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Form No, DPP-RFP-PS-68-75 Approved 5/7/75 Revised 3/18/08 GOVERNMENT OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES Request for Proposal — Negotiation Professional Services POS oosviuiiietdaccacsateeges psthnases sat eed ee wnenmennes Date: April 21, 2017 eer eee eee eee eee ee eee ee eee eee ee eee eee ee ee ey RFP No. 012-2017 (P) Pursuant to 31 V.I.C. 239 (a) (4) and Rules and Regulations thereunder issued, the Government of the Virgin Islands, Department of Property and Procurement will receive proposals for the work described below. Proposals will be received no later than Friday, May 12, 2017 @ 4:00 o’clock p.m. Atlantic Standard Time. SCOPE OF SERVICES: See Attached as Form No. DPP-RFP-PS-68-75 Approved 5/7/75 Revised 3/18/08 NEGOTIATED PROCEDURES: The Commissioner of the Department of Property and Procurement will appoint a Selection Committee to assist in the evaluation and selection of the Contractor. Accordingly, current data on qualifications and performance should be submitted with proposals. After reviewing the qualifications and proposals the Committee will select for discussions from the firm/s or person/s considered not less than three (3), in order of preference, deemed to be most highly qualified to provide the services herein required. Discussions will be conducted successively and severally with the firm/s or individual/s so selected the anticipated concepts and the relative utility alternative methods of approach for furnishing the services hereunder. FACTORS FOR DISCUSSIONS Selection criteria will include (i) Professional qualification, registration and general reputation of principals of the firm; (ii) the extent to which the Certified Public Accounting or Financial Management firm/s specializes in or has performed services of similar scope to the hereunder; (iii) Certified Public Accounting or Financial Management firm/s is licensed to conduct business in the U.S. Virgin Islands; (iv) familiarity with the location/s in which services will be performed; (v) quality of performance on other similar projects. NEGOTIATION: The Selection Committee shall recommend to the Commissioner the highest qualified firm or person with whom a contract shall be negotiated. The Commissioner, with the assistance of the Selection Committee, shall attempt to negotiate a contract with such firm or person. Should the Commissioner be unable to negotiate a satisfactory contract with the firm considered to be the most qualified, at a price he determines to be fair and reasonable to the Government, negotiations with that firm will be formally terminated. Negotiations will then commence with the second most qualified, the third most qualified or additional firms, in order of preference, their competence and qualification, and shall continue until an agreement is reached. Lloyd T. Bough, Jr. Commissioner Nominee Department of Property and Procurement Form No. DPP-RFP-PS-68-75 Approved 5/7/75 Revised 3/18/08 INSTRUCTION TO PROPOSALS A. NOTICE RFP-012-2017 (P) Qualified Certified Public Accounting or Financial Management firm/s to provide financial management, accounting services, technical assistance and administrative oversight as the Fiscal Agent to the Virgin Islands Department of Labor Information provided in the scope of work is to be used only for purposes of preparing a proposal. It is further expected that each bidder will read the scope of work thoroughly, for failure to meet certain specified conditions may invalidate the proposal. The Government of the Virgin Islands, herein after referred to as GVI, reserves the right to reject any or all proposals or any portion thereof and to accept the proposal deemed most advantageous to GVI. Price shall not be the sole criterion of awarding this project. Scope and quality of work proposed and the ability of the bidder to complete this type of project shall also be considered. Applicants are requested to submit proposals on the basis of the scope of services. Alternative proposals recommending new features and technology other than that requested in the scope of work will receive consideration providing such new features and/or technology is clearly explained. Any exceptions to the requirements requested herein must be clearly noted in writing and be included as part of the proposal. The information contained herein is believed to be accurate, but is not to be considered in any way as a warranty. Request for additional information clarifying the Scope of Services should be directed in writing to Dazarene’ Lescott at dazarene.lescott@dpp.vi.goy. Requests will be forwarded to Mrs. Derese Dunlop- Harley, Project Manager, Government of the Virgin Islands Office of Management and Budget. B. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE RFP-012-2017 (P) Qualified Certified Public Accounting or Financial Management firm/s to provide financial management, accounting services, technical assistance and administrative oversight as the Fiscal Agent to the Virgin Islands Department of Labor Form No. DPP-RFP-PS-68-75 Approved 5/7/75 Revised 3/18/08 C. E. PROPOSED SCOPE OF SERVICES See Attached TIMETABLE 1. Last day for requests for written clarification will be Thursday, May 4, 2017 @ 4:00 p.m. Atlantic Standard Time. 2. Proposals will be accepted at the Department of Property & Procurement, no later than Friday, May 12, 2017 @ 4:00 p. m. Atlantic Standard Time. SUBMISSION OF PROPOSAL All interested parties shall submit one (1) original and five (5) copy sets of proposals, which are to be delivered to the Department of Property and Procurement no later than Friday, May 12, 2017 @ 4:00 p. m. Atlantic Standard Time. They shall be addressed to: Lloyd T. Bough, Jr. Commissioner Nominee Property & Procurement 8201 Subbase, 3rd Floor St. Thomas, Virgin Islands 00802 THE SEALED ENVELOPE CONTAINING THE PROPOSAL MUST HAVE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WRITTEN ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE ENVELOPE OR PACKAGE: SEALED PROPOSALS-DO NOT OPEN RFP-012-2017 (P) (Name of Bidder) (Mailing Address of Bidder) (Telephone Number of Bidder) (Fax Number of Bidder) Where proposals are sent by mail, the bidder shall be responsible for their delivery to Department of Property & Procurement before the date and time set for the closing of acceptance of proposals. Form No. DPP-RFP-PS-68-75 Approved 5/7/75 Revised 3/18/08 F. WITHDRAWALS OF PROPOSAL A proposal may be withdrawn at any time prior to the time specified as the closing time for acceptance of proposals. However, no proposal shall be withdrawn or canceled for a period of thirty (30) days after said closing time for acceptance of proposals nor shall the successful provider withdraw, cancel or modify the proposal, except at the request of GVI after having been notified that said proposal has been accepted by GVI. INTERPRETATION OF SPECIFICATIONS If any person contemplating submitting a proposal requires clarification of any part of the scope of work, he/she may submit to the GVI a written request for an interpretation thereof to Commissioner Nominee of Department of Property and Procurement Lloyd T. Bough, Jr. GVI will not respond to questions received after the above established date. The person submitting the request will be responsible for its prompt delivery. Any interpretation of the scope of work will be made in writing to all prospective providers. Oral explanations will not be binding. CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSAL The Commissioner of Property and Procurement shall represent and act for GVI in all matters pertaining to the scope of work and contract in conjunction therewith. This RFP does not commit GVI to the award of a contract, nor pay of any cost incurred in the preparation and submission of proposals in anticipation of a contract. GVI reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to disregard any informality and/or irregularity in the proposal when, in its opinion, the best interest of GVI will be served by such action. Proposals failing to provide some of the items in the scope of work shall not be rejected per se but any deviations from the scope must be clearly noted. ACCEPTANCE OF PROPOSALS GVI will notify in writing acceptance of one of the proposals. Failure to provide any supplementary documentation to comply with the respondent’s proposal may be grounds for disqualification. Form No. DPP-RFP-PS-68-75 Approved 5/7/75 Revised 3/18/08 J. CONTENTS OF PROPOSAL The following is a list of information to be included in the written proposal. Failure to comply with all the requirements as outlined, may disqualify the applicant. 1. Introductory letter about the applicant: a. Name, address, email and telephone numbers. b. Type of service for which individual/firm is qualified. 2. Organization: Names/addresses of Principals of Firm. Names of key personnel with experience of each and length of time in organization. Number of staff available for project. (Local & Off-Territory) Copy of Articles of Incorporation Copy of Certificate of Resolution Copy of valid Business License o - rho ao 2. Outside consultants that will be retained for this project and percentage of work to be sub-contracted. 4. Project experience: a. List of completed projects and estimated cost of each. b. Current projects underway; scope; percentage completed to date and estimated cost of each. 2 Project References: Please refer to Scope of Services page 11 section Client References (includes a notarized written consent from the organization’s authorized representative which must include: name; telephone number and email address). 6. Project Approach: a. Describe how you will approach this project and availability to perform the services requested. 7. Cost: The Cost Proposal (one (1) original and four (4) copy sets) must be submitted in a separate sealed envelope. Form No. DPP-RFP-PS-68-75 Approved 5/7/75 Revised 3/18/08 K. CONFLICT OF INTEREST A proposer filing a proposal hereby certifies that no officer, agent or employee of GVI has a pecuniary interest in this proposal or has participated in contract negotiations on behalf of GVI; that the proposal is made in good faith without fraud, collusion, or connection of any kind with any other Bidder for the same request for proposals; the Bidder is competing solely in its own behalf without connection with, or obligation to, any undisclosed person or firm. LICENSE REQUIREMENT An award will not be made to any firm or individual doing business in the Virgin Islands to perform work with the Government of the Virgin Islands until evidence is submitted that the said firm or individual has a valid V.I. Business License to do business in the Virgin Islands. Bidders must submit hard copy of a valid V.I. Business License within ten (10) business days after award. All Bidders bidding as Joint Ventures must be licensed as a Joint Venture in the Virgin Islands. REQUIRED DOCUMENTS ia PUBLIC LIABILITY: The successful bidder will be required to obtain and have in place public liability insurance and other insurance necessary as requested in this proposal package. Insurance policy(ies) shall name the Government of the Virgin Islands as "Additional Insured". The public liability insurance shall have a minimum limit of not less than one hundred thousand ($100,000.00) dollars for any one occurrence for death or personal injury and one hundred thousand ($100,000.00) dollars for any one occurrence for property damage. Bidder must provide public liability insurance within ten (10) business days after award. 