The ECOS TRI Project is seeking proposals from interested vendors to take on a technical support role in monitoring, improving performance, and updating its WordPress based website site, www.chemicalright2know.org.

Under our Cooperative Agreement, ECOS has established a collaborative forum website through which states, non-governmental organizations, tribes, local governments, academia, industry, the general public, and federal representatives can post discussion items, position papers, and original research on an array of toxic release and other environmental information.

Responses to this Request for Proposal are due by Monday, September 10, 2012 by 11:59:59 pm EST via email to bshipley@ecos.org.

To see the full RFP please see the attached document by clicking here:  Request for Proposal for Web Technical Vendor

Any questions please see…

Bryan Shipley

TRI Program Manager

202-266-4928
bshipley@ecos.org

Environmental Council of the States Request for Proposals

Technical Support in Managing  www.chemicalright2know.org 

 RFP No.: CR2K-2012-1

Date: July 25, 2012

Description of Technical Support Role

to manage www.chemicalright2know.org

 1.            Background

The Environmental Council of the States (ECOS)[1] is seeking proposals from interested vendors (hereinafter, “Responding Vendors”) to take on a technical support role in monitoring, improving performance, and updating its WordPress based website site, www.chemicalright2know.org.

ECOS recently undertook a redesign of its chemicalright2know website for its Cooperative Agreement’s Toxic Release Inventory Project with EPA. Under this Cooperative Agreement, ECOS has established a collaborative forum website through which states, non-governmental organizations, tribes, local governments, academia, industry, the general public, and federal representatives can post discussion items, position papers, and original research on an array of toxic release and other environmental information.

The main mission of the collaborative forum is to provide access for interested stakeholders on the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) and other environmental data to:

• Vet their analyses,
• Share success stories and best practices, and
• Collaborate on solving community chemical-related problems.

Among other things, the website is designed to:

• Increase access to a broad range of TRI and other toxic chemical data and information;
• Help the public, government officials, and industry identify opportunities to reduce toxic chemical releases; and
• Share analyses of TRI data and related risks concerning human health and the environment.

As noted above, the website and forum are designed to help facilitate discussion among parties interested in TRI and other environmental data and is not a venue where U.S. EPA or ECOS state official policy or endorse specific content.

At present, the TRI Program Manager manages the current content of the website and determines what information is posted on the site.  The TRI Program Manager will oversee a blog, maintain a discussion forum, and promote the website to generate stakeholder interest and participation.  The TRI Program Manager is primarily seeking assistance for continued management and maintenance of the content management system (WordPress).

2.            Project Objective

 - Maintain, monitor, organize, improve, and update the Web content of www.chemicalright2know.org, and be available to handle new development tasks and/or other web development issues that may arise as the site is launched.

3.            Scope of Work

Type of Contract — This will be a fixed price contract with the amount to be determined.

Work To Be Performed — To maintain the development of the web site, ECOS is seeking technical support to monitor, organize, improve performance, design, and update the web content of the www.chemicalright2know.org Web site.

Specific duties include the following:

1.  The technical expert will update information contained on the website or in databases linked to the site and check the links on the site regularly to make sure that they are working properly and that the information they provide is current or relevant to the subject matter.

2.  The technical expert will maintain the site so that it remains a valuable resource for the client and the client’s customers.

3.  The vendor selected for this project (hereinafter, the “Contractor”) will help identify the technology that will help achieve program objectives as they are integrated. The Contractor will provide their technical expertise to answer questions about or troubleshoot problems with the website. These duties require the technical expert to keep up with changing technical standards that affect the workings of the website. The website currently runs on a WordPress content management system, therefore the Contractor needs to have expertise in working with WordPress.  The site itself must be regularly checked for bugs or other problems (ie., such as images that do not load properly).

4.  The Contractor will maintain the site, archive outdated information, upload new content for the site, manage the server, create links, and categorize topics. The Contractor will revisit the architecture of the Website and develop ways to make it more efficient and easy to find information.

5.  The Contractor should demonstrate experience in areas such as HTML, HTTP, XML, PHP, MySQL, C, C++ programming, etc.  The Contractor must show extensive experience in the WordPress content management system including expertise on themes, widgets, plug-ins, etc.

6.  Under guidance from the TRI Program Manager, the Contractor will use Web 2.0 technologies to create a discussion forum, RSS feeds, a wiki, mash-ups and the latest social networking technologies that will truly make this a collaborative forum website.

Reports

-  The Contractor shall submit monthly written reports by the last day of each month to the TRI Project Manager outlining completed work and highlighting work to be completed during the following reporting period.

