Conference Q and A

Illinois Century Network

Regional Technology Center RFP
Bidder's Conference
March 20, 2000, UIS Springfield

Q. Can the Fiscal Agent responsibilities be divided so that one entity provides office space, another leads the User Group, and another operates the budget?

Yes.

Q. Can federal, state, and/or corporate funding take advantage of the ICN and should that be a part of the proposal?

This is not required in the RFP.

Q. Are private schools eligible to connect to the ICN?

It's our intention that this network serves education across all boundaries, which includes parochial and private schools.

Q. In terms of a distinction for-profit and not-for-profit or for involvement of commercial entities in comparing commercial activities, what are the limits and guidelines to participation?

The constituent list is listed in the RFP, and that details colleges and universities, community colleges, museums, libraries, municipalities, and not-for-profit educational institutions.

Q. Could you locate technicians throughout the region rather than at one central location?

We are open to considering such an arrangement.

Q. What are the Fiscal Agent's responsibilities in selecting and hiring staff?

The Fiscal Agent will provide payroll services and benefits for the RTC staff (excluding the supervisor). The actual hiring process and the line of reporting goes to the ICN staff. RTC staff will report to the technical supervisor who reports through the regional coordinators to ICN staff in Springfield.

Q. What input does the Fiscal Agent have in the decision of who is hired and who is released?

The ICN will make the decision of who is hired and if necessary, who will be released. The ICN supervisors will follow the personnel policies of the Fiscal Agent with regards to hiring, evaluation, and discipline.

Q. As the employer, what ramifications are there to the Fiscal Agent if an individual does something illegal and what course of action can the Fiscal Agent take against that employee?

These individuals are employees of the Fiscal Agent and thus the Fiscal Agent maintains the same rights and responsibilities as for all other employees.

Q. Does the Fiscal Agent have the responsibility for employee evaluations and how would that work if they are not really supervising these employees?

The ICN supervisor would be responsible for conducting staff evaluations following the guidelines and format prescribed by the Fiscal Agent.

Q. What is the job description for Regional Supervisor, how much of that is an administrative position?

The position requires a technical background. This individual will in the field working on constituent connections and POP maintenance. Additionally this person will be supervising staff, reviewing travel reimbursement requests, and a limited amount of other administrative tasks.

Q. What is the relationship between the ICN supervisor, RTC, and the Regional Coordinator to the User Group?

The User Group will serve in an advisory capacity to the Regional Coordinator. The RTC staff is a technical resource to the User Group and individual constituents with regard to ICN connectivity.

Q. Would it be sufficient to have the consortia sign on in support of a proposal instead of going through every institution?

The RFP requires signatures from collaborating organizations in the proposal response; however, consortia or organizations may legally represent their membership if indeed the member institutions have given the consortia or federation that authority. Proposals in response to the RFP must list participating institutions by name. We strongly caution, however, that should the collaborative proposal receive the award, all institutions listed in the proposal will be required to sign the contract agreement accepting fiduciary responsibility for the fiscal agent and the actions of the Regional Technology Center. If it turns out that listed institutions somehow knew nothing of their inclusion in the proposal it may be cause for disqualification for award.

The rubric or evaluation criteria established to rate proposal responses is weighted to emphasize collaboration between institutions across sectors and the depth of such collaboration. For example, if a response lists 20 colleges and universities but only one K-12 school, and one library, the proposal would receive one point. If, on the other hand, the proposal response included 5 colleges and universities, 5 K-12 school districts, and 5 libraries, it would receive 5 points. For the ICN project to be successful in establishing a statewide network serving ALL constituencies, depth of collaboration across sectors is vital and will be favored in evaluation of responses to the request for proposal. Should a region not have responses with sufficient collaboration across sectors no award will be made based on the current RFP.

Q. What if your institution or consortia has branch campuses or members within different Regions?

These institutions and consortia are encouraged to participate in proposals from any and all RTC Regions that include their members. All entities can collaborate on multiple proposals provided they have membership within the boundaries of the RTC to which they are applying.