2. WORKERS' COMPENSATION: Within ten (10) business days after award of contract, the successful bidder must submit a copy of their certificate verifying his firm and agents are covered by Workers’ Compensation Insurance. De FAILURE TO PROVIDE CERTIFICATES WITHIN THE STATED TIME PERIOD MAY RESULT IN THE PROPOSAL DEEMED NON-RESPONSIVE AND MAY BE IMMEDIATELY DISQUALIFIED WITH NO FURTHER CONSIDERATION GIVEN FOR POTENTIAL AWARDING OF THE CONTRACT. Form No. DPP-RFP-PS-68-75 Approved 5/7/75 Revised 3/18/08 N. REQUIREMENTS FOR CORPORATION 1. ARTICLES OF INCORPORATION 2. CERTIFICATE OF CORPORATE RESOLUTION 3. CERTIFICATE OF GOOD STANDING THESE ARE REQUIRED PRIOR TO AWARD OF CONTRACT. GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS Request for Proposal - Professional Services Fiscal Agent INTRODUCTION: General Information about the Virgin Islands Department of Labor: The Virgin Islands Department of Labor (VIDOL) receives its authority pursuant to Titles 3, 24, 27 & 29 of the Virgin Islands Code, the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA), the OSHA Act of 1970, and other Federal laws which require development of administrative structures that govern and enforce fair labor standards and protect the people of the Virgin Islands from any threat to health, morals, and general welfare. Executive Order No. 309-1989 defines the organizational structure of VIDOL and requires the following divisions/units: Occupational Safety and Health; Workers’ Compensation; Labor Relations; Hearing and Appeals; Job Service; Training; Unemployment Insurance; Bureau of Labor Statistics; Planning, Research and Monitoring; and Administration. Request for Proposals The Government of the United States Virgin Islands (herein after referred to as the "GVI") is requesting proposals from qualified Certified Public Accounting (CPA) or Financial Management firms to provide Fiscal Agent oversight and Federal funds management to the GVI. The Virgin Islands Office of Management and Budget (VIOMB) on behalf of the Virgin Islands Department of Labor (VIDOL) is requesting proposals from qualified CPA or Financial Management firms, licensed to conduct business in the United States Virgin Islands, to function as the FISCAL AGENT. This is a Request for Proposal ("RFP") for a Fiscal Agent (the "Agent ") to provide financial management, accounting services, technical assistance and administrative oversight for the Virgin Islands Department of Labor (the "VIDOL"). The successful bidder will have demonstrated experience in Federal grants management, including expertise with the Uniform Guidance codified at 2 CFR 200 and familiarity with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. The Agent will be required to assist VIDOL staff in the resolution of VIDOL unresolved findings included in various single audits and U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (ETA) monitoring reports. Currently approximately four (4) staff members support the ETA grant funds. Contract Duration The GVI anticipates that a contract for these services will be in place by June 12, 2017 with duration of two (2) years. Under circumstances described later in this RFP, contract extensions may be warranted. Prospective vendors are required to budget all work efforts accordingly, in order to insure that provision of services is commenced by this date. The contract period for the services is expected to begin on the aforementioned date and conclude June 30, 2019, subject to potential extension, or when the VIDOL is in full compliance with all of the conditions established by ETA with approval of ETA’s Grant Officer. GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS Request for Proposal - Professional Services Fiscal Agent ee eS ee ee Sa FS Se Se ee If needed, the contract will be extended 90 days beyond the contract expiration date. Subject to the approval of the ETA Grant Officer, the VIOMB may exercise an option to renew the contract for up to 12 months at rates to be negotiated after completion and submission of the any/all reports. All prices shall be firm for the term of this contract. The awardee agrees to this condition by signing their proposal. Working Papers - In all cases, the respondent will retain all working papers for a period of five (5) years and will provide the ETA, VIOMB and/or VIDOL and/or its assignees access, free of charge, to any or all work papers for a period of five (5) years. Working papers will be available for examination or duplication without charge to authorized GVI employees, specifically VIOMB and/or VIDOL personnel; as well as, representatives of the ETA. This Request for Proposals (RFP) sets forth the requirements for the services and solicits a detailed response from prospective vendors to include a Technical Proposal and a Cost Proposal. The Cost Proposal should be submitted separately, in sealed envelope, from the Technical Proposal. GVI encourages respondents to this solicitation to propose alternative strategies for consideration based on previous experience or for reasons such as risk mitigation. At a minimum, prospective vendors must submit pricing and staffing estimates for the life of the project. PROJECT