-  The contractor will provide a monthly report on web usage statistics for this website, indicating the number of visits and most popular web pages visited by their clients

4.  Corporate and Staff Qualifications

The Program Manager is seeking a qualified candidate/s with excellent verbal, writing, and communication skills to actively manage the website.  The bidder must demonstrate an ability to be available for open communication (email, phone, and in-person) during the normal business day.  They must communicate effectively the technical aspects of the site and any technical glitches in order to keep the website up-to-date and performing to a high standard.  Active engagement is imperative.

The bidders should demonstrate experience in areas such as HTML, HTTP, XML, PHP, MySQL, C, C++ programming, etc.  Bidders must show extensive experience in the WordPress content management system including expertise on themes, widgets, plug-ins, etc.  Responding vendors must also demonstrate expertise in the latest Web 2.0 technologies that affect the workings of the website.

The bidders should also demonstrate experience in Section 508 of the amended Rehabilitation Act to ensure the chemicalright2know website is up to these standards.

An initial kick-off meeting with the TRI Program Manger will be required to review program objectives, as well as scheduled weekly phone calls to ensure that all technical aspects of the website are addressed. Regular phone/e-mail contact is anticipated and required.

5. Proposal Response Instructions

In order to be considered for selection by ECOS as vendor for the project, the Responding Vendor MUST submit the following information in its response to this solicitation (not to exceed 5 pages in total plus resumes).

5a.  Draft (Estimated) Work Plan — The Responding Vendor shall submit a work plan with budget, schedule and detailed budget tracking spreadsheet including personnel, tasks broken down by tasks for the technical management of the website as described in the Scope of Work. This is not intended to be an enforceable work plan, but rather an estimate that will give a potential Contractor an opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of the problem and a likely solution.

5b.  Key Personnel Resume(s) — The vendor will supply resume(s) for the key personnel proposed for the contract.

5c.  Company Qualifications.

-Company Name and Location

-References (name, address, phone number, email address) preferably from existing or current clients where similar work has been performed

-Company Qualifications as described in Section 4

6. Contact and Submission Due Dates

Responses to this Request for Proposal are due by Monday, September 10, 2012 by 11:59:59 pm EST via email.  If you are unable to send via email please contact Bryan Shipley at ECOS to arrange for mailing a hardcopy.

Electronic responses should be submitted in PDF format if possible to bshipley@ecos.org.  When submitting electronically please indicate “CR2K-2012-1” in the email reference line.

All questions regarding this request for proposals should be directed to the contact listed below.

Please direct any questions to:

Bryan Shipley

TRI Program Manager

Environmental Council of the States
50 F St., NW  Suite 350
Washington, DC  20001
202-266-4928
bshipley@ecos.org

7.  Proposed Schedule

The Contract Period shall be in effect from the date of contract signature to approximately June 30, 2013.  Further support maybe utilized depending on available funding and will be subject to any renewal provisions set forth in the Special Terms and Conditions in the contract document.  Contract signature shall take place after ECOS has notified a Responding Vendor of its selection as Contractor and negotiated a contract for the TRI project.

8.  Waiver

By submitting a bid in response to this RFP, the Responding Vendor expressly waives any and all claims against ECOS, its officers, directors, employees, subcontractors, and agents, and assumes full responsibility for any and all damages, claims, losses, costs, and expenses which the Responding Vendor may incur arising from or relating to this RFP or its response to this RFP.  This waiver does not apply to damage or loss resulting from the sole negligence, gross negligence, or willful misconduct of ECOS, its directors, officers, employees, or agents.

The Responding Vendor expressly acknowledges that its response to this RFP does not create a contract between the Respondent Vendor and ECOS, but instead is an invitation for the Responding Vendor to bid for an opportunity to be chosen to enter into a contract with ECOS.  The Respondent Vendor further acknowledges that the decision to select or not select a Responding Vendor’s proposal is made in ECOS’ sole discretion, and may be based on any factors ECOS chooses to consider, and may or may not be based solely on cost considerations.

9.  Confidentiality and Nondisclosure

By submitting a bid in response to this RFP, the Responding Vendor agrees to keep confidential and not use or disclose any information that is acquired during the bidding process concerning ECOS, its business, finances, or operations.  The provisions of this Section shall not prevent the Responding Vendor from disclosing information to the extent required by a judicial order or other legal obligation, provided that, in such event, the Responding Vendor shall promptly notify the ECOS in writing, and shall cooperate with the ECOS to contest or minimize the scope of the disclosure (including application for a protective order).