4 The procurement documents reference an accompanying IV&V vendor. What is the status and timeline of the procurement of services that are designed to complement this modernization project? A notice of forthcoming procurement will be posted in the next 30 to 60 days. 5 I was following an IFTA Processing System effort, for which RFP #6100028737 was released an cancelled. The effort was expected to replace the current IFTA local area network (LAN). Today, I came across a solicitation (#6100036938) for Tax Modernization, which states "As part of the Revenue Modernization Program, PaDOR is seeking to acquire and implement a new, commercial-off-the-shelf, system for personal income tax and the International Fuel Tax Agreement. The procurement may also include Inheritance Tax, Realty Transfer Tax, Property Tax Rent Rebate, and Liquid/Motor Fuels." I am wondering if the scope of the initial IFTA processing system project is encompassed in this larger Tax Modernization effort or if these are in fact two separate projects. Can you advise? Replacement of DOR’s existing system for IFTA processing is now part of this procurement.
15 58-60 D. Personnel, #2-8 Our integrated tax software provides all functionality necessary for core business functions and support processes, as well as tools used to manage the software implementation process. As such, our project personnel acquire product expertise at a much faster rate than can typically be acquired with systems based on multiple, peripherally integrated, third-party applications. In addition, the vendor is at risk for penalties if the system is delivered late or has other issues. Will the Commonwealth therefore allow vendors to propose key personnel who may not meet the required years of experience but who have direct project experience and expertise with our proposed software and implementation methodology? Offeror proposal should include a recommended team of personnel that includes a blend of project years and experience to adequately implement the solution. The Commonwealth will evaluate all resumes submitted.
16 13 I-3.E We understand that the DOR requires a continuous security monitoring framework to allow comprehensive and proactive monitoring to actively identify new security vulnerabilities. Is Security Event Information Management (SEIM) product implemented at DOR with which offeror is expected to integrate? Does DOR have a preference? Presently, there is not a Security Information Event Management (SIEM) product with which we are expecting the new system to integrate. However, the new modernized tax system should support and be capable of sending event messages via syslog. This capability should allow integration with any SIEM solution that is implemented moving forward. 17 80 III-6.F.30 We understand the DOR requires the proposed solution to meet the information security and privacy commonwealth requirements and the ability to leverage the existing user store and authentication system. We understand that the DOR would like the vendor to integrate the proposed solution with the existing user store including Single Sign On, authentication, multifactor authentication and authorization systems. Are these tools implemented at DOR with which offeror is expected to integrate? Does DOR have a preference? The proposed solution is expected to integrate with our Active Directory domain to provide single sign on functionality for Commonwealth users and internal application and with our proprietary user store called for external facing and internet applications. DOR does not currently implement a multifactor authentication and authorization system.
18 Tab - Technical Requirements Appendix O.1 We understand that the DOR requires a vendor to monitor and adhere to all changes or additions to any Commonwealth security policies or procedure or any changes to any applicable federal or state law, statute, rule or regulation including IRS 1075, NIST 800-53, HIPAA Security and Privacy Rules etc. We understand that this requires a comprehensive risk framework which can leverage governance, risk and compliance (eGRC) solution to periodically assess the solution as well as to monitor and incorporate new changes in security regulations. Does DOR expect offeror to integrate with a Commonwealth preferred risk regulatory solution? The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has developed a risk management framework that integrates all Commonwealth security polices and applicable federal regulations, i.e. IRS 1075, NIST 800-53, HIPAA Security and Privacy, etc., and has imported this framework into a governance, risk and compliance (eGRC) solution. This eGRC solution could be utilized to periodically assesses the new modernized integrated tax system as well as monitor and incorporate new changes in security regulations. No direct integration with this eGRC solution is anticipated.
22 36 and 40 III-5 - Work Plan, A - Project Preparation, item #15 "Regarding the Pre-Populated “User Playground” described on page 36, and in the context of the six (6) environments listed in Section III-5 - Work Plan, Section B - Tasks for Implementation (Phases 2-6), Item #5 - Configuration of Environments on page 40, is the “user playground” synonymous with one of those six environments, or is the intent that the “user playground” becomes one of those six environments (e.g., Testing or Training), or does the “user playground” represent a 7th distinct environment? " User playground is synonymous with the training environment.
