In a request for proposal (RFP) released Thursday, the California State Lottery is seeking responses from technology vendors capable of helping it with “Lottery Public Website (PWS) and Cloud Infrastructure: Maintenance, Support, and New Development.” Among the takeaways:
- The Lottery seeks a contractor capable of playing a “critical role as an active and collaborative partner” on the project and delivering the expertise, innovation and support necessary to “maintain, operate and advance the PWS and cloud infrastructure,” ensuring the former is “modern, innovative, highly engaging and built with responsive web design.” The contractor must be a “strategic partner” according to the RFP, with experience and “expertise with best practices” in website redesign and enhancements that meet web content accessibility guideline requirements, user experience and usability testing that includes accessibility remediation; information architecture, website development and deployment, social media integration and responsive design.
“It is critical that the PWS is an interactive and engaging website that is easy to maintain for the Lottery’s administrators and content authors and that it streamlines business operations and increases productivity,” according to the RFP.
The successful contractor, Lottery Chief Information Officer Jennifer Chan told Industry Insider — California via email, will provide maintenance and operations services for the agency’s public website while enhancing its website through “various design, development and implementation (DD&I) initiatives that focus on user-center designed and system usability while integrating with the Lottery’s mobile applications.” Chan advised vendors follow the RFP instructions for responding, so as to avoid disqualification; take the time to understand the Lottery’s business and needs, to ensure a thoughtful response; and understand the vendor chosen will work side by side with the Lottery in a very collaborative relationship. - More specifically, the contractor chosen must make sure the PWS serves all users around the clock by letting them “easily find what they are seeking,” promotes transparency for the Lottery by making it easy for the agency to share and post information, offers an “engaging and intuitive experience,” and functions as the Lottery’s “digital front door with a focus of elevating the perception of the Lottery brand” while bolstering trust and confidence. The contractor selected must ensure the site is responsive to a wide variety of devices, uses “out of the box” functionality as a “first priority,” or, if not, custom code. The contractor must simplify website administration and maintenance of content, allowing “users of all skill levels to update assigned sections of the website,” and streamline business operations. Specific services required include account management, PWS transition and assumption of operations, design, development and implementation; and software testing and turnover.
- Minimum (MQ) and desired qualifications (DQ) for respondents vary by position. For the project’s two technical leads, MQ include a “baccalaureate-level” IT-related or engineering degree and five years’ combined experience as front-end/back-end developer and technical lead; DQ include at least seven years’ experience as a front-end/back-end developer and technical lead. MQ for the senior project manager includes a “baccalaureate-level” degree, Project Management Professional Certification from the Project Management Institute and at least seven years’ experience as project manager with at least four years as senior project manager.
- The contract/project amount is not stated. Notices of intent to bid are due by 4 p.m. Oct. 20. Written questions are due by 4 p.m. Nov. 4 with responses coming Nov. 21. Responses are due by 4 p.m. Feb. 1 and will be evaluated Feb. 2-April 19. A notification of intent to award is likely on April 20 and the contract start date is July 14.
