Request for Proposals to Provide Co-Managed IT Services

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TO PROVIDE
CO-MANAGED IT SERVICES
RFP 2026-08
ISSUED ON: September 28, 2026
SUBMITTAL DEADLINE: Friday, October 23, 2026 at 12:00 pm
City of Hinesville - RFP 2026-08 Co-Managed IT Services

TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. General Information and Overview
2. Background and Co-Managed IT Model
3. Scope of Services
4. Service Levels and Performance Requirements
5. Transition and Onboarding
6. Reporting and Governance
7. Out-of-Scope and Professional Services
8. Proposal Requirements and Format
9. Cost Proposal Requirements
10. Evaluation and Selection
11. General RFP Conditions
12. Contract Requirements
13. Required Forms and Attachments
Attachment A - Proposer Information Form
Attachment B - References
Attachment C - Cost Proposal Form
Attachment D - Exceptions / Deviations
Attachment E - Conflict of Interest Certification
Attachment F - Georgia E-Verify / Immigration Compliance Affidavit
Attachment G - Non-Collusion Affidavit
Attachment H - Insurance Requirements
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1. GENERAL INFORMATION AND OVERVIEW
1.1 Purpose
The City of Hinesville (the "City") is seeking proposals from qualified Information Technology firms to provide
comprehensive co-managed IT services. The City intends to retain an experienced co-managed technology
partner to supplement the City's internal IT team by providing remote Tier 1 end-user support through a ticketing
system, monitoring and alerting support, cybersecurity support, and collaborative assistance on escalated and
complex issues. City IT retains ownership of network and systems administration, production configurations,
firewall policy, hardware standards, and architecture decisions.
1.2 Solicitation Information
Item Information
Solicitation Request for Proposals - Co-Managed IT Services
RFP Number 2026-08
Issuing Entity City of Hinesville, Georgia
Proposal Contact Temperance West, Assistant City Manager
Email twest@cityofhinesville.org
Proposal Delivery Address 115 East M.L. King, Jr. Dr.
Hinesville, GA 31313
Date / Time
Tentative RFP Timeline
RFP Issued Monday, September 28, 2026
Newspaper and Media Advertisements Thursdays, September 24 and October 02, 2026
Optional Pre-Bid Tuesday, October 06, 2026, 10:00 am
Comments/Questions Due Friday, October 09, 2026, 5:00 pm
City response to questions/comments Friday, October 16, 2026, 5:00 pm
Submittal deadline Friday, October 23, 2026, 12:00 pm
RFP Opening Friday, October 23, 2026, 12:00 pm
Review of qualifications and proposals October 23-30, 2026
Recommendations to Mayor and Council Thursday, November 05, 2026
Contract term begins Monday, November 09, 2026
Optional Pre-bid Meeting:
All firms that intend to respond to this solicitation are invited to a virtual pre-bid meeting/tour that will be held on
Tuesday, October 06, 2026 beginning at 10:00 am. For a link to the pre-bid meeting, please contact Temperance
West, twest@cityofhinesville.org. All questions and answers during this meeting will be documented and posted
to the city's website, www.cityofhinesville.org as an addendum prior to the submittal deadline.
1.3 Questions and Communications
All inquiries and questions regarding this RFP shall be in writing and directed to:
Temperance West, Assistant City Manager
115 East M.L. King, Jr. Drive
Hinesville, Georgia 31313
twest@cityofhinesville.org
The deadline for submission of any written questions relating to this RFP shall be Friday, October 09, 2026 at
5:00 pm. All questions and answers will be documented and posted to the city's website, www.cityofhinesville.org
as an addendum prior to the submittal deadline. Please check the City's web site often to review the addendums,
if any.
Proposing companies shall not contact the Mayor or the City Council or any city employee regarding this RFP,
proposal evaluation, or selection process from the time the RFP is issued on Monday, September 28, 2026, until
a company is selected.
City of Hinesville - RFP 2026-08 Co-Managed IT Services 3

