MCWD is requestng proposals from qualified firms or consultants to provide independent, vendor-neutral professional consulting services to assist the District in evaluating, selecting, and procuring of a replacement Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system for the District's current Springbrook Cloud platorm. View or Download RFP PDF

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)
ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING (ERP)
EVALUATION, SELECTION, AND PROCUREMENT
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Overview
Marina Coast Water District (District or MCWD) is reques(cid:415)ng proposals from qualified firms or
consultants to provide independent, vendor-neutral professional consul(cid:415)ng services to assist the District
in evalua(cid:415)ng, selec(cid:415)ng, and procuring of a replacement Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system for
the District's current Springbrook Cloud pla(cid:414)orm.
The selected consultant will provide technical, opera(cid:415)onal, procurement, and strategic advisory services
to assist the District in evalua(cid:415)ng ERP alterna(cid:415)ves, developing business and technical requirements,
suppor(cid:415)ng procurement ac(cid:415)vi(cid:415)es, and preparing the District for ERP implementa(cid:415)on.
The consultant shall serve in an advisory capacity only. Final decisions regarding ERP selec(cid:415)on,
procurement, contract award, implementa(cid:415)on approach, and related policy ma(cid:425)ers shall remain solely
with Marina Coast Water District and its authorized decision-makers.
1.2 District Background
Marina Coast Water District is a California public agency providing potable water, recycled water, and
wastewater services within the Marina and Ord Community service areas in Monterey County.
The District currently u(cid:415)lizes Springbrook Cloud to support u(cid:415)lity billing, financial opera(cid:415)ons, budge(cid:415)ng,
customer account management, repor(cid:415)ng, and administra(cid:415)ve func(cid:415)ons.
The District seeks to modernize its ERP environment to improve opera(cid:415)onal resiliency, cybersecurity,
business con(cid:415)nuity, financial repor(cid:415)ng, customer service, organiza(cid:415)onal efficiency, and long-term
sustainability.
1.3 Purpose of the RFP
The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP) is to iden(cid:415)fy a qualified and experienced consultant
capable of assis(cid:415)ng the District in evalua(cid:415)ng ERP alterna(cid:415)ves, conduc(cid:415)ng business process assessments,
suppor(cid:415)ng a compe(cid:415)(cid:415)ve procurement process, and assis(cid:415)ng the District in reducing implementa(cid:415)on
and opera(cid:415)onal risks.
The District an(cid:415)cipates retaining a consultant in Fiscal Year 2027 (FY 2027) to support ERP assessment,
requirements gathering, market evalua(cid:415)on, and vendor procurement ac(cid:415)vi(cid:415)es. ERP implementa(cid:415)on is
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an(cid:415)cipated to begin in Fiscal Year 2028 (FY 2028), subject to Board authoriza(cid:415)on, funding availability,
procurement outcomes, and organiza(cid:415)onal readiness.
2. SCOPE OF SERVICES
2.1 Required Services
The successful proposer shall provide professional consul(cid:415)ng services including, but not limited to:
ERP assessment and current-state review
Business process analysis and improvement recommenda(cid:415)ons
ERP func(cid:415)onal and technical requirements development
ERP market research and vendor-neutral advisory services
ERP procurement support
Vendor evalua(cid:415)on and demonstra(cid:415)on facilita(cid:415)on
Contract nego(cid:415)a(cid:415)on support
Cybersecurity and SaaS risk evalua(cid:415)on
Providing implementa(cid:415)on advisory services
Change management and organiza(cid:415)onal readiness support
Data migra(cid:415)on planning and oversight
Go-live readiness planning
2.2 Required Deliverables
Minimum deliverables shall include:
Current State Assessment Report
Business Process Review Report
ERP Func(cid:415)onal Requirements Matrix
Cybersecurity and Vendor Risk Assessment
Procurement Support Materials
Vendor Evalua(cid:415)on Framework
Demonstra(cid:415)on Scripts and Scenarios
Execu(cid:415)ve Recommenda(cid:415)on Report
Contract Risk Review
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ERP Governance Recommenda(cid:415)ons
Implementa(cid:415)on Readiness Assessment
Change Management Plan
Go-Live Readiness Recommenda(cid:415)ons
2.3 District Technology Environment
The selected consultant shall review the District's enterprise environment and assess workflows,
opera(cid:415)onal needs, repor(cid:415)ng requirements, integra(cid:415)on dependencies, cybersecurity considera(cid:415)ons, and
opportuni(cid:415)es for moderniza(cid:415)on.