FUNCTIONAL SCOPE The scope of these services includes, but is not limited to, the following business processes within the VIDOL: purchasing, contracting, accounts payable, accounts receivable, cash receipts, fixed asset accounting and management, time distribution, inventory management, reporting and record keeping, and payroll disbursement. The selected vendor will be responsible for coordinating efforts of financial management duties with the Virgin Islands Department of Finance (VIDF), the Virgin Islands Department of Property and Procurement (VIDPP) and the Virgin Islands Office of Management and Budget (VIOMB) for all funds provided to the Virgin Islands Department of Labor (VIDOL), by the United States Department of Labor (USDOL). The purpose of the RFP is to provide interested prospective vendors with sufficient information to enable them to develop and submit proposal for services that will fulfill the specified requirements of the GVI and the USDOL. Please describe your experience in conducting the following comprehensive fiscal responsibilities. The scope of the oversight services include, but are not limited to, the following functionalities: a. Cash Management General Ledger b. Budget Controls Budget Control of Grant Funds c. Cost Allocation, including labor . Purchasing Accounts Payable Accounts Receivable Cash Receipts . Grant Accounting and Reconciliation distribution d. Allowable Costs e. Internal Controls f. Timely, Quarterly Federal Financial PNSxME< soi as GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS Request for Proposal - Professional Services Fiscal Agent ——S SSE SEE SS SE Reporting bb. Fixed Assets Procurement cc. Inventory Management Cost Classification dd. Payroll Processing Negotiated Indirect Cost Rates ee. Time Distribution to SBR grants and/or Program Income projects Administrative Controls Personnel . Equipment Audit and Audit Resolution Reporting Systems Facilities and Other Capital Assets Intangible Property Civil Rights Match and Leveraged Resources Familiarity With Uniform Guidance cy reso B Bm Ro Bros PROJECT OBJECTIVES The project's objectives cover all aspects of financial management, accounting services, technical assistance and administrative oversight of ETA grant funds, as defined in the scope of services. However, a crucial goal of the project is to establish improved controls for all of the processes detailed in the Scope of Services and to achieve enhancement of a more effective and efficient business and financial operations throughout VIDOL. The following lists some of the major characteristics that GVI is looking for from the prospective Agent: o Ensure strict financial controls over all ETA grant funds provided to the GVI except as otherwise noted in USDOL grant award documents. o Establish an effective internal control environment. o Demonstrate a strong past performance record for the desired services. o Ensure that sufficient personnel are available, with the necessary skills and expertise in the financial management functions included in this RFP, to perform the desired services. © The ability to scale operations to accommodate any change in workload. © The capability to provide appropriate fiscal and administrative training to VIDOL staff. The GVI will conduct interviews only with select prospective Agents that meet the evaluation criteria in this RFP. Summaries of prospective Agents qualifications will be provided to ETA for review. GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS Request for Proposal - Professional Services Fiscal Agent SCOPE OF SERVICES This section of the proposal shall explain in detail how the prospective vendor will provide Fiscal Agent oversight and training to the VIDOL staff. Any oversight proposed must include appropriate internal control methodologies that comply with authorizing Federal statutes, the Uniform Guidance, and specific grant terms and conditions as it relates to the management of ETA grant funds. The Agent will identify the proposed team (partners, manager’s supervisors, and staff) that will be responsible for providing the required fiscal services, and provide a detailed resume for each proposed team member. The awardee will also indicate the specific individual who will serve as the day-to-day contact and be responsible for the work product of the Awardee. This individual must be available to attend meetings and respond to specific inquiries and calls with a 24 hour notice. Support personnel will be made available by the VIDOL to provide assistance, such as identifying locations of required records, gathering needed documentation and supporting information and such other tasks that will serve to facilitate daily fiscal and administrative activities, with the understanding that supporting personnel must be given consideration to effectively perform the day-to-day requirements of their positions. The successful Agent for VIDOL will enter into a contract with VIOMB on behalf of VIDOL. The Agent will manage all ETA grant funds for the VIDOL. The organization will provide services related to grants management, general accounting and financial services, oversight for fund integrity, staff support and technical assistance, as needed. The responsibilities for the Agent are as follows: 1. The Agent must work cooperatively and in a timely manner with VIDOL to implement the activities and responsibilities as put forth in this document. 