IT Research and Advisory Services

The Vendor is required to provide IT research and advisory services to county c-level and VP and manager-level personnel.
- Provide the county with research and analysis on an as-needed basis:
•    Technologies and options available to the county are not fully known to the county;
•    More than one technology option or product exists and researched comparisons are needed; or,
•    The technology marketplace is too large or complex for the county to commit resources to researching or analyzing the options within the market.
- The successful proposer shall:
•    Offer research and analysis that identifies technology trends and assists in setting the county’s technology strategy;
•    Provide access to industry-recognized experts regarding specific topics to help establish direction and best practices related to the county’s technology plans;
•    The following questions for the county:
o    The product options, technology alternatives, and the costs associated with each solution
o    The costs of implementation and the ongoing support available for a given technology
o    The best and the most cost-effective options for transitioning to a future technology state
o    The best practices and uses of specific technologies
o    The benefits and drawbacks of certain technologies and various product offerings related to that technology
•    Be available to receive and act on non-planned, spontaneous research requests from the county. 
•    Must be capable of performing research on various technology research requests that are generated by the county via email or through video conference communications; and,
•    Provide these services under a subscription model allowing for a team of up to seven (7) IT professional advisors.
- The county will provide:
•    The current IT strategic plan;
•    Specific problem statements for requests of in-depth research and analysis; and,
•    General information relating to county IT strategy, technology deployment and direction through participation in proposer’s research surveys as requested.