District systems may include:
Springbrook Cloud
Harmony AMI
Cityworks
ArcGIS Enterprise
ArcGIS Online
Laserfiche (on-premises)
Simpler repor(cid:415)ng systems
Microso(cid:332) 365
Payment processing systems
Banking systems
Iden(cid:415)ty management systems
2.4 ERP Func(cid:415)onal Requirements Matrix
The selected consultant shall assist the District in developing and refining detailed ERP func(cid:415)onal
requirements. At minimum, the future ERP environment should support the following:
Finance and Accoun(cid:415)ng
General Ledger
Encumbrance Ledger
Accounts Payable
Accounts Receivable
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Budget Prepara(cid:415)on
Budget Management
Mul(cid:415)-Year Forecas(cid:415)ng
Fixed Assets
Capital Project Accoun(cid:415)ng
Audit Repor(cid:415)ng
Purchasing Integra(cid:415)on
Financial Dashboards
Digital Workflows
A(cid:425)achments and Document Reten(cid:415)on
U(cid:415)lity Billing and Customer Service
U(cid:415)lity Billing
Meter Read Imports
AMI Integra(cid:415)on
Customer Portal
Payment Processing
Service Orders
Payment Arrangements
Collec(cid:415)ons Management
Customer No(cid:415)fica(cid:415)ons
Payroll and Human Resources
Timesheets and Labor Tracking
Project Accoun(cid:415)ng Integra(cid:415)on (Labor Cost Alloca(cid:415)on)
Payroll Processing
Leave Tracking
HR Database
Benefits Administra(cid:415)on
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Employee Self-Service Portal - Paystubs, W-2s, Time-Off Requests, etc.
Digital Workflows and Approvals
Document Reten(cid:415)on
Procurement and Purchasing
Purchase Requisi(cid:415)ons
Purchase Orders
Vendor Management
Contract Tracking
Digital Workflows
Document Reten(cid:415)on or Func(cid:415)onal Integra(cid:415)on with Document Reten(cid:415)on Applica(cid:415)on
Repor(cid:415)ng and Analy(cid:415)cs
Systemwide Database Audit/Change Log Repor(cid:415)ng
Regulatory Repor(cid:415)ng
Ad Hoc Repor(cid:415)ng
Dashboarding
Self-Service Repor(cid:415)ng
Role-Based Repor(cid:415)ng
2.5 ERP Governance Structure
The selected consultant shall recommend and assist in establishing an ERP governance structure
appropriate for the District's staffing environment.
Execu(cid:415)ve Steering Commi(cid:425)ee
Provide strategic oversight, execu(cid:415)ve sponsorship, budget oversight, organiza(cid:415)onal alignment, and
major decision-making support.
Poten(cid:415)al Par(cid:415)cipants:
General Manager
Director of Administra(cid:415)ve Services
Department Managers
Informa(cid:415)on Technology Administrator
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Controller
Consultant Project Manager
ERP Core Project Team
Coordinate requirements gathering, issue resolu(cid:415)on, implementa(cid:415)on planning, communica(cid:415)on, tes(cid:415)ng,
and organiza(cid:415)onal readiness.
Poten(cid:415)al Par(cid:415)cipants:
Finance Representa(cid:415)ve(s)
Customer Service Representa(cid:415)ve
Engineering Representa(cid:415)ve
Opera(cid:415)ons Representa(cid:415)ve
Human Resources Representa(cid:415)ve
Informa(cid:415)on Technology Administrator
Controller
Consultant Project Manager
2.6 ERP Vendor Evalua(cid:415)on Methodology
Proposers shall describe their methodology for evalua(cid:415)ng ERP alterna(cid:415)ves, facilita(cid:415)ng vendor
demonstra(cid:415)ons, maintaining vendor neutrality, documen(cid:415)ng findings, and suppor(cid:415)ng a defensible
procurement process.
2.7 District Decision-Making Authority
The consultant may provide technical, opera(cid:415)onal, and procurement recommenda(cid:415)ons. However, final
decisions regarding ERP selec(cid:415)on, vendor approval, contract award, implementa(cid:415)on (cid:415)ming, funding, and
related policy ma(cid:425)ers shall remain solely with the District.
3. TECHNOLOGY, CYBERSECURITY, AND DATA PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS
3.1 Technology Requirements
Proposals shall describe cybersecurity capabili(cid:415)es, repor(cid:415)ng systems, SaaS evalua(cid:415)on methodologies,
implementa(cid:415)on oversight experience, data governance prac(cid:415)ces, secure data handling, and
cybersecurity risk assessment approaches.
3.2 Cybersecurity and Opera(cid:415)onal Resiliency Requirements
The consultant shall assist the District in evalua(cid:415)ng ERP vendor cybersecurity maturity and opera(cid:415)onal
resiliency.
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Evalua(cid:415)on considera(cid:415)ons may include:
Mul(cid:415)-Factor Authen(cid:415)ca(cid:415)on (MFA)
Single Sign-On (SSO)
Encryp(cid:415)on at rest and in transit
Role-based access controls
Audit logging
Disaster recovery capabili(cid:415)es
Recovery Time Objec(cid:415)ves (RTO)
Recovery Point Objec(cid:415)ves (RPO)
Secure API integra(cid:415)ons
Third-party penetra(cid:415)on tes(cid:415)ng
Vendor patching prac(cid:415)ces
SOC 1 Type II and SOC 2 Type II reports
Cyber insurance coverage
Business con(cid:415)nuity planning
Data ownership and portability
The consultant should consider public u(cid:415)lity cybersecurity best prac(cid:415)ces, Cal-Secure guidance, and
relevant cybersecurity frameworks including NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) and CIS Controls.