2. The Agent acknowledges that regular communication among the GVI, specifically the VIOMB and VIDOL, ETA and the Agent is necessary to ensure proper financial management of grant funds, consistent with approved grant applications, budgets, and applicable program statutes, the Uniform Guidance including the cost principles in 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart E. Therefore, the Agent understands and agrees that, as ETA deems necessary and appropriate, ETA shall include the Agent in communications, both written and oral, between the GVI and ETA. 3. The Agent’s role encompasses financial management responsibilities concerning the grants, including, but not limited to, processing payments and disbursements, maintaining financial records, establishing an effective internal control environment, cost allocation, including labor distribution, financial reporting, instituting and applying procurement, inventory, and payroll procedures that comply with applicable Federal requirements, and other duties as more fully described below. In addition, the Agent agrees to provide assistance to VIDOL as it prepares the budgets that accompany the grant application(s). Training and technical assistance to VIDOL staff will be routinely provided. GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS Request for Proposal - Professional Services Fiscal Agent 4. The Agent must use these line item budgets to track projected and actual expenditures for the programs under the grants. The Agent must ensure that the expenditures proposed are only for allowable costs under each grant. The Agent wi <lso receive from VIDOL copies of the applications, budgets, and budget narratives that ETA has approved for the VIDOL’s grant awards to ensure that the Agent has these documents for purposes of executing its financial management responsibilities on behalf of VIDOL under these grants. 5. VIDOL, prior to any drawdowns or disbursements, must provide the Agent with a line item budget for the total amount of each grant and subgrant, if applicable, in accordance with the specific terms and conditions of each ETA grant. The line item budget must include amounts for administration and program activities. For purposes of ETA grants, the VIDOL must provide the Agent with line item budgets for each of the programs under which the VIDOL will use ETA Grant funds. The line item budget for each of these programs must be based on the total amount of Consolidated Grant funds to be used for each program and include amounts for administration and program activities. 6. If it becomes necessary, the Agent must establish, maintain, and manage a separate bank account for all of the funds under the grants from ETA. The Agent must provide the VIDOL with written notice (e.g., copy of invoice) of when funds are needed for a disbursement under a particular grant. 7. The Agent must acknowledge that the VIDOL have drawdown authority and that VIDOL understands and agrees that they must draw down funds and provide any applicable matching funds information to the Agent within 72 hours of receipt of the written notice from the Agent. 8. The Agent must use fiscal control and accounting procedures that meet the requirements imposed on non-Federal entity grantees in accordance with the Uniform guidance, particularly sections 2 CFR §§ 200.302, 200.303, and 200.305(b). 9. The Agent will maintain an accounting and record of all revenue, expenditures, program income, and applicable credits associated with the VIDOL funds by funding stream, for the duration of the term of its services. 10. The Agent will ensure that all financial procedures are in compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Procedures (GAAP), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) policies, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), and any other federal or state regulatory requirements and limit risk of questioned or disallowed costs. 11. The Agent will implement any such type of invoicing system or procedures deemed necessary in order to comply with its duties and responsibilities as Agent. GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS Request for Proposal - Professional Services Fiscal Agent ee ee ee nr ee 12. The Agent will maintain an accounting of expenditures by expense type and service provider/vendor or other agreed upon method and maintain appropriate ledgers to manage obligations and expenditures of funds. 13. The Agent will establish procedures and processes to ensure that all amounts payable to contractors, providers and/or vendors are paid within statutory and/or policy time frames from existing funds and that proper documentation for each is maintained for monitoring and audit purposes. 14. The Agent will establish procedures and processes to ensure that all receivables are collected and recorded on a timely basis. 15. The Agent will assist with processes and procedures for invoicing, proper documentation and reporting from contractors. 16. As needed, the Agent will design and implement policies and procedures for all fiscal functions including cost allocation planning (with particular focus on labor distribution), reporting, invoicing, documentation procedures, procurement, and other fiscal management functions. 17. The Agent will provide training and technical assistance to VIDOL and on fiscal management policies, procedures and monitoring as related to the administration of its grants. 18. The Agent must expend funds only for costs that are allowable under the respective grant programs, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the particular grant and the Uniform Guidance. If the Agent questions whether or not an expenditure is allowable, the Agent must raise this question with VIDOL staff. If the Agent deems it necessary, the Agent may also request assistance from ETA in determining the allowability of any expenditure. 