Q. Can the proposal include collaboration from civic organizations such as Chamber of Commerce?

Yes. Any not-for-profit educational or municipal government entity may participate in the proposal.

Q. Is funding for furniture, phones, fax, and electronics included in the grant budget?

Yes. All these items are to be paid by grant funds. The RFP asks for the proposal to include benefits, office lease for furnished space, Fiscal Agent operating costs, and any other costs specifically for administering the grant (e.g. User Group funds). The total grant is expected to be $500,000 - 600,000 per RTC. This budget includes funds for computers, phones, data lines, printers, faxes, postage, supplies, travel reimbursement, pagers, etc. Once a Fiscal Agent has been selected, the ICN Fiscal Officer will work with the Fiscal Agent to develop a specific budget.

Q. Will the ICN provide a list of recommended software and equipment?

Yes.

Q. Does "furnished office space" refer to desks, chairs, and file cabinets?

Yes.

Q. Can the Fiscal Agent propose an indirect percentage as opposed to specific amounts for rent and facilities?

Yes.

Q. Is there a predetermined percentage for facilities and administration?

No. We are asking you to propose a reasonable percentage.

Q. What do you envision as the activities of the User Group?

Included in the RFP is a "Regional User Group Charge" that outlines the purpose and direction of the User Groups. We envision the User Groups working with the constituents from within the Region to look for opportunities for innovative uses of technology that demonstrate teaching and learning any time anywhere, libraries reaching out beyond their physical buildings, and extending museums into the classrooms and homes. We also look for the User Groups to make us aware of telecommunication opportunities within their community that can improve ICN delivery into the community. Additionally, the User Group will conduct a technology audit.

Q. What is included in the technology audit?

The ICN will provide the tool for conducting the technology audit. We envision the Fiscal Agent or the User Group distributing and collecting a survey of all constituents within the Region. The RTC staff is available to work with specific constituents that may need assistance in completing the survey. The Fiscal Agent or User Group would forward these surveys along with a summary to the ICN Regional Coordinators. This information will assist in future implementation of the ICN, requests for state and federal grants to assist with local infrastructure, and provide RTC staff with an assessment of local needs and opportunities.

Q. Can the User Groups establish priorities?

Yes. Those priorities should be communicated to the Regional Coordinator for inclusion in overall planning efforts and policy development.

Q. Does the Fiscal Agent have to provide a staff person to work with the User Group and conduct the technology audit?

The Fiscal Agent is not solely responsible for the User Group and technology audit. These responsibilities are shared by all entities collaborating on the proposal and can be divided among these entities as you decide. We look at these tasks as the constituents' contribution to the success and future of the ICN, not a full-time position funded by the grant. Your proposal can include a request for funds to reimburse travel and costs directly associated with these tasks.

Q. Where does the RTC's responsibility for connectivity end?

The RTC supports constituent connections up to and including the boarder router.

Q. After the two-year term of the original grant, will the grants be renewed or rebid?

Grantees will be evaluated on an annual basis. Provided the group is meeting the grant objectives and constituents within the Region are pleased with their performance, it is our intent to renew the grant with the existing organizations. However, there are no guarantees. The organizational structure of the ICN is a partnership between state agencies that may migrate to a more permanent structure or continue 'as is' past the two year grant period. Considerations of long-term organizational structures of the ICN may impact the structure of the Regional Technology Centers.

Q. Will the budget cover a second year salary increase?

Provided there are funds available, we will make every effort to allow for reasonable salary increases in year two.

Q. Can money be shifted from one line item to another?

Yes, however, the transfer of any funds from one category to another must be approved in advance by the ICN Regional Coordinator if that transfer will be in excess of twenty percent of the particular line item from which the funds are to be transferred. Failure to obtain such approval means the grant recipient must refund to the Board all of the grant funds transferred in excess of twenty percent.

Q. When we are doing salary calculations can we figure salary plus benefits or do benefits have to be contained within that salary?

The salary range identified within the RFP did not include benefits. Benefits are to be provided in addition to the salary specified.

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