To establish a Task Order (TO) for services under the Cable and Wiring Materials and Services Master Contract, agencies must prepare and solicit a Task Order Request for Proposals (TORFP) under Functional Areas II and III as defined in the master contract. To assist users in developing a quality TORFP, DoIT recommends reviewing the documents below:
For each new TORFP, agencies should always access and use the latest template version at the links below. Questions about developing a TORFP may be referred to the DoIT Procurement Office at itpo.doit@maryland.gov.
Cable and Wiring Materials and Services TORFP Template (Updated Feb. 2018)
Below are recommended best practices to help ensure a quality TORFP and timely release. This information is advisory only; some elements may not apply to specific TORFPs. Agencies should review and understand all standard language and instructions in the template document. Agencies should insert agency-specific information where indicated by blue highlight, and ensure that no irrelevant or left over language remains in the TORFP from the template or past TORFPs.
Requirements Gathering:
- Start early! Allow plenty of time for requirements gathering.
- Consult key stakeholders for input on their needs for work processing and system functionality
- Use proven requirements gathering techniques, for example:
- Business Process Analysis – Documenting work processes to identify how computer automation can yield improved process efficiency, accuracy, security, etc. This is best performed by a certified business analyst or industry subject matter expert, possibly under a separate procurement. The result of the process is requirements documentation.
- Requirements Workshops – Meetings over several days where subject matter experts and IT specialists define and review requirements. Often referred to as Joint Application Development or "JAD" sessions.
- Benchmarking / Demonstrations - Comparing a prospective project to similar projects already in production and considered successful.
- Stakeholder Interviews - The process of communicating with stakeholders to elicit, analyze, document, and validate requirements.
Requirements Identification:
- Ensure that all requirements are identified and defined completely and unambiguously.
- Create criteria for a "good requirement," e.g., clearly stated, testable, necessary, etc.
- Prioritize and identify minimum requirements.
- Identify functional requirements or what the project should accomplish.
- Identify technical requirements or how the final project should operate and perform
- Don't forget non-technical requirements, e.g., meetings, progress reports, etc.
- Identify deliverables that result from requirements. e.g., reports, test results, etc.
- Avoid "gold plating" or adding extra unnecessary features to the requirements.
Documenting Requirements:
- Use an automated tool to document, track, and manage change to requirements.
- Number each individual requirement for traceability through development and testing.
- Document the rationale for each requirement.
- As you document requirements, document "acceptance criteria" or what must be done to accept a requirement. Define what measures, tests, or observations will prove when the requirement is completed.
- Use precise wording for requirements.
- Group deliverables under project milestones.
- Create a glossary of TORFP or project terms and acronyms.
The TORFP Process:
- Review and understand the TORFP process.
- Develop a procurement schedule (see Example Procurement Plan).
- Allow sufficient lead time to replace current contracts.
- Allow sufficient lead time for internal and external reviews of TORFPs. For planning purposes, assume at least two iterations once the TORFP is submitted to DoIT.
- Obtain input from key stakeholders on the TORFP scope of work.
- Inform DoIT of new IT initiatives well in advance of initiating the effort.
Questions about developing a TORFP may be referred to the DoIT Procurement Office at itpo.doit@maryland.gov.