19. The Agent must determine the value of any in-kind property or services donated to or provided by the VIDOL that are used to meet cost sharing or matching requirements as required by 2 CFR § 200.306 and must maintain records sufficient to document the bases for those valuations. 20. The Agent must take steps to prevent the lapsing of funds available under the grants, including ensuring timely disbursement of funds through the use of methods and procedures for payment that minimize the time elapsing between the transfer of funds and disbursement of those funds as specified in the Virgin Islands’ Treasury-State agreement, as required under the Cash Management Improvement Act (CMIA) and Treasury regulations at 31 CFR Part 205. For grant funds not included in the Virgin Islands’ Treasury-State agreement, the Agent must meet the requirements in 2 CFR § 200.305(b). 21. The VIDOL and the Agent must coordinate the timing of drawdowns and disbursements to ensure that payments to staff, vendors and providers are prompt and timely. To the greatest GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS Request for Proposal - Professional Services Fiscal Agent SS SS Se aS ERAS ea extent feasible, the VIDOL must draw down funds in a timely manner so that funds under the grants are deposited to the separate bank account maintained by the Agent on the same day that funds are drawn from the account to liquidate obligations under the grants. The Agent must ensure that any interest earned on grant funds not subject to the Treasury-State agreement is repaid annually, as required by 2 CFR § 200.305(b)(9). 22. The Agent must charge ETA grants only for costs resulting from obligations that were properly made during the period of availability for the funds, including any carryover period. To ensure against the lapsing of USDOL funds, the Agent must liquidate obligations and/or accrued expenditures no later than 90 days after the end of the funding period or during any extension of that period authorized by ETA, in accordance with 2 CFR § 2900.15. 23. The Agent may seek approval from ETA to charge allowable pre-award costs incurred by the VIDOL against any ETA grant award. The Agent must submit any request for pre-award costs to ETA in writing and may not reimburse any pre-award costs unless it receives written approval from ETA. 24. The Agent must establish and maintain a process for tracking and reporting time and effort spent by all employees whose salaries are paid under ETA grants, including distribution of time among different funding sources for split-time employees, and for properly allocating salary costs among ETA grants, based on records that accurately and properly record the distribution of each employee’s work on multiple cost objectives, the time the employee attends work, and, for those employees who work on a single cost objective, semiannual certifications. The Agent must carry out these responsibilities consistent with Federal requirements in 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart E, and more specifically, 2 CFR §§ 200.430 and 200.431. 25. In disbursing funds for allowable costs under the grants, the Agent must distinguish between direct and indirect costs and use accurate methods to allocate funds correctly between these two cost categories. The Agent must ensure that the charging of direct and indirect costs against the respective USDOL grants is consistent with the applicable restricted and unrestricted indirect cost rates negotiated with, and approved by, the U.S. Department of Interior (the Virgin Islands’ cognizant Federal agency), and that copies of any indirect cost rate proposals or agreements comply with the applicable requirements of 2 CFR Part 200, Subpart E, and 34 CFR §§ 75.560- 564 (discretionary grants) and 34 CFR §§ 76.560-569 (formula grants). 26. The Agent must establish contacts and working relationships with prospective vendors that can provide goods and services that the VIDOL need under the grants, and in doing so, must comply with the provisions for procurement set forth in 2 CFR §§ 200.318-200.326. 27. Within 24 hours of the Agent's receipt of a vendor invoice, the Agent must provide a copy of the invoice to the VIDOL to ensure that the goods or services delivered are available for inspection and acceptance or rejection by the appropriate VIDOL staff requesting the goods or services. The Agent must pay vendors for the delivered goods or services and must, to the extent ~T~ 28. 29. 30. a1. a2, GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS Request for Proposal - Professional Services Fiscal Agent reasonably possible, disburse funds to the vendors on the same day that funds are deposited into the separate bank account(s) maintained by the Agent. The Agent must make payments by electronic funds transfer (EFT) or by paper draft only if EFT is not available or possible for a particular vendor. The Agent must manage all tangible personal property procured under the grants, with a purchase price of $500 or greater, in accordance with the requirements of 2 CFR §§ 200.313(a) and (c)-(e). In particular, the Agent must establish and maintain a process for managing such property consistent with the requirements of 2 CFR § 200.313(d), including reconciling the inventory conducted by the Virgin Islands Department of Property and Procurement with existing property records; developing a system for maintaining property records and for