1.4 Submittal Deadline
Responses are due no later than 12:00 pm on Friday, October 23, 2026. The responses (one electronic flash
drive and 3 printed copies) must be enclosed in a sealed envelope plainly marked, "City of Hinesville Proposal for
Co-Managed IT Services," and delivered to the Assistant City Manager's Office, 115 East M.L. King, Jr. Drive,
Hinesville, Georgia 31313, by the above deadline date and time. One Cost Proposal should be submitted in a
separate sealed envelope clearly labeled with your company name and "Cost Proposal". The cost proposal should
NOT be included on the electronic file.
A representative of Hinesville City government will publicly read the names of the companies submitting responses
at 12:00 pm on Friday, October 23, 2026. Incomplete responses may not be considered if the omissions are
determined to be significant. The City will not be responsible for late mail deliveries and any responses received
after the deadline date and time will not be accepted and returned unopened.
1.5 Public Records
Proposals submitted to the City may be subject to disclosure under applicable Georgia public-records laws.
Proposers shall identify any information they believe is legally protected from disclosure and shall identify the
applicable legal basis for any requested protection. The City makes no representation that any designation will
prevent disclosure where disclosure is required by law.
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2. BACKGROUND AND CO-MANAGED IT MODEL
2.1 Background
The City is seeking a co-managed IT service model rather than a fully outsourced IT arrangement. The
successful Contractor shall supplement and extend the City's internal IT capabilities, not unnecessarily duplicate
or displace City personnel.
Under the Co-Managed services model, the City's internal IT personnel will retain ownership of network and
systems administration, production configurations, firewall policy, hardware standards, and architecture
decisions. The Contractor will supplement the City's team by providing remote Tier 1 end-user support through
the ticketing system, centralized monitoring and alerting support, cybersecurity support, and collaborative
escalation assistance. The Contractor shall not implement high-impact network, firewall, server, or identity
changes unless directed by the City.
The City's current environment, staffing levels, systems, user counts, network architecture, applications, and
technology inventory may change during the contract term. Proposers should include any cost assumptions
related to any changes in users in their proposal.
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3. SCOPE OF SERVICES
The following services represent the minimum scope anticipated by the City. Proposers may offer additional
capabilities where they are relevant to the City's objectives. Unless expressly identified as optional or separately
priced, required services shall be included in the proposed recurring managed-services fee.
Current City Staff Roles and Responsibilities are as follows and will remain so under the Co-Managed Contract
* City Network and Systems Administration
firewall rules and policy, routing and switching configuration,
o
VLANs, VPN and remote access design, wireless infrastructure, and network hardware standards.
o
server platforms,
o
core identity administration
o
system-level backup/recovery design.
o
The Contractor may recommend configurations, review changes, monitor supported systems, and assist with
implementation when requested by City IT.
3.1 Co-Managed Services Provided
* Remote Tier 1 end-user support through the ticketing system during normal support hours
* Collaborative support and escalation assistance for server, network, Microsoft 365, backup, and
cybersecurity issues
* Monitoring of supported workstations, servers, network infrastructure, backups and security events
* Review and validation of priority infrastructure and cybersecurity alerts, ensuring City visibility and decision
on infrastructure changes
* Patch, vulnerability, and remediation coordination/assistance as needed from City IT Staff
* Microsoft 365 Administrative Assistance
* User-account, access-control, and administrative support
* Security incident triage and response assistance, as needed.
* Technical guidance and escalation support for City's internal IT personnel
* Coordination with approved vendors, internet service providers, and technology partners
* Documentation of significant incidents, changes, risks, and remediation activities
* Bi-Weekly operational coordination meetings
* Monthly management, service, and cybersecurity reporting
* Advisory recommendations concerning staffing, support, and technology operating matters, as requested by
the City; major redesign or platform replacement is not included in the recurring co-managed fee unless
separately authorized
3.2 Co-Managed Responsibilities
* City IT will retain ownership of network and systems administration, production configurations, firewall
policy, hardware standards, and architecture decisions.
Perform onsite equipment installation and replacement
o
Coordinate directly with City departments and personnel
o
Maintain accurate user, device, and asset information
o
Receive and own tickets involving network infrastructure, firewall or device configuration, servers,
o
identity and access architecture, backup platform work, and design or architecture questions
* Vendor will:
Provide remote Tier 1 support through the ticketing system and remain engaged as a collaborator
o
on escalated tickets
City of Hinesville - RFP 2026-08 Co-Managed IT Services 6

