Definitions of Terms
Here are the definitions of terms that are often used in Georgia Infrastructure Transformation (GAIT) 2010.
Affected Employees
These are IT employees who perform the in-scope functions.
Agency Lead
Each participating agency has appointed an Agency Lead who assures their agency needs and requirements are articulated and met with respect to data collection, RFP content and service provider proposals. They participate in and facilitate gathering of business needs and requirements, and monitor their agency representatives on the GAIT 2010 Extended Team. They ensure their agency is ready for the new IT environment.
Base Case
This is a financial model representing the state’s current cost to provide the in-scope Infrastructure and Managed Network Services over the term of the proposed contract. The base case defines the financial scope and is used in the evaluation of the service provider's price.
Business Case
The business case compares the total cost of supporting the in-scope services internally (base case) to the total cost of outsourcing. The total cost of outsourcing includes the service provider fees, retained expenses associated with in-scope services and additional costs of outsourcing, such as expenses related to sourcing management.
Contract Commencement Date
Date the service provider assumes operational control and begins providing services. All transitioned employees (those who accept the service provider’s employment offer) will become service provider employees on this date.
Contract Execution Date
Date the contract is signed between GTA and the selected service provider(s).
Due Diligence
Due diligence is a two-part data validation process that occurs prior to contract negotiations. The state will perform due diligence on the service providers, and the service providers will perform due diligence on the state. The state’s due diligence activities will include reference checks and other activities designed to verify statements made in the proposals. The service providers’ due diligence may include deeper reviews of asset data and contract terms, interviews with key agency staff and visits to agency sites. The due diligence process is designed to remove assumptions so the service providers can produce their best and final offer, and the state can fully validate the proposed capabilities of the service providers’ organizations.
GAIT 2010 Core Team
The GAIT 2010 Core Team includes GTA staff responsible for coordinating key components of the RFPs and evaluation materials.
GAIT 2010 Extended Team
The GAIT 2010 Extended Team includes GTA and state agency staff who are responsible for developing business requirements, service levels, pricing, billing and human resource plans. Members of the team will also draft evaluation materials and review vendor proposals. They are working full-time on the project and spending three days each week at GTA. They will ensure agency business requirements are addressed in the RFPs.
In-Scope Functions
These are the IT functions included in the Requests for Proposals (RFPs) that will be assumed by the service provider on contract commencement. These are:
- Data centers and computing facilities in different state agencies
- Servers
- Mainframes
- End-user computers (desktop and laptop)
- Help desks
- Voice, data and other telecommunications services
ITIL
The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is a framework of best practice approaches intended to facilitate the delivery of high quality information technology (IT) services. ITIL outlines an extensive set of management procedures that are intended to support businesses in achieving both high financial quality and value in IT operations. These procedures are supplier-independent and have been developed to provide guidance across the breadth of IT infrastructure, development and operations.
Participating Agencies
Thirteen state agencies are taking part in the transformation and are in-scope for IT infrastructures services: Administrative Services, Community Health, Corrections, Driver Services, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Georgia Technology Authority, Human Resources, Juvenile Justice, Natural Resources, Office of Planning and Budget, Revenue, State Accounting Office, and Technical and Adult Education. In addition, Administrative Services, the State Personnel Administration and the Office of Planning and Budget participate as agency partners on the GAIT 2010 project.
Request for Qualified Contractor (RFQC)
A RFQC is used in cases where the state is attempting to find vendors with the qualifications to produce the product or service desired. The required qualifications are known and each vendor is judged on its ability to meet or surpass the required qualifications. The vendors that qualify will receive subsequent RFPs.
Requests for Proposals (RFPs)
Stream 1 - Infrastructure Management Services (Issued April 21, 2008)
These are services associated with core computing systems, such as those in service delivery towers: data center management, server management, storage management, messaging, LAN services and end-user computing. These are delivered as a utility service to the state, where many of the underlying technical platforms, systems and complexities are hidden from the end-user.
Stream 2 - Managed Network Services (Issued April 21, 2008)
These are services associated with network systems, such as those in service delivery towers like: WAN services, VLAN services, Voice services, and Call Centers. These are delivered as a utility service to the State, where most of the underlying technical platforms, systems and complexity are hidden from the end-user.
Stream 3 - Self-Serve Services
These are services delivered as discrete products to the state customer. The customer interacts directly with the third-party vendor for ordering, billing, service delivery and service support. GTA provides and manages the contract. Examples of services associated with these products are cell phone service, radio systems, pager service, toll-free service, audio conferencing service, wire and cabling service, and local phone service.
Retained/Out-of-Scope Functions
These are services currently being provided out of the participating state agencies that will remain within the agencies. Examples are application development and radio fleet management.
Service Provider
The company(s) that signs a contract or Master Service Agreement to provide the services defined in GAIT 2010 RFPs, sometimes referred to as External Service Provider (ESP).
Subcontractors
Subcontractors of any tier of service provider, including affiliates of the service provider, performing services under the agreement.
Technical Tower Leads
The Technical Tower Leads represent either Stream 1 or Stream 2 (see RFPs above) to ensure that the current IT environment is accurately described, the technical solutions proposed are viable, service levels represent current levels and/or continual improvement, and problems with the day-to-day delivery of services will be minimized.
Third-party Vendors
Third-party Vendors, though not part of the agreement, provide products or services to any party that is related to, or in support of, the services provided. Third-party Vendors do not include subcontractors of the service provider.
TPI
Technology Partners International of Woodlands,
Transformation
The transformation is the move to more mature external service provider processes, tools, technology and higher service levels than exist today.
Transition
The transition includes the activities that will lead to the selected service provider performing the required services on the commencement date. The transition will begin after the contract is signed. Transition typically includes activities such as issuing employee offer letters, meetings and benefits discussions with employees, planning meetings with agencies, initial development of a Policies and Procedures Manual, and legal tasks required to assume leases and third-party contracts. The transition is the period of time when the service provider assumes responsibility for contracted operations.
Transitioned Employees
Affected employees, or “in-scope” employees, who accept an employment offer from the service provider or its subcontractors.