authorized to do business in the State ofIllinois. If Respondent is a business entity comprised of more thanone (1) legal entity, Respondent must identify all legal entities socomprising Respondent; it must identify each entity's respectiveownership percentage of Respondent; and Respondent mustsummarize the role, degree of involvement and experience of eachsuch separate entity;(ii)Indicate the name and telephone number(s) of the principal contactfor oral presentation, or negotiations.(iii)Explain its understanding of the City’s intent and objectives and itsapproach to achieving those objectives and addresses the followinginformation;(iv)Summarize Respondent's commitment to comply with the MBE/WBErequirements as stated in the Special Conditions Regarding MinorityBusiness Enterprise ("MBE") and Women Business Enterprise("WBE") Commitment, attached to this RFP as Exhibit 5; and(v)Attached as Exhibit 9 is a sample professional services agreementthat may become part of the City contract with the selectedrespondent. The terms and conditions attached should not be7

Request for Proposal for Customer Service andCall Center Services for Water/Sewer Billing OperationsSpecification No. 100153construed as the sum total of the terms and conditions that willconstitute the final contract; furthermore, the City may make changesto the attached terms and conditions in its discretion. Respondentmust identify any exceptions or objections to those terms andconditions in Exhibit 9 in its proposal; if Respondent does not list suchin its proposal, the City will not entertain any such exceptions orobjections on these provisions during contract negotiation.3. Professional Qualifications and Specialized Experience of Respondentand Key Personnel Committed to this ProjectRespondent must describe its previous experience on recent projects ofsimilar type, scope and magnitude; identifying both private sector and publicsector work. Respondent must include adequate detail about each projectreferenced, including a brief description of the project, the date when theproject was performed and completed, the location of the project, the natureand extent of Respondent’s involvement, the total dollar value of the project,the key personnel involved and their roles, and client reference informationfor the project.Respondent must include in its response evidence of the following:1. Proven ability to provide support services (e.g., safety incentiveprograms, a risk management information system and reports)demonstrable by references, exhibits, firm composition or other similarevaluation criteria.If Respondent proposes that major portions of the work will be performed bydifferent team members (joint venture partners, subcontractors, etc.),Respondent must provide the required information as described below foreach such team member.(a) Company Profile Information (See Form in Exhibit 2) limit of one page(plus any attachments required by the provisions below.)Identify participants in Respondent’s “Team.” For example if Respondentis a business entity that is comprised of more than one legal participant(e.g., Respondent is a general partnership, joint venture, etc.), thenRespondent must identify or cause to be identified all participantsinvolved, their respective ownership percentages, and summarize therole, degree of involvement, and experience of each participantseparately.If Respondent has a prime contractor / subcontractor relationship instead,this information regarding role, involvement and experience is alsorequired for any subcontractor that is proposed to provide a significantportion of the work.Provide a chronological history of all mergers and / or acquisitionsinvolving the Respondent team members, including all present and formersubsidiaries or divisions and any material restructuring activities, ifapplicable. Include any such forthcoming actions, if such disclosure has8

Request for Proposal for Customer Service andCall Center Services for Water/Sewer Billing OperationsSpecification No. 100153already been made generally available to the public and is permitted bylaw.If Respondent is a joint venture or partnership, attach a copy of the jointventure or partnership agreement signed by an authorized officer of eachpartner. Each partner must execute:(i)Schedule B as shown in Exhibit 5, if joint venture or partnershipincludes City of Chicago certified MBE/WBE firms(s), asapplicable.(ii)Separate Economic Disclosure Statement and Affidavit (“EDS”)completed by each partner and one in the name of the jointventure or partnership as shown in Exhibit 6.(iii)Insurance certificate in the name of the joint venture or partnershipbusiness entity.(b) Company Reference / Client Profile Information (See Form in Exhibit 3limit of two pages plus ten pages for Company Reference Forms)Respondent must provide at least 3 references preferably from amunicipality or government agency related to a contract of similar scopeand magnitude as described in this RFP. Experience will not beconsidered unless complete reference data is provided. At a minimum,the following information must be included for each client reference:---Client name, address, contact person name, telephone and emailaddress.Description of equipment and Services provided similar to theServices outlined in Exhibit 1.The date when the Service was implemented.The location of the Services.Nature and extent of Respondent’s involvement as the primecontractor (also indicate area of secondary responsibility, ifapplicable) Identify equipment and Services, if any, subcontracted,and to what other company.Nature and extent of Respondent’s involvement as the primecontractor (also indicate areas of secondary responsibility, ifapplicable).Contract term (Start and End date, or indicate if currently providingservices)The total dollar value of the Services.All client reference information must be supported and verified.Reference contacts must be aware that they are being used andagreeable to City interview for follow-up.The City may solicit from previous clients, including the City of Chicago,or any available sources, relevant information concerning Respondent’srecord of past performance.9

Request for Proposal for Customer Service andCall Center Services for Water/Sewer Billing OperationsSpecification No. 100153(c) Capacity to Perform City Project limit of five pagesDescribe how any uncompleted projects and/or contractual commitmentsto other clients will affect your ability to deliver services, capacity toperform within City’s timeline and affect dedicated resources committed tothe City’s project. Respondent should provide a summary of current andfuture projects and commitments and include project completion dates.Identify what percentage of the services will be performed utilizing yourown workforce, equipment and facilities. What percentage of the workwill be subcontracted?4. Project Understanding and Approach – limit of twenty five pages plus aTeam Organizational Chart and Staffing ChartA. Respondent must describe its interest, understanding and approach andmethodology for managing Customer Service for water/sewer billing inlarge, complex projects such as the City and how the Respondent isuniquely qualified and/or positioned to provide these services, whilemeeting or exceeding the Service Levels set forth in the Exhibit 1, in themost efficient and cost-effective manner and should address the followingareas:1.Service DeliveryRespondent must describe their overall approach to servicedelivery. At a minimum, this section should address the following:2.Process ImprovementRespondent must describe how the Respondent will leverage theirown experience to evaluate and improve the City’s processeswithout service delivery interruptions and without increasing cost.Describe past experiences with improving the speed andefficiency of similar operations and provide examples or casestudies. Respondent should detail the efficiencies the City willachieve by utilizing the respondent’s services.3.QualityRespondent must describe the control mechanisms that theRespondent will use to ensure quality is maintained for theduration of the engagement. Describe the Respondent’s approachto quality assurance and the methods or tools used to monitor andcontrol the quality of all service deliverables.4.ReportingRespondent must describe the Respondent’s overall approach tomanagement reporting and how the Respondent will ensure thatoperational information is accurately being inputted, th

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (“RFP”) for CUSTOMER SERVICE AND CALL CENTER . (“RFP”) Customer Service and Call Center Services for Water/Sewer Billing Operations, Specification No. . If Respondent chooses to download the RFP document, the Respondent must contact the B