identifying property acquired with ETA grant funds; and establishing a control system to prevent loss, damage, or theft of the property. The Agent must maintain records that fully show the amount of funds made available under each of the grants; how the VIDOL uses the funds; the total cost of each project; the share of that cost provided from other sources; and other records to facilitate an effective audit, in accordance with 34 CFR § 75.730 (discretionary grants) and § 76.730 (formula grants). The Agent, acting on behalf of the VIDOL must retain records in accordance with the provisions of 2 CFR § 200.333. All transactions under the contract between the VIOMB and the Agent must be consistent with all applicable Federal requirements, including the Uniform Guidance at 2 CFR Part 200 and EDGAR at 34 CFR (Parts as appropriate). The Agent must comply generally with the requirements of 2 CFR § 200.327. The Agent must produce quarterly reports concerning financial transactions of the VIDOL for submission to those entities and ETA on ETA form 9130, detailing for each grant awarded to the VIDOL, including for each individual program for which the VIDOL are using ETA Grant funds: a) The date of receipt, and the amount, of each approved payment request; b) The date and amount of each draw down deposit; c) The date and amount of each payment or disbursement by the Agent; and d) Any interest or other funds remaining in the account at the end of the quarter. These amounts must also be grouped by and comparable with the projections in the line item budgets described above in and must be reconciled with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Payment Management System (PMS) system. This reconciliation must include available balances, by award. These reports shall be due within 10 working days after the end of each month. GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS Request for Proposal - Professional Services Fiscal Agent ——————————————————————— SS ee e) ETA 9130 financial reports must be submitted no later than 45 days following the end of each quarter. The Agent must be familiar and assure compliance with Training and Employment Guidance Letter (TEGL) 2-16 issued July 14, 2016. 33. The Agent must work with the VIDOL to assist in the training of employees and to ensure the building of capacity to ensure sustainability. 34. The Agent recognizes that the VIDOL must comply with all applicable provisions of 2 CFR Part 200 and / or 34 CFR Part 361, and all actions that the Agent takes on their behalf in accordance with services provided must be in compliance with all applicable provisions of EDGAR. 35. The Agent must ensure all procurement activity is in compliance with the Local (GVI) laws and regulations and must also be in compliance with the procurement requirements of the Uniform Guidance, codified at 2 CFR 200.317 through 200.326. COMMUNICATION TO ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING SYSTEM The GVI utilizes the Tyler-Munis ERP System v11.2 to execute the various processes in the areas of Financial Management and Property Management and Procurement. These processes adhere to all applicable Federal and Local laws and regulations; therefore the system proposed by any prospective vendor must be the Tyler-Munis ERP System. Any proposed services or business process redesign that may affect the GVI processes must be communicated to, and approved by, the GVI’s designated Project Manager. The Agent will coordinate efforts with the VI Department of Finance, as the gatekeeper of the ERP, to obtain any access necessary to perform the function of Fiscal Agent. The current Fiscal Manager has access to the Requisitions and Accounts Payable modules, at the Department level only. The Agent is required to perform all functions within the GVI’s Tyler-Minis System v11.2 at the access level currently maintained by the VIDOL staff. The Agent must be prepared to provide a Justification Letter requesting additional access and obtain the necessary approvals from the “owners” of the impacted module for further processing by the Department of Finance. SYSTEMS INTEGRATION — N/A COMPANY BACKGROUND The prospective vendor must provide, at a minimum, the following information about its ability to support the commitment set forth in the response to the RFP. The GVI, at its option, may require a prospective vendor to provide additional support and/or clarification. GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS Request for Proposal - Professional Services Fiscal Agent e A brief description of the company size and organizational structure. e Length of time the company has been in business. e Experience in the public sector accounting and financial management, particularly in providing this service to public sector clients of similar size and complexity to the GVI. Most recent audited financial statements. e List of public sector customers for whom the prospective vendor has provided similar services by name and by state e Any other materials including but not limited to letters of support or endorsement from clients. FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT REPORTING Address financial reporting in the proposal consistent with the requirements of the Scope of Services, above, and provide examples of control reports delivered as part of the prospective vendor’s Fiscal Agent duties. FIDUCIARY OVERSIGHT SERVICES PLAN The successful vendor will be required to provide a detailed plan for providing the proposed services. This information MUST include: e Detailed methodology for fiscal agent oversight