RFP

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

STATE OF ILLINOIS
BOARD OF HIGHER EDUCATION
431 East Adams, Suite 200
Springfield, Illinois 62701-1418

GENERAL PROVISIONS

The Illinois Century Network (ICN) is a telecommunications backbone to provide high-speed access to data, video, and audio communications for schools, libraries, colleges, universities, museums, and other entities in a joint venture of the Illinois Board of Higher Education, the Illinois Community College Board, and the Illinois State Board of Education. The ICN will connect more than 4,000 public elementary and secondary schools, 48 community colleges and satellite campuses, and 12 public university campuses. There is additional capacity for 3,000 connections for private colleges and universities, private schools, government agencies, museums, and libraries.

In order to deliver effective support services, the ICN has divided the state into nine regional service areas and is accepting collaborative proposals to establish Regional Technology Centers in the eight regions outside of Chicago. The ICN Chicago office will support Region I-Chicago. The Regional Technology Centers will enable local constituents collaborative input into the development of a support infrastructure that will meet specific regional needs related to maintenance of the backbone network and connectivity to it. Under the direction of the ICN, the support centers will ensure constituents a timely connection to the network, ongoing support, and ongoing professional analysis of local telecommunications opportunities. (Attachments A and B provide a map of the Regional Technology Center boundaries and a list of the cities within each boundary. A detailed list of constituents by region can be found at www.illinois.net.)

Specifically, proposals must identify a lead entity to serve as the fiscal agent. The fiscal agent will administer the support center budget, provide office space, and assume a leadership role to establish user groups specific to each region. The user group will provide the ICN technical staff with a forum from which to conduct technology audits and to develop an annual plan for delivering service to communities of constituents within each region. Chicago constituents will have the opportunity to provide input into the delivery of ICN services through a user group, which will be convened by the ICN Regional Coordinator for Northern Illinois.

Eligibility Requirements

Proposals must include collaboration from a minimum of one library, secondary school, community college, and college/university from within the regional boundaries. Each proposal must identify a lead entity that will serve as the fiscal agent. To qualify as the fiscal agent for the purposes described, the entity is required to be a public entity or a not-for-profit education entity. Successful applicants may choose to form an Illinois general not-for-profit corporation after notification of their selection, which not-for-profit corporation shall include all of the collaborative entities. ICN will recognize the not-for-profit corporation as the grantee in such event.

Contract Period

The contract will be effective from the date of execution by the Illinois Board of Higher Education for a period of 24-months.

Deadlines

Deadlines for Proposals: POSTMARKED BY FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 2000

Number of Copies to Submit: SIX (ONE ORIGINAL AND FIVE COPIES)

Where to Submit:                   ICN Regional Technology Center Proposals
                                               Illinois Board of Higher Education
                                               431 East Adams, Suite 200
                                               Springfield, Illinois 62701-1418

Signature Requirements:

Proposals must be signed by the chief executive officer of the fiscal agent and all partners represented in the response.The awarded contract will require the signature of the fiscal agent and all partners, or in the case of a not-for-profit corporation as grantee, shall contain the signature of the chief executive officer of the not-for-profit corporation.

Following is the schedule for proposal evaluation and contract award:

April 14, 2000 - Postmark date by which proposals must be submitted to the Illinois Board of Higher Education office.

June 6, 2000 - Grant approval by Illinois Board of Higher Education.

Funds will be granted after execution of a contract agreement between the Illinois Board of Higher Education and the grant recipient institution. The agreement will include a contract termination date, grant amount, assurance of compliance with state regulations, and requirement for evaluation and audit reports.

Audit Requirement

The fiscal agent is responsible for scheduling a program audit at the end of the grant. The audit expense will be borne by the grant budget and conducted by an external auditor who is registered as a public accountant by the Illinois Department of Professional Regulation.

Evaluation Requirement

Within 90 days of the end of the contract period, the recipient shall submit to the Board an evaluation of the project. The evaluation report must include: (1) a broad overview of the project, (2) a description of the project activities, and (3) a description of the project results.

Mandatory Bidder's Conference

A mandatory bidder's conference will be held Monday, March 20, 2000 from 10 a.m. to Noon at the University of Illinois at Springfield in Brookens Auditorium. A representative of the collaborating agencies must attend the conference in order to be considered for award.