Provide collaborative support, monitoring, troubleshooting, technical recommendations, and
o
implementation assistance for server, network, Microsoft 365, backup, and security issues when
directed by City IT
Review priority monitoring and SIEM alerts and promptly notify the appropriate City administrator of
o
issues requiring City-owned infrastructure or systems action
Provide technical recommendations and remediation guidance without assuming ownership of City
o
network or systems administration
Document significant work and maintain service records
o
Provide operational and management reporting
o
* Shared Responsibilities
The Contractor and City IT personnel will work together on ticket prioritization, patch and
o
vulnerability remediation, user onboarding/offboarding, Microsoft 365 support, backup recovery
activities, security incident handling, vendor coordination, infrastructure planning, and technology
documentation. Shared work does not transfer ownership of City network or systems administration.
The final responsibility matrix shall be refined during onboarding and incorporated into the operating procedures
for the contract.
3.3 Service Availability
Vendor support shall be provided Monday through Friday during normal business hours, excluding City-
recognized holidays. After-hours response will be expected for Emergency and Critical incidents affecting public
safety, essential City services, widespread operations, cybersecurity, or systems specifically designated as
critical by the City, including support for the Police Department and Fire Department. For such incidents, the
Contractor shall respond and participate fully, while City IT remains the incident owner. The Contractor shall
work alongside City IT Staff, provide specialized capability and assistance, and document actions taken.
3.4 Out of Scope Services
Out of scope services will require written authorization from the City.
3.5 Current Technology Environment
Technology Category Confirmed Quantity
Active Users 251 users
Workstations and laptops 218 devices
Servers 24 servers
Total managed endpoints and servers 242 devices
3.6 Security and Public Safety Systems
Where the Contractor supports systems that access, transmit, store, or otherwise handle Criminal Justice
Information (CJI), the Contractor shall comply with applicable FBI Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS)
Security Policy requirements and applicable state and local requirements. The Contractor shall demonstrate
experience supporting CJIS-regulated environments and shall cooperate with required screening, audits,
documentation, access controls, encryption, logging, and secure handling requirements.
3.7 Third-Party and Law-Enforcement Application Coordination
Where applicable, the Contractor shall coordinate with CAD/RMS, public-safety application providers,
telecommunications providers, and other third-party vendors. The Contractor shall not make material changes to
public-safety systems without appropriate City authorization.
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3.8 Other Services
Proposers may identify other services they believe are necessary to achieve the City's objectives. Such services
shall be clearly identified as included in the base recurring fee, optional, or separately billable.
City of Hinesville - RFP 2026-08 Co-Managed IT Services 8

4. SERVICE LEVELS AND PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS
For Emergency and Critical incidents, including after-hours events affecting public safety or essential services,
the Contractor shall respond and participate fully. City IT remains the incident owner for City-owned
infrastructure. The Contractor's role is to assist restoration, provide specialized capability, and document actions
taken. Service-level commitments shall measure time to engage and quality/timeliness of assistance and shall
not assign sole responsibility for restoring City-owned network or systems infrastructure to the Contractor.
Proposers will need to develop service levels including initial response, escalation, and remediation timelines for
the following, at a minimum.
Priority Examples
Emergency Business The entire organization, a department, public-safety function, or critical business
Hours operation cannot function because of a production-system outage or major
cybersecurity incident
Critical A user cannot perform a business-critical job function, no reasonable workaround
exists, or the issue presents a significant operational or security impact.
Normal Routine user/system issue with reasonable workaround
Scheduled Planned upgrades, maintenance activities, configuration changes, installations, or
Maintenance other scheduled technical services
New User Setup Setup for one new employee or deployment of one new system for an existing
employee
Orientation Setup or orientation for two to four new employees or new systems for two to four
existing employees
Low A routine issues, information request, minor inconvenience, or inquiry that does
not result in a material loss of computing or business function
The response-time requirement is the time to acknowledge and begin active response, not necessarily the time
to resolve the incident. For Emergency and Critical incidents involving City-owned infrastructure, City IT remains
the incident owner. Proposers shall provide proposed engagement/response targets, collaborative restoration
procedures, and escalation procedures. Vendor response commitments measure timely engagement and
quality of assistance and do not assign sole restoration responsibility for City-owned infrastructure to the
Contractor.
4.1 Normal Support Hours
Unless otherwise proposed and accepted, normal support hours shall be Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m.
through 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding City-observed holidays.
4.2 Service-Level Reporting
* Ticket volumes by priority and department.
* Response and resolution performance against SLA commitments.
* Open-ticket aging and escalations.
* Recurring incidents and root-cause trends.
* Patch compliance and endpoint coverage.
* Backup success/failure and restore testing.
* Security incidents and material alerts.
* Service availability and material outages.
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5. TRANSITION AND ONBOARDING
The successful Proposer shall provide a 90-day transition and onboarding plan designed to establish an
accurate operational baseline, integrate the Contractor into the City's existing IT environment, and stabilize
operations without unnecessary disruption to City services. The transition is intended to validate and document
the current environment, identify immediate operational risks, establish support and escalation procedures, and
deploy or validate required monitoring and ticketing capabilities. Major redesign, platform replacement, or deep
architecture changes are outside the recurring co-managed scope unless separately requested and authorized
in writing by the City.
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