services. Methodology shall include estimated timeframes for maintaining, and or enhancing, business process controls, any assumptions, and assumed responsibilities. e Project organization chart showing prospective vendor staff for the project. The prospective vendor must ensure that sufficient personnel are available, with the necessary skills and expertise in financial management functions, to perform the desired services. e Names, titles, and resumes of staff that will be assigned to manage this project. e Work effort estimates and a work plan listing proposed resource utilization by each month should also be submitted. The work plan and staff schedule should address the scaling up of operations to accommodate any increase in workload, whether long or short-term. e The prospective vendor's work plan must state any facilities, data, and other requirements that GVI will be expected to provide. e GVI reserves the right to approve changes in personnel from those included in the proposal and the right to request changes in personnel. SCOPE OF SERVICES TRANSITION At the point that the Fiscal Agent services are no longer needed: A. The Agent will work with the VIOMB and the VIDOL to transition the systems, processes and procedures established to successfully carry out the needs of VIDOL back to the original staff. ~10~ GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS Request for Proposal - Professional Services Fiscal Agent B. The Agent will also budget and establish a plan with reasonable staff time to successfully transition the functions back to the VIDOL. CLIENT REFERENCES The GVI considers references for the Fiscal Agent. All references provided will be contacted by the GVI during the selection process. GVI will not work through a vendor’s Reference Manager to complete a reference. Prospective Agents must provide a direct client reference that was involved in a vendor-led project. All references must be submitted for ETA’s review. Firms must provide five (5) references for the services being proposed. References should be submitted where the firm was the primary Fiscal Agent. PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY The awardee shall procure and maintain Professional Liability Insurance for the life of this contract/agreement. This insurance shall provide coverage against such liability resulting from this contract. The minimum limits of coverage shall be $1,000,000 with a deductible not to exceed $100,000. The deductible shall be the responsibility of the insured. Professional liability policies shall include an endorsement whereby the awarded firm holds harmless the GVI and each officer, agent and employee of the GV] and its employees against all claims, against any of them, for personal injury or wrongful death or property damage arising out of the negligent performance of professional services or caused by an error, omission or negligent act of the awarded firm or anyone employed by the awarded firm. PERMITS, LICENSES AND FEES The Awardee (s) will be responsible for obtaining any necessary permits, licenses, and give all notices necessary to comply with laws, rules, and regulations whether state/territory or federal without any addi- tional cost to the GVI. COST PROPOSAL Prospective vendors should submit an estimate of project costs. Do NOT use "TBD" (to be determined) or similar annotations for cost estimates. All cells must be filled out. The GVI is asking prospective vendors to estimate costs for all categories with the understanding that they may have to make assumptions. Such assumptions should be stated. Failure to fully provide cost and work effort estimates may lead to elimination. The prospective vendor's Pricing Proposal structure must be aligned with the prospective vendor's work plan. GVI will use the prospective vendor's Pricing Proposal structure as the basis for a payment Schedule. A prospective vendor's initial offer should be based on the most favorable terms available. The GVI may, however, have discussion with those prospective vendors that it deems, in its discretion, to fall within a competitive range. It may also request revised pricing offers from such prospective vendors, and make an award and/or conduct negotiations thereafter. a ow GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES VIRGIN ISLANDS Request for Proposal - Professional Services Fiscal Agent i ee ae eS The vendor shall provide a firm fixed price for completing the fiscal responsibilities of the VIDOL according to the following schedule: All fees and charges should be included in the cost of price of services. However, if the respondent anticipates any extraordinary charges, they must be detailed in the proposal. The final payment will be paid upon resolution of any open issues or delivery of any remaining items and acceptance of final audit reports, opinion letters, and management letter. EXCEPTIONS TO THE RFP All requested information in this RFP must be supplied with the proposal. Prospective vendors may take exception to certain requirements in this RFP. All exceptions shall be clearly identified in this section and the written explanation shall include the scope of the exceptions, the ramifications of the exceptions for the GVI, and the description of the advantages or disadvantages to the GVI as a result of such exceptions. The GVI, at its sole discretion and with the concurrence of ETA, may reject or accept any exceptions or specifications within the proposal. A sample professional services agreement has been attached and should be reviewed by the prospective vendors. Pots ieee