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1.Question: Section II-5 TAB 5. Does online "access to courses" refer to access to course information or the actual course instruction occurring online?
Answer: Online "access to courses" refers to course information.
2.Question: Section IV-2 specifically, page 20. Are there any fees collected by the Contractor that are due to the Commonwealth? If so, what are the amounts?
Answer: At the present time there are no fees due to the Commonwealth.
3.Question: Section IV-2, 7. Meetings, page 22. Historically, how many meetings are held annually?
Answer: Historically, there has been one (1) examination review meeting held annually. However, the Department may request more frequent meetings on an ad hoc basis.
4.Question: Can you provide the number of candidates tested at each location over the past two years?
Answer: The number of candidates tested at each location is not tracked by the Department, only the total examination administrations are tracked.
5.Question: How can we find out if you have any upcoming RFP's for conferencing services and what is the procedure for us to bid for your business?
Answer: We recommend that you contact Mr. Stan Richart, a supervisor at the Pennsylvania Department of General Services (DGS), who can be reached at 717-787-5566.
6.Question: I am interested in receiving more information on this proposal.
Answer: All testing and education information is located on the Department's website at .
7.Question: RFP Section I-7 (page 2), Service Fees. What is the service fee and what does it encompass? Is it reflected in Appendix C?
Answer: The service fees are charged by the vendor for administering the exams and education program. The service fees are addressed in Appendix C.
8. Question: RFP Section I-12 (pages 2-3) Are there any special security provisions in the Department's location that must be considered by the vendor that could delay delivery of the package to the Department should a overnight carrier be utilized for delivery?
Answer: There are no special security provisions to consider for this purpose. However, please refer to Section I-12 of the RFP relating to the delivery of the proposal.
9. Question: RFP Section I-28 (page 8). Notification of Selection. When does the Department anticipate awarding the contract?
Answer: The contract will be awarded after all the proposals are reviewed and evaluated. Anticipated contract start up is no earlier than March 1, 2005.
10. Question: RFP Section II-3 (page 11). Since a PERT chart is a graphic illustration of a project, and the Department's insurance program is a very comprehensive project with many dependencies that would be linked by labeled vectors and would cover multiple pages, is a Gantt Chart acceptable instead of the PERT?
Answer: Section II-3 of the RFP states that vendors must include a PERT chart OR a "similar type display" in their proposal.
11. Question: RFP Section II-3 (page 11). Will the PERT or similar type display be included in the page count or can it be included in the proposal as an appendix?
Answer: The PERT chart or similar type display can be included in the proposal as an appendix.
12. Question: RFP Section II-6 (page 11). Currently, the Department's regulatory database contains information on providers who offer pre-licensing education courses and their approved pre-licensing courses. Does the Department's requirement to keep its regulatory database pure only apply to pre-licensing information related to the candidate and not to the pre-licensing education providers and their courses?
Answer: This requirement applies to candidates only, not providers and courses.
13. Question: RFP Section II-6 (page 11). Disaster Recovery Component. The requirement expects vendors to provide detailed information that is considered company confidential. Will the Department sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement as part of the proposal? If yes, how would the Department anticipate handling the non-disclosure? Would the Department sign before the proposal is issued or sign as part of the review and return the non-disclosure by overnight courier, etc.?
Answer: As a clarification, the Department is interested in understanding the business disaster recovery processes the vendor uses in projects such as this.
14. Question: RFP Section II-6 (page 12). It is our understanding that all existing CE data already is maintained by the current contractor in COSMOS. Could you please identify the specific CE data that may require migration into COSMOS?
Answer: All the CE data presently stored in COSMOS will need to be migrated.
15. Question: RFP Section II-7 (page 12) and Section 12 of Standard Contract. Please confirm that the Department is requiring ownership of only the software modifications made to a vendor software product as a result of supporting this contract and not the entire software product.
Answer: The Department will acquire ownership rights to all software, software modifications and documentation created and prepared by the vendor for or in connection with the contract.
16. Question: RFP Section II-16 (page 17). Please confirm that the vendor cost proposal should be based on a fixed fee per education course filing for each completed course instead of a fixed fee per credit hour of education completed by an individual as it is under the current vendor's contract.
Answer: The Department asks that you submit the cost proposal in the format as required in the RFP. You are not precluded from submitting an alternative cost proposal in a format of your choice as long as the alternate cost proposal is submitted separate from the original cost proposal and marked "alternate cost proposal."
17. Question: RFP Section II-11 (page 13). Does the Department want each vendor to provide information on all state regulatory clients or just insurance clients? We understand that vendors should provide information on one private sector client as well.
Answer: The Department prefers references from clients involved in insurance regulation; however, we will accept references from clients with similar or related services.
