request for information for pension administration consulting services

Santa Barbara County Employees’ Retirement System
Gregory E. Levin, Chief Executive Officer
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION
FOR
PENSION ADMINISTRATION
CONSULTING SERVICES
Submission Deadline:
11:59 p.m. March 16, 2015
3916 State Street
Suite 100
Santa Barbara, CA 93105
Brian M. Richard
BRichard@sbcers.org
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Santa Barbara County Employees’ Retirement System (SBCERS) is requesting information
regarding the ability and cost to perform a business process analysis and Fit Gap evaluation for
the purposes of moving to a web-based Pension Administration System (PAS).
With this RFI we request information regarding your company and your products/services. The
same information will be gathered from different companies and will be used to evaluate
SBCERS next steps.
BACKGROUND
Santa Barbara County Employees’ Retirement System (SBCERS) is a multiple-employer public
employee retirement system, enacted and administered in accordance with the provisions of the
County Employees Retirement Law of 1937 (California Government Code Section 31450, et.
Seq.) (1937 Act). Since its creation by the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors in 1944,
SBCERS has provided retirement, disability, and survivors’ benefits to eligible participants of
SBCERS. Under Article XVI, Section 17 of the Constitution of the State of California, the
SBCERS Board of Retirement is vested with the plenary authority and fiduciary responsibility for
the investment of monies and the administration of SBCERS. Together, the provisions of the
State Constitution and the 1937 Act establish SBCERS as a separate and independent
governmental agency from the public employers that participate in SBCERS.
As of June 30, 2014, the County of Santa Barbara; Santa Barbara County Superior Court; and
nine other Special Districts participated in SBCERS. SBCERS’ membership consisted of
approximately 9,000 active, retired and inactive members. As of June 30, 2014, SBCERS net
position restricted for pension benefits totaled $2.5 billion.
For fiscal year 2013-2014, SBCERS provided and administered total annual benefits payment of
$130 million to its retired members and beneficiaries.
SCOPE
Requesting information regarding the cost to perform the following evaluation for the purposes
of moving to a web-based Pension Administration System:
1. Document SBCERS Current Business Requirements:
SBCERS administers retirement and health care benefits to various classes of
members.
a. These member classes include, but are not be limited to: Active, Deferred,
Reciprocal, Retired, Nominated Beneficiaries and Active Continuances,
Dependents and Survivors, Duty and Non-Duty Disability Applicants and
Retirees, Domestic Relation Order (DRO) Nominees and Payees
b. Key areas to document include, but are not limited to: benefit estimate and setup,
retiree payroll, active member reporting, batch processes (ACH direct deposits,
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COLA, 1099 processing, yearly member statements, actuarial files, etc.),
correspondences, health care setup and billing, and disability applications.
c. Existing business (workflow) processes.
2. Develop and document SBCERS new business requirements:
a. New functionality desired to improve staff efficiency.
b. Desired business (workflow) processes or re-engineering of existing business
(workflow) processes.
c. Members Web Portal requirements for both active and retired members
3. Document required integration points and interfaces to other software/applications
a. Integration with general ledger.
b. Integration with existing electronic document management system (EDMS)
c. Other internal and external applications.
4. Evaluate accuracy and correctness of data to be converted.
a. Identify potential gaps in data.
b. Identify potential data integrity issues requiring data cleansing.
c. Develop a plan for the data cleansing (method, timeline, resources, etc.)
5. Deliverables from this effort will include a detailed list of documented requirements
(Current and New) as described above in such a format that they can be incorporated in
a subsequent Request for Proposal (“RFP”) for a new PAS that would include:
a. Project Scope: Determine what it will take to move SBCERS from our current
client-server software, PensionGold Version 2, to a web-based PAS based on
the documented requirements.
b. Project Fixed Cost: For SBCERS to move from PensionGold Version 2 to a webbased PSA. This will include:
i. How long the process will take.
ii. What roles (number of people, job titles, etc.) the PAS vendor
implementation team would consist of.
iii. How many hours each vendor team member will be expected to work.
iv. Hourly rate for each vendor team member, fully burdened (on-site and offsite rate)
v. What roles SBCERS will need to have on their implementation team.
vi. How many hours each SBCERS team member will be expected to work.
vii. How the data from the current PAS would be converted to the new PAS.
viii. Hardware/software requirements for new PAS.
ix. Options for on premise installation or hosting the new PAS.
x. Estimated on-going production costs to maintain and administer; types of
staff and number of, licensing and/or hosting costs, etc.
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c. Provide proposed specifications that could be utilized in issuing an RFP
containing detailed specifications of the hardware, software and related services
required to install, test, and implement a PAS meeting SBCERS needs; and
d. Provide an evaluation of potential vendors capable of providing a PAS meeting
the proposed specifications sufficient to assist SBCERS in making a vendor
selection and/or in identifying a vendor or vendors to be invited to submit
proposals in response to an RFP.
INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING IN YOUR RESPONSE:
1. Brief information about your company and qualifications.
2. How long the evaluation process will take and the various stages – project timeline.
3. What resources (number of people, job titles, etc.) the vendor team would provide.
4. Resumes, summarizing the qualifications of those team members.
5. Recommended implementation methodology and/or approach.
6. How many hours each vendor team member would be expected to work.
7. Hourly rate for each vendor team member, fully burdened (on-site and off-site rate)
8. What resources SBCERS would need to have on their team.
9. How many hours each SBCERS team member would be expected to work.
10. When the vendor would be able to commence work.
11. Breakdown of any other expected costs.
12. Total fixed cost for the evaluation.
13. For the past three years, provide a list of Pension Administration Systems you have
recommended and the customers to whom you have recommended them.
14. At least three business references for which you have done Pension Administration
System evaluations. Include contact name, title, organization, address and phone
number.
15. A customer list of previous customers.
RFI ADDRESS AND TIMELINE
Vendors are to complete the RFI response and return to:
Santa Barbara County Employees’ Retirement System
3916 State St., Suite 100
Santa Barbara, CA 93105
Proposals should be received no later than March 16, 2015. Any questions regarding this RFI
may be submitted in writing no later than February 25, 2015. Addendum will be issued, if
necessary, by February 25, 2015. Please send written questions to: Brian Richard, Benefits
Manager at the above address or email to: rdohert@sbcers.org
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DISCLAIMER
This Request for Information (RFI) is for planning purposes only and is not a Request for
Proposals (RFP), Invitation for Bid (IFB) or an obligation on the part of the SBCERS to acquire
any services. Responses to this RFI are not offers and cannot be accepted by the SBCERS to
form a binding contract. The SBCERS reserves the right to determine how it should proceed as
a result of this notice. Furthermore, those who respond to this RFI should not anticipate
feedback with regard to its submission. The SBCERS will not pay any cost incurred in response
to this RFI. All costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the responding
party’s expense. The information provided in this RFI is subject to change and is not binding on
the SBCERS.
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