REQUEST FOR PORPOSAL FOR IT SERVICES

Purpose of the RFP

This Request for Proposal (RFP) is issued by EM2030 to solicit proposals from qualified vendors for IT services that include a full range of remote IT management and support services for the organisation.

Background:

Equal Measures 2030 (EM2030) is an independent civil society and private sector-led partnership which connects data and evidence with advocacy and action, helping to fuel progress towards gender equality. That means making sure girls’ and women’s movements, rights advocates and decision makers have easy-to-use data and evidence to guide efforts to reach the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

EM2030 is a small (around 15-20 staff), globally dispersed and remote/home-based team. At the moment, EM2030 uses Microsoft O365 Enterprise 5 (including the full suite of Office software and Microsoft Teams), OneDrive for individual filing, SharePoint for team shared files, Wrike for project management, Zoom for external calls and webinars. EM2030 is conducting a search for qualified IT companies to provide a full range of remote IT management and support services for the organization. The vendor will provide the necessary technical services including the following requirements:

1. Scope of Work

The ideal vendor will resolve operating system, application, software and other IT related issues in accordance with standard and acceptable maintenance and IT support benchmarks. The vendor will have demonstrated experience in supporting Microsoft Office 365 Enterprise solutions.

The ideal vendor will resolve operating system, application, software and other IT related issues in accordance with standard and acceptable maintenance and IT support benchmarks.

The vendor will have demonstrated experience in supporting Microsoft Office 365 Enterprise solutions. The successful vendor will be expected to implement and maintain a help desk service that efficiently and consistently responds to the needs of EM2030 staff, ensuring that there is no significant computer downtime during working hours for staff based in different time zones in every region across the world. The vendor will work with EM2030 to agree client service and response time benchmarks and ensure these are adhered to. The vendor is expected to report on the status of IT issues and communicate proactively and effectively with EM2030 staff and management.

2. Deliverables
EM2030 is conducting a search for qualified IT companies to provide a full range of remote IT management and support services for the organization. The vendor will provide the necessary technical services including the following minimum requirements:

• Act as EM2030’s outsourced IT department, including acting as their Microsoft Office 365 Administrator.
• Ensure the efficient operation and maintain updated and secure hardware and software for their global team (15-20 staff members) who work remotely.
• Provide 24-hour remote support to their staff across all time zones in the world.
• Procure IT hardware and software on their behalf as needed and arrange for it to be delivered to their team members in their remote locations around the world.
• Set up IT hardware and software systems for new staff members as required.
• Proactively enhance anti-virus and security measures and address breaches in the security of EM2030 IT systems infrastructure.
• Work with EM2030 management team to draft and put in place necessary IT-related policy and practice documentation and manuals (including IT access policy, data protection and privacy policy, etc.).
• Proactively identify opportunities for team training and capacity building to maximize IT efficiency and ensure their IT systems are best supporting their team members and their work.
• Minimize spending and maximize the return on investment for expenditures on technology support.

3. Proposal Requirements
Vendors should structure their proposals according to the following outline:

1. Executive Summary
2. Company Overview
   • History and background
   • Relevant experience in IT services for remote organisations
3. Understanding and Approach
   • Approach to IT support
   • Proposed methodology
4. Team Qualifications
   • Key personnel and their roles
   • Relevant certifications or qualifications
5. Pricing Structure
   • Detailed pricing information (fixed price, monthly rate etc)
6. References
   • List of current or past remote clients and services offered.

4. Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Quality and clarity of the proposed service
• Relevant experience and proven track record
• Cost-effectiveness and value for money
• References and past performance
• Team qualifications and expertise