18. Question: RFP Section III, Criteria for Selection (page 18). Can the Department provide more specific evaluation criteria?
Answer: No, the Department cannot provide more specific evaluation criteria. The evaluation process and criteria are confidential and cannot be shared or discussed.
19. Question: RFP Section IV-3, Item 11 Examination Development. Are there any items that the Department owns and will share with the new vendor?
Answer: Although the Department does not own such documents, the Department will share statutes and regulations with the new vendor.
20. Question: RFP Section IV-4 Tasks. Item 13 (page 24). This task requires the vendor to develop a procedure to monitor the quality of PE and CE programs and courses. The requirement is to audit a minimum of 10% of the courses (12,535 courses are currently approved). That would require that 1,253 courses be audited annually. May the vendor include in this number both in-depth on-site audits with other means of auditing such as student surveys, roster monitoring, random interviews of attendees, etc?
Answer: As a clarification, the vendor would be required to audit up to 10% of courses held in an annual period. The vendor must decide on the best approach to meet this audit requirement.
21. Question: What is the breakdown of exams administered by the test center for the period 7/1/03 to 6/30/04?
Answer: The Insurance Department does not capture this information.
22. Question: Out of the estimated 19,000 exams administered for the above time period, what is the estimated number of candidates who would need to be fingerprinted?
Answer: Based on the Department's experience and the best information for the period July 1, 2003 to June 30, 2004, approximately 30-50% of those individuals who take the exam will need to be fingerprinted.
23. Question: Appendix C: The Insurance Department's website reflects 133,000 insurance licensees, and Appendix C refers to 102,000 course filings. Could the Department please explain the relationship between these two figures?
Answer: These numbers were provided to present you with the potential scope of the project. The Department has not verified that any relationship exists between these two numbers.
24. Question: Appendix C: In the Fingerprint Fee row, should the vendor insert the same number in the Unit Cost column and the Total column?
Answer: Your cost should be in the unit cost column.
25. Question: Is the Pennsylvania Insurance Department interested in using paper and pencil examinations or are computer-based tests that are delivered securely via the Internet an acceptable solution?
Answer: The Insurance Department requires computer based tests.
26. Question: For each examination does the Department desire to have the ability to generate different forms of the same examination using a question bank? How many different forms of a single examination would be required? Would a set number of alternate forms of a single examination (with static questions) be an acceptable solution?
Answer: Please refer to the RFP Section IV-3, Requirements, #11, Examination Development.
27. Question: In Section IV Work Statement under IV-4 Tasks for items 4 and 5 what does the application process consist of? Would the Contractor need to host an online application and manage the electronic process of such applications?
Answer: Section IV-4 Tasks refers to the application process to approve education providers, instructors and courses. The Commonwealth encourages the use of the online electronic application process.
28. Question: Can you explain the rationale for the grouping of line items intotwo subtotals? In particular, it seems that "Education course filing fees for each completed course" would be more logically grouped in the first subtotal rather than with testing.
Answer: There are two line item groupings. The first grouping requests cost information relating to approvals of education providers, instructors and courses. The second grouping requests information related to the fees to be paid by the candidates, applicants and licensees related to the examination and education fees.
29. Question: Is there a point system being used to rank responses on Appendix C?
Answer: The scoring and evaluation procedures are confidential in nature and, as such, cannot be provided or discussed.
30. Question: Are there restrictions on submitting alternate pricing proposals based upon different business models?
Answer: Please refer to the answer to question number 16 of these Questions and Answers.
31. Question: Can you explain further why pre-license data is not to be stored in the database? It is unclear how this corrupts the Department database.
Answer: The Department has no regulatory requirement or need to capture and store pre-licensing education data on an individual prior to an individual's applying for a license. IV-3(2) of the RFP, Requirements, clarifies pre-examination information and requires that the contractor maintain information on a candidate's pre-examination information and eligibility for examination.
32. Question: It is our understanding that the CE data is currently stored in the COSMOS database. Is there additional data that needs to be migrated to COSMOS?
Answer: Please refer to the answer to question 14 of these Questions and Answers. At this time, there is no additional data that needs to be migrated to COSMOS by the vendor.
33. There is a requirement for the contactor to assign, transfer, and convey to the Department all rights, title and interest in information, documents, records and materials, including software prepared and created by the Contractor for or in connection with the contract. Is the expectation that the Department would own the Test delivery system or CE administrative system used to process this information, or rather the data contained or processed by the system?
Answer: Please refer to the answer to question 15. The Department has no need for ownership of the delivery system; however, the Department retains ownership rights of the data in the systems.
34. Question: Is the Department mandating the electronic filing of course completions?
Answer: The Department prefers electronic filing of course completions although it is not mandatory at this time.