26 15 I-11A On page 15, the RFP instructs electronic submissions to be in Microsoft Office or Microsoft Office compatible format. Are Microsoft Word files saved as PDF File Type acceptable? Yes 27 Technical Requirements tab - #79 Appendix O.1 Tax Modernization Functional and Technical Requirements For Technical Requirement #79, what is the Commonwealth's Single Sign-On (SSP) solution that the proposed solution should be capable of integrating with? The Commonwealth currently uses Active Directory as their user store. The Offeror should propose their best solution for leveraging and interfacing with that users store to provide Single Sign-On functionality. 28 Technical Requirements tab - #121 Appendix O.1 Tax Modernization Functional and Technical Requirements For Technical Requirement #121, what is the Commonwealth's performance measurement software the proposed solution needs to be compatible with? The proposed solution should be capable of utilizing the following protocols to support performance measuring and system and software monitoring: SNMP v3, WMI/WinRM, NetFlow/IPFIX, SSH and Syslog. This capability should allow integration with any like tools that are currently implemented and could be implemented moving forward.
34 Functional Requirements tab - #158 Appendix O.1 Tax Modernization Functional and Technical Requirements Functional Requirement #158 states, "The proposed solution shall provide the ability to establish minimum and maximum permissible refund amounts via online control." Can the DOR elaborate on what these minimum and maximum permissible refund amounts represent? For example, is this intended to be a min/max amount for a single refund, or a min/max amount for a group of refunds? Configurable parameters that may drive refund processing. It may be for a single refund or a group of refunds. 35 Functional Requirements tab - #815 Appendix O.1 Tax Modernization Functional and Technical Requirements Functional requirement #815 states, "The proposed solution shall provide general management reporting functionality that includes the following capabilities: create / modify accessibility / security rules". Regarding the desired capabilities of management reporting functionality, did the DOR intend to represent this as “create/modify” and “accessibility/security" rules? Please clarify punctuation. The requirement has been updated as follows: ‘create and modify the accessibility and security rules for the reports’. 36 Functional Requirements tab - #923 Appendix O.1 Tax Modernization Functional and Technical Requirements Functional requirement #923 states: "The proposed solution shall provide ability to search the following fields utilizing one or more of the following parameters for taxpayer management information: agent name". Can the DOR please clarify who or what an “agent” is in the context of this requirement? DOR employees.
37 56 III-5 Work Plan. E - Outgoing Transition On page 56 the RFP states: "The outgoing transition plan shall include a resource staffing plan, issue tracking log, knowledge transfer plan, and a project schedule, detailing the items necessary to successfully transition solution and operational knowledge to an incoming Offeror and/or DOR staff." Can the DOR please define "incoming Offeror" in this context? The incoming Offeror is defined as the Offeror that has been awarded the new contract and to whom the work is transitioning.
39 Technical Requirements tab - #47 Appendix O.1 Tax Modernization Functional and Technical Requirements "Technical Requirement #47 states: ""The proposed solution shall provide a methodology for migration of tax data."" In the context of this requirement, can the DOR please clarify what tax data is to be migrated, and to where? " Refer to the RFP Data Conversion requirements and tasks.
42 96 III-6 Requirements - L. Optional Services On page 96 the RFP states: “the Offeror may propose the following options, but is not required to do so. DOR may include such proposed options as part of any contract award at its discretion based on cost, quality of proposed services, and other factors that it may deem applicable.” Does the DOR expect offerors who choose to propose Optional Services to also provide costs for those Optional Services in the proposal, and if so, in what manner within the Cost Proposal should they be provided? This issue is addressed in the revised Appendix C, Cost Matrix rev (2.15.17), posted on February 15, 2017, as part of Addendum Number 3
44 57 III-6 Requirements - A. Solution Requirements On page 57 the RFP states: “the proposed tax solution must be an upgradeable COTS product supported by the selected Offeror”. Within the Cost Matrix Excel workbook, where should offerors provide software licensing and maintenance fees for their licensed tax processing software and any embedded software components, that collectively constitute their proposed tax solution (i.e., COTS product), if the‘Software Costs’ tab states: “The Commonwealth will enter all cost information into the worksheet.”? For example, should offerors include these software licensing and maintenance fees as part of one or more of the existing defined Deliverables?” This issue is addressed in the revised Appendix C, Cost Matrix rev (2.15.17), posted on February 15, 2017, as part of Addendum Number 3