Jamaica - Information technology services

Description

The National Land Agency (the Agency) intends to deploy an enterprise content management system (ECMS), with the primary focus on records management. This is in accordance with the Government of Jamaica (GoJ) Records and Information Management Policy.

This project will facilitate the implementation of the software solution compliant with the requirements of the Agency.

This will provide an efficient and intuitive automated enterprise content management system that enables but is not limited to:

• electronic document storage
• retrieval
• archival
• retention
• automated workflows
• ingress from external sources
• organisation
• publishing to the Agency’s public web site
• legal hold

This project also encompasses the selection and implementation of the ECMS that permits the management of electronic records with essential integration with the Agency’s existing file server. This is on premise backup infrastructure, Geographic Information System (GIS) infrastructure, document scanning system and repository, and other repositories of electronic records.

The software solution must be:

• secure to mitigate ransomware threats
• intuitive (easy to use and navigate)
• scalable for future growth needs
• capable of the fast retrieval of documents
• effective with access controls
• built with co-authoring and enhanced collaboration functionalities
• policy driven with automated
• capable of quick workflows with approval processes

These features and functionalities are pivotal in providing employees, customers, partners and the public efficient access to documents and public records. The requisite IP network, servers, network security and data storage to facilitate this project has been implemented on premise by the Agency.

The selected vendor will be required to provide the software, licenses, implementation services (labour), and post-implementation support to complete the successful implementation of the ECMS. They must provide the requisite technical support.

The National Land Agency is an executive agency of the GoJ, integrating 4 core land information functions of government responsible for land administration - Land Titles, Surveys and Mapping, Land Valuation, and Estate Management.

The integration of the Land Administration and Management Programme (LAMP) with the NLA resulted in the establishment of 2 additional divisions, namely the Land Administration and Management Division and Adjudication Services Division, with the focus of increasing the number of new titles issued.

Other divisions include:

• Corporate Legal Services
• Corporate Services
• Business Services
• Information and Communication Technology

The Internal Audit and Human Resource Management and Development Departments report directly to the Chief Executive Officer.

The Information and Communication Technology Division is responsible for the implementation and maintenance of core technologies, systems, policies, applications, management of digital records, access management, and project management relevant to ICT projects.

Corporate Services Division has overall responsibility for the operational functions of the Agency including, but not limited to, information and records management, finance, procurement, operations, administration and facilities management.

The Information and Communication Technology Division is responsible for the security and management of over 4.3 million digital files and Corporate Services has custodianship of an estimated 100,000 folders with an average number of 50 files per folder. These folders contain financial records, agreements, contracts, program and project files, leases, survey plans, cadastral maps, reports, and many other record types.

The Corporate Services Division has embarked on an inventory initiative to accurately determine the aggregate number of records in the 3 main registries utilised by the Estate Management, Corporate Services, Surveys and Mapping, Land Valuation and Land Administration and Management divisions.

The registries are distributed across 3 primary agency locations (North Street, Charles Street and Ardenne Road sites) and are manually managed using Excel spreadsheets to track the records by request date, file reference (composite number based on the nature of the file), requestor name (ithe name of the person receiving the file), dispatch date and return date.

Due to the exponential growth in the number of records in the registries, space constraints, vital requirement to digitise physical records to enhance timely access, collaboration, and processing and centralise all digital records, the Agency intends to move from physical to a digital records model using Enterprise Content Management (ECM) technologies.

The scope of this project will include functionalities and features such as electronic document management, text search (text within documents), optical character recognition (OCR), customisable hierarchies, scanner integration, workflow management, automation and integration using application programming interfaces (APIs).

The Agency also requires the inclusion of a system or functionality to track and monitor the movement of folders and associated file contents in order to be able to locate and retrieve physical records in a timely manner using Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology or equivalent.

Digital records are retained in multiple systems including network attached servers, business applications, virtual reference systems, email, and geodatabases. It is the Agency’s intention to ultimately develop the central repository of electronic records.

It is the Agency’s intention to contract with a vendor to design and implement an ECMS based on the scope, specifications and requirements specified in this Request for Proposal document. The proposals will be evaluated based on the most cost effective, technically compliant, technologically advanced solution incorporating vendor experiences in completing similar implementations, efficient scheduling, and post-implementation support.

The Agency expects to complete this project by August 2024. Vendors are invited to provide proposals in which award of contract will be in accordance with the criteria outlined in the functional requirements.

The selected vendor will be required to supply, install, configure, commission, secure, migrate, support, and conduct operational testing. This includes the development and implementation of the ECMS solution compliant with the criteria identified in the functional requirements.

The recommended solution will be required to leverage the Agency’s VMware infrastructure, file server, and virtualised Microsoft SQL Server 2019 database server. However, the recommended ECMS server requirements must be stated in the bidder’s proposal.

The specifications of the existing file server is:

• brand - HP
• model - StoreEasy storage
• memory - 16GB
• storage - 45TB
• CPU - Intel ® Xeon ®Silver 4112 CPU @2.60 GHz

Vendors are permitted to submit for review the cost proposal relevant to the cloud implementation of the ECMS in jurisdictions favourable to the GoJ Data Protection Act. The cost proposal will not be included in the evaluation process.