IBHE Staff Contacts:       Lori Sorenson, Regional Coordinator, Central and Southern Illinois
                                      Illinois Century Network
                                      Telephone: 217-557-6565

                                      Lynn Murphy, Regional Coordinator, Northern Illinois
                                      Illinois Century Network
                                      Telephone: 630-466-7900 ext. 2378

CONTRACT SPECIFICATIONS

The Regional Technology Centers will provide technical service and support to all constituents within its region as it relates to connectivity to the ICN. The ICN will directly hire an on-site technical supervisor for each Regional Technology Center. The supervisor will hire technical and support staff to address the ICN needs of local constituents. These technical and support staff personnel will be regular, full-time employees of the fiscal agent.

Center Responsibilities

Provide all ICN constituents (K-12 schools, libraries, community colleges, colleges, universities, museums, and local governments) with the technical assistance to establish and maintain a successful connection to the ICN.
Analyze constituents' bandwidth needs and make recommendations for optimal connectivity.
Coordinate requests for new service and/or technical support for existing service between constituents and the ICN Network Operations Center.
Coordinate upgrades and repairs to ICN Point-Of-Presence (POP) locations and backbone circuits between the ICN Network Operations Center and vendors.
Research and evaluate local telecommunications opportunities that could improve the delivery of services to the local community.
Provide monthly status reports on activities and accomplishments.
Develop relationships with the local telecommunications providers.

Administration Requirements
1. Regional Technology Centers must be located within the geographic boundaries for which it will be serving. Please include the proposed location within your response.
2. The ICN Regional Coordinators will approve all disbursements of funds.
3. The ICN on-site supervisor, in collaboration with ICN management, will interview and hire qualified technicians. These technicians will be dedicated 100 percent to the ICN and will be employees of the fiscal agent with their salaries and benefits paid by ICN funds granted for this purpose.
4. The ICN on-site supervisor, in collaboration with ICN management, will interview and hire a qualified support staff. This support staff will be dedicated 100 percent to the ICN and will be an employee of the fiscal agent with their salary and benefits paid by ICN funds granted for this purpose.
5. The on-site supervisor will direct and monitor the daily activities of all staff. The supervisor will provide the fiscal agent with staff evaluations on an annual basis.
6. The fiscal agent will provide the ICN with a liaison to work with the on-site supervisor and the ICN Regional Coordinator.
7. Upon contract award, the fiscal agent and the ICN Fiscal Officer will collaborate to develop a detailed budget.
8. Upon contract award, the fiscal agent will receive the full grant amount, which the fiscal agent will disburse over the 24-month grant period.
9. The proposed fiscal agent must include a detailed explanation of benefits offered to regular, full-time employees.
Staffing
1. Attachment C outlines the number of staff that will be required for each region along with job descriptions and pay scales. All staff will be 100 percent dedicated to supporting connections to the ICN.
2. The Regional Technology Center staff must have access to assigned office space 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays.
3. The Regional Technology Centers will follow the ICN work schedule:
  Regular Work Hours: Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.
  Holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Friday after Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and four "floating" holidays to be chosen by employees on an individual basis with supervisor approval.
4. The ICN on-site supervisor will coordinate the interviewing and hiring process within each region. Hiring preference will be granted to existing Illinois State Board of Education Technology Hub network specialists and network technicians that meet the position qualifications. Hiring related expenses (e.g. advertising) will be paid by the grant.
5. All staff must meet the minimum qualifications established in the attached job descriptions.
6. Staff salaries in all regions will follow the pay scale listed on each job description.
Fiscal Agent Responsibilities:
1. The ICN Regional Coordinators will conduct a fiscal agent evaluation and review at six-month intervals. This review will ensure that the fiscal agent and the ICN is in compliance with the terms stated in the contract and provide a forum to address and resolve any problems or questions that arise during the normal course of operations.
2. The evaluation will include the budget, reimbursement process, staff performance, and user group activities.
3. The ICN contact for the fiscal agent will be the Regional Coordinator assigned to the specific region. If an issue arises that cannot be resolved with the Regional Coordinator, the fiscal agent is advised to contact the Director of Client Services. In the event that the Director of Client Services, in consultation with the Director of Network Services, is unable to resolve potential issues, a representative of the fiscal agent will have an opportunity to discuss the issue in an open meeting with the ICN Policy Committee.
4. Either party may terminate the contract agreement with 180 days written notice.
5. The fiscal agent must be able to accept funds and staff within 30 days of contract award.
6. Workspace must be adequate to accommodate all staff and be a minimum of 100 square feet per person. The workspace must include adequate office furniture, dedicated telephone number/extension, telephones, and voicemail. Please include a floor plan and campus map if applicable.
7. The fiscal agent will purchase workstations, software, pagers, facsimile, copier, printer, and other commodities and office equipment dedicated to Regional Technology Center staff. Such purchases shall be paid by the grant funds and remain the property of the fiscal agent.
8. The fiscal agent will reimburse staff for necessary travel expenses incurred in fulfilling his/her obligations under this contract. Such expenses shall be paid by the grant funds at the rates and for the purposes prescribed by the Higher Education Travel Control Board. (Please refer to www.wiu.edu/users/mibus/ilhetcb.htmfor reimbursement policies and rates.)
9. The fiscal agent will be responsible for providing monthly budget reports to the ICN Fiscal Officer.
10. Pursuant to Section 10 of the Illinois Grant Funds Recovery Act, interest earned on grant funds held by the grantee shall become part of the grant principal when earned and treated accordingly for all purposes.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

