In a request for proposal (RFP) released Feb. 15 in pre-solicitation, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) is seeking responses from companies capable of assisting it in “911 data analytics services” (911 DAS). The solicitation, which is being done under the authority of the California Department of Technology (CDT), seeks the capability, generally, for Cal OES to boost its data awareness as it migrates to Next-Gen 911 (NG911). Among the takeaways:
- Cal OES, which manages statewide 911 services, expects to wrap its transition to NG911 in “late 2022,” and anticipates “legacy 9-1-1 traffic to be possible through early 2023 when the selective router services will no longer be needed,” according to the RFP. Services needed include, of course, data analytics, “which will provide Cal OES and every (public safety answering point) PSAP in California the ability to analyze data and produce reports” from legacy and cloud 911 call processing equipment (CPE), legacy 911 and Next-Gen 911 “using legacy 9-1-1 data, NG 9-1-1 data, CPE data” and other sources.
- Roles and responsibilities for the contractor ultimately selected will include delivering “all services and equipment necessary for system deployment,” according to the Statement of Work, accessible via the California State Government Marketplace. The contractor will also be responsible for “doing a PSAP site survey for every CPE installation; doing wiring as needed for NG911 trunk connections and interface connectivity to all necessary peripheral equipment”; doing system readiness testing before cutover, “to ensure that the system is installed and operates”; and meeting in-person or virtually with 911 branch team members at least once a month. If the bidder’s solution includes commercial software as a service, the contract awarded will “automatically incorporate by reference the ‘State Model: Cloud Computing Services Special Provisions for Software as a Service.’”
- In terms of experience, at least two years’ experience “designing, engineering, building, and maintaining data analytics native cloud solutions for 9-1-1 systems that exceed 2 million calls per year” is required. So is at least two years’ experience “managing a data analytics native cloud solution across an IPV4 network that includes a system monitoring and outage reporting solution”; and at least two years’ experience “in participation with standards development for NG9-1-1.” Satisfaction ratings that are part of the bidder’s reference area in the RFP call for potential bidders to be rated on their “effectiveness at implementing or supporting a state, county or city government registry system”; at “transforming, consolidating, de-duplicating and integrating data from multiple sources into a single registry database”; and at “integrating application architectures within a central government data center” — all potential indicators of the types of work in the coming solicitation. This area also asks whether an “immunization registry system” was an instance of work done.
- Once approved by CDT Statewide Technology Procurement, the contract term will be three years with an estimated start date of July 1. The state reserves two two-year extensions “to perform data analytics,” making the maximum contract term seven years. The contract’s precise value isn’t specified but the amount “shall not exceed” $25.23 million including extensions. Written feedback and requests to meet with the state are due by 10 a.m. March 21; confidential virtual meetings with potential bidders are expected March 28. The solicitation is expected to be released April 7. Intents to bid and written questions are due by 10 a.m. April 28, with responses to questions coming May 5. Final proposals are due by 10 a.m. May 19 and will be evaluated through May 26. Negotiations are expected June 2-3 and contract award June 20.