The scope of work will also include electronic discovery, classification, indexing, access control, and file format conversion, where applicable, of all digital files and folders retained on the agency’s file servers to achieve accessing, editing and manipulation of the digital files within the proposed ECMS.

This process shall include capturing or recording metadata. It will include import, index, metadata capture and file format conversion, where applicable, of all digital files and folders retained on file server 4.

The vendor will be required to integrate and maintain the fields and references applicable to the respective datasets facilitating the similar or enhance search parameters in the proposed ECMS or as requested by the Agency’s Project Manager. This includes designing, developing, and implementing the hierarchical structure in compliance with the Agency’s RIM policy.

The process will include integrating internal databases, email service, and other repositories of electronic records, through the utilisation of APIs, to achieve data lookup and/or retrieval of files or information for reasons of archival, compliance, analytics, and reporting.

It will also include scanning, indexing, classifying, and integrating approximately 200,000 physical records (to digital files) into the proposed ECMS applying scanning, OCR, classification, indexing, validation and workflow management technologies to automate or semi-automate this process.

A site visit will be accommodated upon request. The vendor will be required to submit the cost of digitising the physical records as a separate proposal.

The specifications of the physical records are:

• paper size - Letter (8” x 11”), legal (8” x 14”)
• paper condition - Satisfactory, minimal creases or folders and texts and images are legible
• other features - Physical records are stored in paper folders and secured using treasury tags and or removable plastic binders

The process will involve configuring the proposed ECMS to facilitate the management and monitoring of physical records retained in the Agency’s registries, integrating RFID technologies to track, locate, and record the movement of physical records or documents.

This includes integration and/or compatibility with RFID software, interconnecting the RFID reader with the ECMS. This will involve designing, developing, implementing and optimising multiple automated or semiautomated workflows.

There should also be plans to streamline processes and procedures. This includes but is not limited to:

• converting physical records to digital records, incorporating scanning, OCR, verification, indexing, classification and any other relevant technologies enabling accessibility of the converted documents in the proposed ECMS
• automating manually driven procedures and processes of varied complexities as identified by the Agency
• provision of the facility to validate and test workflows prior to implementation.

Administrators and employees should be trained on the use of the ECMS. Post implementation services should be provided for 6 months (after operational acceptance has been achieved) and software support for 3 years.

Implementation must be conducted and completed with very minimal interruption to the Agency’s file management services (for example, accessing files and folders retained on the Agency’s file servers).

Configure and implement security controls to facilitate:

• redaction to protect confidential information within documents shared with internal users, customers and vendors
• preventing data loss by human error
• preventing the exposure of sensitive information to unauthorised individuals leading to the collection of confidential data
• mitigating or controlling unauthorised transfer of sensitive or confidential information to external parties

Regular status meetings at intervals amenable to the Agency’s technical team should be conducted and weekly written status reports should be submitted. These reports will outline deliverables achieved and remaining progress updates, expected due dates of deliverables and any issues or concerns impacting those deliverables, schedule of activities, current or imminent risks and solutions or alternatives to mitigate those risks.

A comprehensive, high quality, and comprehensible documentation should be developed and submitted for knowledge transfer, ongoing use and operation of the proposed ECMS by the Agency’s staff and for auditing purposes. One hard copy and one digital version in PDF format of this documentation must be submitted and include but not limited to configurations finalised, all written reports, details and structure of the system, troubleshooting guide, etc.

A project schedule in the form of a GANTT Chart should be developed and submitted, reflecting deliverables and activities relevant to the completion of each deliverable, resource personnel assigned to each activity, duration for each activity, and overall project timeline.

Other services that may be reasonably requested by the Agency and applicable to the implementation of the ECMS.

Technical advice and recommendations should be provided for any network, firewall, and server configurations in accordance with the design requirements and the successful implementation of the ECMS.

Separate cost proposals should be submitted, reflecting the following:

• subscription user licenses and any other relevant licenses for one year
• professional services to complete all requirements and achieve operational acceptance
• software maintenance or support services for one year

The vendor will be required to provide the following output or deliverables:

• design, develop, implement and optimise the ECMS solution compliant with the criteria identified in the functional requirements
• import, classify, index, capture metadata, assign access rights, store and archive digital files and folders retained in the file Servers into the ECMS in accordance with the Agency’s Records and Information Management (RIM) policy and applying automated or semi-automated processes
• digitise, classify and import physical records into the proposed ECMS 200,000
• design, develop, implement, and optimise a minimum of 5 internal processes and procedures using automated or semi-automated workflow technologies
• conduct a minimum of 24 hours administrator training (8 hours x 3 days or equivalent) and a minimum of 24 hours user training (8 hours x 3 days or equivalent)
• facilitate the change management activities necessary for the seamless and successful user access, utilisation and acceptance of the proposed ECMS
• develop and submit the user manual, detailing the purpose, description, configurations, and troubleshooting of all features and functions of the ECMS
• develop and submit documentation recording all configurations implemented, features activated including relevant descriptions

Opportunity closing date

06 December 2023

Value of contract

to be confirmed

The buyer is happy to talk to

manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, agents, consultants