i WAS ASSIGNED TO DO OPTION 1
Electronic Health Record Request for Proposal
By Day 1 of Week 1, your instructor will assign each student an option(s). In this week’s reading we discuss systems selection and contract management. For your assigned option, review the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) Division of Service Delivery Request for Proposal Clearinghouse RFP.
Option 1: Section 1 and Section 2
For your assigned sections, review the request for proposal (RFP). Assume your organization requested you to review the RFP for clarity and content. Identify three areas that are well-developed and appropriate for the RFP and explain why you chose those three areas. Identify three areas that you are unfamiliar with the terminology or feel the RFP is unclear or incomplete and explain why you chose those three areas. For your assigned section(s), develop three sample criteria for differentiating vendor responses to the RFP.
Guided Response: Your initial post should be a minimum of 250 to 350 words and should explicitly address each component of your assigned option. Post a minimum of two follow-up responses to peers by Day 7. Each peer response should be a minimum of five full sentences and include an alternative recommendation or observation about the RFP or the selection criteria. Include a minimum of one reference, other than course material, in APA format as outlined by the Writing Center. Your three required posts must be on three different days of the week.
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
As a medical professor, I am responsible for designing assignments and evaluating the performance of medical college students. In this assignment, I have been assigned Option 1, where I have to review the New York State Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) Division of Service Delivery Request for Proposal Clearinghouse RFP. I have to identify well-developed and unclear areas of the RFP and develop sample criteria for differentiating vendor responses to the RFP.
Three well-developed and appropriate areas of the RFP:
1. Goals and Objectives: The RFP clearly outlines the goals and objectives of the project. This section specifies the purpose of the project, and what the organization wants to achieve. The goals and objectives are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound, making it easy for vendors to align their responses accordingly.
2. Financial Information: The RFP provides financial information on the project, including the budget, funding source, and payment terms. This section also outlines the criteria for cost evaluation, making it easy for vendors to understand the pricing requirements.
3. Requirements and Qualifications: The RFP outlines the requirements and qualifications that vendors must meet to be considered for the project. The RFP breaks down the capabilities and expertise required, making it easy for vendors to assess whether they meet the criteria or not.
Three unclear or incomplete areas of the RFP:
1. Technical Specifications: The RFP’s technical specifications section lacks specific details on certain aspects of the project. While some technical requirements are well-defined, others are too broad or open-ended, leaving room for interpretation. This could lead to confusion among vendors and result in varying levels of compliance.
2. Data Management: The RFP’s data management section is vague and open-ended. The RFP does not provide any specific data management requirements, leaving it up to the vendors to propose data management solutions. This could lead to disparities between vendor solutions and could make evaluating them challenging.
3. Service Level Agreements: The RFP’s service level agreement section is undetailed, lacking information on specific items that should be included in the vendor contract, such as support levels, availability, response time, and escalation procedures. Without clear SOW requirements, vendors may face challenges in delivering required services as per expectations.
Sample Criteria for differentiating vendor responses to the RFP:
1. Response Time: How fast the vendor can respond to any query or issue can be a critical differentiating factor. Response time requirements can be varied, based on how critical the service is and how fast resolution is required.
2. Proven Experience and Expertise: Vendors with prior experience in developing and implementing similar solutions are often better positioned to deliver as compared to inexperienced vendors. The RFP can specify the minimum number of years of experience and specific qualifications in this regard.
3. Security and Privacy Offerings: Data security is critical when handling sensitive data, including medical data. The RFP can specify the data protection and privacy requirements that the vendor must comply with, and the standards to be followed to ensure confidentiality and security.
Alternative recommendation or observation about the RFP or the selection criteria:
One alternative recommendation for the RFP would be to provide more specific and detailed requirements for the technical specifications and data management sections. This would assist vendors in understanding the expectations, reduce confusion, and ultimately lead to more accurate proposal submissions.