Proposals will be evaluated on the following criteria:

40% Collaborative Participation - Preference will be given to those proposals that represent the greatest level of collaboration for establishing a regional user group that will encourage community connections to the ICN.

20% Implementation Timeline - Proposals will be evaluated on their plan to promptly establish the support center and user group. The ICN intends that the supervisor, support staff, and technical staff have available office space no later than thirty (30) days after the award of contract.

20% User Group Plan - Proposals will be evaluated on their plan to bring constituents together to form a broad based representative user group within the specific region.

10% Fiscal Agent Operating Cost - This is the amount the fiscal agent will charge for administrative and operating costs.

10% Office Space Lease - Please include the lease charges and the floor plan for the furnished office space that will be utilized by Regional Technology Center staff.The floor plan should include a physical address for the center.

PROPOSAL FORMAT

Each proposal must include the following:

Cover Page - Please include a cover page using the attached format.
Project Narrative - In two pages or less, please describe the plan for achieving the objectives of the Regional Technology Center, specifically how the regional user groups will be organized. Please include a timeline for office space availability and organizing the regional user group.
Contract Specifications - Please provide a response for each technical specification describing how it will be met.
Fiscal Agent Costs - Please provide costs for administering the budget, organizing the regional user group, office lease, and employing staff in the format provided.
Technical Questions - Technical questions should be presented via e-mail to ICNRFP@ibhe.state.il.us or via facsimile addressed to ICNRFP (217-782-8548). Questions and answers will be published at www.illinois.net.The deadline for technical questions is 4:30 p.m., April 7, 2000.

COVER PAGE

STATE OF ILLINOIS
BOARD OF HIGHER EDUCATION
ILLINOIS CENTURY NETWORK
REGIONAL TECHNOLOGY CENTER GRANTS

1. PROPOSAL TITLE: Region ____ Illinois Century Network Regional Technology Center Proposal

2. APPLICANT:___________________________________________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

3. CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER�S SIGNATURE: ________________________________________

Print or Type Name: ________________________________________________________

4. PROJECT LIAISON:

Name: ______________________________________________________

Title/Dept.: ______________________________________________________

Mailing Address: ______________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

Telephone: ___________________ Facsimile: �__________________________��

E-mail: ______________________________________________________

5. COLLABORATING ORGANIZATIONS:
Please list all collaborating organizations (signatures of each chief executive officer are required).

Name: ________________________________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

Telephone: ____________________________ Facsimile: ____________________________

E-mail: ________________________________________________________________

Chief Executive Officer's Signature: _____________________________________________

Print or Type Name: ________________________________________________________

COLLABORATING ORGANIZATIONS CONTINUED:

Name: ________________________________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________________

�________________________________________________________________