The state’s first foray into the RFI2 process is moving apace, with the third and final set of vendors’ questions and state officials’ answers having been posted Tuesday.
RFI2 is shorthand for “Request for Innovative Ideas,” Gov. Gavin Newsom’s plan to shake up the traditional Request for Proposal (RFP) procotol. Under the traditional process, the state would determine the solution to a problem or need, and then ask for vendors to bid for the contract. Under RFI2, a state agency lays out the problem or need and invites vendors to devise and propose solutions.
The state’s first RFI2 project — wildfire management, whose “Problem Statement” is posted online — is being overseen by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), the Department of General Services and the California Department of Technology. Vendors' questions about the project or the contract parameters have been answered in three waves of answers. The three sets of questions, as well as the Problem Statement other related documents, are available here. (Scroll to the bottom and click on "View Events Package.")
A pre-bid conference for vendors was held April 2. The solicitation for proposals, which opened March 22, ends at 5 p.m. Friday.
State CIO Amy Tong, speaking on the topic at the California Public Sector CIO Academy in February, said CDT and DGS were working on the new wildfire procurement, “literally in a war room on a day-by-day basis, trying to get that on the street in a very, very short time.” She predicted that the solicitation would be done by this spring -- a goal that will be met with Friday's deadline.
State's First RFI2 Project Hitting Milestones
A pre-bid conference for vendors was held April 2. The solicitation for proposals, which opened March 22, ends at 5 p.m. Friday.