35. Question: Can you clarify the number of copies of the cost data required?
Answer: Only one copy of the cost data is required to be submitted. Please refer to Section I-13 of the RFP for more information on the cost submission format.
36. Question: RFP Page 20, Section IV, Work Statement Section IV-2. Nature and Scope of the Project. Estimated Quantities by Service Category. The last item in the Program Totals table states, "Total CE Courses Completed and File Annually" and a number "102,000". Please clarify if this is the number of courses given, the number of credits earned, the number of participants, or some other number. Also, of the 102,000 courses completed and submitted on rosters, how many were submitted via the Web, via paper rosters and via file transfer.
Answer: As stated in Section IV, Work Statement Section IV-2, the 102,000 reflects the number of courses completed and filed in a year by licensees. The Department does not track types of submissions. However, all courses are filed in the Department's licensing database electronically.
37. Question: Section IV-3, paragraph 3, Continuing Education, states:
"Ability to update Department database within 24 hours of receipt of course completion documentation by licensees." Are the licensees required to submit proof of course completion, or is that the responsibility of the provider? If licensees are required to submit documentation, please clarify what type of documentation is required.
Answer: The normal business practice is for the provider to file the course on behalf of the licensee. The required course certificate must be given to the licensee upon fully completing the course.
38. Question: Section IV-3, paragraph 5, Fingerprinting, states:
"Ability to offer digital fingerprinting and electronic funds transfer at all test center locations." Please explain the reason behind this requirement. Does the Department expect that all test centers have the capability for Electronic Funds Transfer even though fees are not collected at the test centers?
Answer: The Department is looking to enhance the services available to candidates and existing licensees who are required to take an examination. The Department is seeking a vendor having test site capabilities to offer examinations, toonline applications andto digitally fingerprint candidates. Inherent in this process is the ability of the test centers to collect and disburse the appropriate funds directly to the Commonwealth.
39. Question: The RFP provides for quoting for instructor approval and renewal fees. Is there a specific requirement for instructors to be renewed every two years?
Answer: Currently,the Pennsylvania Insurance Department regulations only require provider/sponsor and course re-certification every two years.
40. Question: Are providers required to submit rosters for those who complete pre-license courses?
Answer: The provider is expected to maintain a roster for those candidates who complete the pre-license courses.
41. Question: Is the contractor required to use the CE module of COSMOS as a remote user?
Answer: Based on the Department's interpretation of this question, the contractor will not be a remote user of COSMOS. The contractor is expected to load the CE data into the license record electronically.
42. Question: Will the COSMOS CE module at the Department calculate compliance for agents?
Answer: Yes, the COSMOS CE module monitors and calculates compliance of Insurance Producers with CE requirements.
43. Question: P. 12 refers to converting existing CE data from existing Contractor. Is the data presently residing in the COSMOS database? Please clarify. Also, do you anticipate COSMOS remaining as the database of record?
Answer: Yes, the data currently resides in COSMOS. The vendor awarded this contract must have the ability to meet the business and data needs of the Department regardless of the licensing database the Department utilizes.
44. Question: Is any mass mailing of warning notices or publications to agents required?
Answer: Based on the Department's interpretation of this question, the contractor is not required to make any mass mailings on behalf of the Department at this time.
45. Question: Is the contractor required to accept submission of rosters by email?
Answer: The Department does not specify the format for submissions of rosters.46. Question: Is CE course auditing a part of the current program? If yes, what percentage of total courses are audited each year?
Answer: At this time, no auditing is being performed. However, going forward, this RFP requires auditing of CE courses.
47. Question: Does the Department envision having a single vendor provide the complete service package required?
Answer: Yes, the Department envisions having a single vendor provide the complete service package. The prime vendor is not precluded from using subcontractors. The prime vendor's selection of subcontractors is subject to the approval of the Department.
48. Question: Are their specific criteria by which all proposals will be evaluated and can that information be provided?
Answer: Please refer to the answer for question number 29 of these Questions and Answers.
49. Question: Section IV-4, Tasks. Is the Department willing to consider mandating that all CE courses are filed electronically by the provider?
Answer: The Department would have to review the impact on the marketplace before requiring that all CE courses be filed electronically by the provider.
50. Question: Section I, Paragraph 19. Please clarify the reference to Section II, Paragraph 5. What is the Department's expectation with regard to alternative proposals?
Answer: In Section I-19 of the RFP, the reference to Section II-5 was made in error and should be disregarded. The Department has outlined in Section I-19 of the RFP the criteria for evaluation of alternate proposals. You are not precluded from submitting an alternative proposal as long as the alternate proposal is submitted separate from the prime proposal and marked "alternate proposal."
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