In a request for quote (RFQ) released Dec. 7 on behalf of the state’s Office of Cradle-to-Career Data (C2C), the California Department of Technology seeks responses from technology companies capable of providing it with a software platform that should be key for the system going forward. Created by Gov. Gavin Newsom in July 2021 with the passage of state Assembly Bill 132, the Cradle-to-Career Data System, generally, connects “individuals and organizations to trusted information and resources, as a source for actionable data and research on education, economic, and health outcomes for individuals, families, and communities,” as well as providing for “expanded access to tools and services that support the education-to-employment pipeline.” (Mary Ann Bates, the office’s inaugural executive director, spoke to Industry Insider — California in September; find her interview here.) Among the takeaways:
- C2C intends to work with a system integrator to build the Cradle-to-Career Data System. Because of this, the RFQ says, the state requires Okta software “as an identity access management solution to facilitate the work constructing the data system for the state.”
- In terms of requirements, the state needs to be able to “scale users up or down” based on system needs, with an expected maximum of 100 users. Licenses must be provided in accordance with the Okta Preview Sandbox; adaptive single sign-on (SSO), universal directory, life cycle management and adaptive multifactor authentication (MFA), all per user, per month. Per the RFQ, it will be awarded to the “lowest, responsive, responsible bidder.”
- Quotes are due by 9 a.m. Dec. 22 and should be uploaded to the state’s Microsoft SharePoint repository; CDT won’t accept “late, faxed, nor physically mailed/delivered bids.” Bids must be signed by “an authorized representative that can bind the company contractually.” The contract’s precise value isn’t stated. However, following the approval of CDT Statewide Technology Procurement, the contract term will be 12 months with the state reserving the option of up to four additional one-year extensions for a potential maximum term of five years.
