U.S. Department of Education, Contracts and Purchasing Operations, CPO, 7th & D Streets SW, Room 3616, Washington, D.C. 20202-4443

D -- AUTOMATIC ACCOUNTS RECONCILIATION SOFTWARE SOL RFP-99-R-0099 DUE 063099 POC Elizabeth Hecker, Contract Specialist, 202-708-7234, Contracting Officer, Andrew Culko This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation; proposals are being requested and a written solicitation will not be issued. The solicitation number is ED-99-R-0099 and is being issued as a request for proposals (RFP). This solicitation document and its incorporated provisions and clauses are those in effect through Federal Acquisition Circular 97-11. This procurement is unrestricted. The SIC code is 7372. Description of Requirement: The Department of Education requires automated accounts and systems reconciliation software to facilitate financial management of, and improve internal controls over, its assets and liabilities. The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is responsible for all fiduciary activities within the Department. The purpose of acquiring an automated reconciliation package is to reconcile multiple The software package must identify, track resolution, manage, and report complex relationships, improve cash management, comply with Treasury reconciliation requirements, increase internal controls over assets and liabilities, provide timely identification and resolution of discrepancies between systems, and provide for more viable reporting. To this end, the Department seeks to purchase a complex "commercial off the shelf" reconciliation product with proven success in both the Federal Government environment (minimum two years) and commercial private industry. It is anticipated that this requirement will encompass reconciliation, and system to system balancing within the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) as well as within various program and regional offices. The Department anticipates that 25 users will utilize this software, with the possibility of up to 100 total users in the future. The software must meet the following requirements: financial exceptions occurring in multiple complex reconciliation processes involving millions of transactions. The package must incorporate "Best Practices" knowledge into all aspects of the software.1. The software must maintain an effective audit trail of all reconciliation and exception processing and must support effective internal controls. 2. The software must provide ready access to all historical data. 3. The software must facilitate report mining (extensive reporting capabilities). 4. The software must be Windows based and operate in a client server environment.5. The software must be warranted to perform the required reconciliations -- the warranty must cover the complete functionality of the product.6. The Department of Education is contemplating conversion to a new core financial system. In the event of such a change, the proposed reconciliation software must be able to be utilized with different financial systems and packages. 7. In accordance with FAR 39.106, the software MUST be certified Year 2000 Compliant. In addition to acquiring the system, the Contractor shall provide implementation, installation, training, testing assistance, and consultation. The Contractor must provide 24-hour telephone support; 365 days per year, subsequent upgrades and new releases of the software, and unlimited access to customer support web page.The period of performance shall be one year, inclusive of all specified deliveries and/or task work. The contract type shall be firm, fixed price. Work shall be performed at various U.S. Department of Education sites within the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Performance may also be required at different sites throughout the United States. The following are deliverables under this Contract: 1. Recommendations for Best Practice implementation of the software 2. Requirements gathering document or other proven methodology to document hardware and software requirements 3. Technical Software Operations Manuals 4. Production and Test license of software fully installed and accessible by users 5. Project Team and System Administration training,complete with training manuals 6. User training, complete with training manuals 7. Test cases and expected results for user acceptance testing, quality assurance, and parallel testing 8. Updated documentation for all upgrades and releases FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors -- Commercial Items, and FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions -- Commercial Items, are incorporated by reference and apply to this acquisition. FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms and Conditions Required To Implement Statutes or Executive Orders -- Commercial Items, is incorporated by reference and applies to this acquisition. FAR 52.212-2, Evaluation -- Commercial Items, is incorporated by reference and applies to this acquisition. In accordance with 52.212-2 paragraph (a), the Government will award the contract to the responsible offeror whose offer represents the best overall value. The Government will determine each offeror's overall value on the basis of an integrated assessment of three evaluation factors: Technical Capability, Past Performance, and Price. Technical Capability will be evaluated by how well the proposed products meet the Government's requirement. Offerors shall include completed copies of the provision at FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations and Certifications -- Commercial Items, with the proposal. Proposals submitted without this information will be rejected as nonresponsive. Proposals shall also include product literature, relevant product samples, and a complete description of technical features AND warranty provisions. The offeror's price shall include specific pricing information for the following elements: the software itself, installation, training, upgrades, ongoing support/maintenance, and any other applicable fees. All responsible sources may submit a proposal for consideration. Proposals should be mailed to the address given above. Opening date for this solicitation is June 18, 1999. Closing date of receipt of proposals shall be June 30, 1999, at 4:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time. All questions regarding this combined synopsis/solicitation should be directed to: Elizabeth Hecker, Contract Specialist, (202) 708-7234. Posted 06/17/99 (I-SN344367). (0168)

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