3.3 District System Access Restric(cid:415)ons
The District will not provide privileged system access, VPN access, database creden(cid:415)als, or other internal
infrastructure access unless expressly authorized in wri(cid:415)ng.
4. CONTRACT TERM, QUALIFICATIONS, AND INSURANCE
4.1 Contract Term
The an(cid:415)cipated consul(cid:415)ng engagement is expected to begin in Fiscal Year 2027 and may con(cid:415)nue
through por(cid:415)ons of ERP implementa(cid:415)on planning ac(cid:415)vi(cid:415)es.
ERP implementa(cid:415)on is an(cid:415)cipated beginning in FY 2028.
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4.2 Minimum Qualifica(cid:415)ons
Proposers shall:
Have a minimum of five (5) years of ERP consul(cid:415)ng experience
Demonstrate public agency, u(cid:415)lity, or special district ERP experience
Demonstrate ERP replacement experience
Demonstrate experience with u(cid:415)lity billing and finance systems
Demonstrate cybersecurity and SaaS evalua(cid:415)on experience
Demonstrate organiza(cid:415)onal change management experience
Preference may be given to firms with water or wastewater u(cid:415)lity experience.
4.3 Vendor Neutrality and Conflict of Interest
The District seeks an independent and vendor-neutral consultant.
Proposers shall disclose partnerships, reseller agreements, referral incen(cid:415)ves, commissions,
implementa(cid:415)on incen(cid:415)ves, or financial rela(cid:415)onships involving ERP vendors.
Failure to disclose conflicts may result in disqualifica(cid:415)on.
4.4 Insurance Requirements
The successful proposer shall maintain the following minimum insurance coverage:
Coverage Type Minimum Coverage
Commercial General Liability $2,000,000
Automobile Liability $1,000,000
Workers Compensa(cid:415)on Statutory
Professional Liability (Errors & Omissions) $2,000,000
Cyber Liability / Data Breach $2,000,000
Cyber liability coverage shall include privacy breaches, ransomware, unauthorized access, and
compromise of District informa(cid:415)on.
4.5 Indemnifica(cid:415)on
The successful proposer shall defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the District from claims, damages,
liabili(cid:415)es, cybersecurity incidents, privacy breaches, negligence, misconduct, or viola(cid:415)ons of law arising
from the proposer's performance.
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5. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS
5.1 Proposal Contents
Proposals shall include, at minimum:
Required Sec(cid:415)on Descrip(cid:415)on
Cover Le(cid:425)er Firm informa(cid:415)on and authorized representa(cid:415)ve signature
Firm Background Company history and organiza(cid:415)on
Relevant Experience Similar ERP consul(cid:415)ng projects
Proposed Methodology Technical and project approach
Project Team Key personnel and resumes
Cybersecurity Approach SaaS and vendor risk evalua(cid:415)on methodology
Cost Proposal Pricing and assump(cid:415)ons
References Minimum three (3) references
Cost Proposal Requirements
The cost proposal shall include:
Fixed fee pricing by phase
Hourly rate schedule
Assump(cid:415)ons
Travel costs
Op(cid:415)onal services
Implementa(cid:415)on advisory pricing
Not-to-exceed pricing
5.2 Proposal Validity
Proposals shall remain valid for a minimum of ninety (90) calendar days following submission.
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6. EVALUATION AND AWARD
6.1 Evalua(cid:415)on Criteria
Evalua(cid:415)on Criteria Weight
Relevant Public Sector and U(cid:415)lity Experience 20%
ERP Replacement Experience 15%
Proposed Methodology 20%
Project Team Qualifica(cid:415)ons 15%
Cybersecurity and SaaS Exper(cid:415)se 10%
Change Management Approach 10%
Cost Proposal 5%
Interview 5%
6.2 Consultant Interview Ques(cid:415)ons
Poten(cid:415)al interview ques(cid:415)ons may include:
1. Describe a recent ERP replacement project.
2. How do you maintain vendor neutrality?
3. How would you support a lean staffing environment?
4. What are common ERP risks for water districts?
5. How do you evaluate cybersecurity risks?
6. Describe your u(cid:415)lity billing experience.
7. What lessons learned should MCWD understand?
8. Describe your experience working with Springbrook ERP.
6.3 Proposal Results and No(cid:415)fica(cid:415)on
The District intends to no(cid:415)fy selected and non-selected proposers. No(cid:415)fica(cid:415)on may occur by email,
wri(cid:425)en correspondence, Board ac(cid:415)on, District website pos(cid:415)ng, or other methods determined
appropriate by the District. The District shall not be obligated to provide debriefings, evalua(cid:415)on
commentary, scoring explana(cid:415)ons, ranking details, evaluator notes, or feedback directly to proposers.
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