RFP Learning Management System - Evaluation Process and Criteria

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL Page 21 of 18

SECTION 5

SPECIFICATIONS AND ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS 5.1 Requirements

Note: Suppliers must respond to all sections of this RFP, including sections 1 and 2. When a section does not request specific information and you agree to what it contains, you may use language such as “Sections1.1 through 1.05, Understood and Agreed” in your response. Refer to section 2.1 for instructions onhow to compile your response.

Following are the preferred requirements. These requirements will be judged on a pass/fail basis during the preliminary evaluation. Preference may be given to those Suppliers considered capable of meeting all the requirements as specified. Incomplete proposals will be deemed unacceptable and will be eliminated from further consideration. It is encouraged to submit multiple proposals for different infrastructures. For example, a hosted solution and an institutionally hosted solution requires separate proposals. Make sure the information security form is filled out for both solutions. You will also want to include any additional enhancements or options that would make your LMS stand out. In addition, show any modules that could be integrated into your system to expand the functionality that is either free or for an additional cost.

5.1.1 Browser and Mobile Access

Functionality for learners and instructors must be compatible with a wide variety of common web browsers on Windows and Macintosh computers, as well as accessible from mobile devices via major carriers. Identify which browsers and browser versions are supported. What is the process for validating new browsers? The LMS must support mobile devices, either within mobile browsers or with mobile applications (iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad, Android, Blackberry). Does the LMS or any components of it rely on any additional plug-ins such as Java or Flash? If any third-party plugins fail to function properly for a user, are there any fall-back alternatives to achieve the necessary functionality? The Information Security application must be completed online at http://www.utdallas.edu/infosecurity/documents/UTDVendorSurvey.docx .

5.1.2 Infrastructure

The LMS shall be able to be installed and maintain core functionality in UT Dallas or UT System own data center on the University of Texas at Dallas campus or the data center in Arlington (ARDC), or else be provided by the supplier as a hosted service. You must provide demonstrated proof of the ability to reliably support the user load that the university currently experiences and anticipates in the future.



Describe the server hosting requirements for the LMS, including hardware, software, and any other services that are required for the core installation. The system should support SSL encryption, either within the application or via the load balancer. Also indicate any third-party licensing, such as databases, to be considered for the core installation. Briefly discuss the system architecture and how the architecture provides for reliability, scalability and redundancy. If you are proposing a hosted solution, what is the uptime of the hosted solution and how is that measured? How are software updates managed? Can routine hardware maintenance be done without disrupting availability to end users? Provide information on different environments (Test, Development, QA, and Production) for UT Dallas to use best practices when upgrading or implementing services. Must send service level agreement for all company hosted proposals. Please address the ability for an individual campus to host their own LMS instance on their campus and how this might affect pricing.

5.1.3 Multi-institution Support

The LMS system must support multiple institutions with a customizable, branded interface for each institution/school using the system. Explain how the LMS can serve multiple institutions and allow for sharing of course content and centralized reporting and administration capabilities. What setup is required to have multiple campuses utilize one system? Describe how your system supports separate populations and user and administrative reporting specific to each system. This also needs to include multi-institution on the same campus (example: Academic and Training) and how this will be handled by your LMS.

5. 1.4 Student Information System Interoperability

The LMS system must allow for automatically enrolling students via integration with campus student information systems (PeopleSoft Campus Solutions (v9.0 and greater). Explain how student enrollment information can pass from the registrar’s system to the course management system (example – live connection, batch XML uploads, etc…) and how grades can be passed back to the SIS. The system must have existing integration capabilities with PeopleSoft Campus Solutions (v9.0 and greater). Describe support services and tools for enrollment and grade pass-back batch and live integration options with SIS systems (PeopleSoft Campus Solutions (v9.0 and greater). What support is provided with a middleware integration application that has been developed on campus.

5. 1.5 Crosslisting Support

The system must support crosslisted courses. Describe how the LMS provides a way for courses to be combined as one, through the SIS integration and by manually combining courses together. This can be accomplished through our eLearning Tools application if not provided by the LMS, but integration would need to be explained.

5. 1.6 Course Migration Path

One of the important considerations in choosing a new LMS is how course content will be migrated from Blackboard Vista and Blackboard 9.1 to the new system. Please



describe the migration path for moving course content into the new LMS. Can you provide examples of migrating Blackboard Vista 8 and Blackboard 9.1 courses to your LMS? What migration tools and utilities are available to move from your LMS to a standard format (i.e, IMS formats)? How reliable and practical are the tools or utilities to export ANY and/or ALL data within your system at any time? What services and support resources are included or optional to assist with implementation and training?

5.1.7 Integration with Third Party Tools

Describe the process of integrating the LMS with other third-party tools. What third party integrations are currently available? By summer 2012, the system must support integrations that we have today: including Respondus (for quiz authoring), Respondus Lockdown Browser, Study Mate, Turnitin, and eInstruction (audience response clicker). List other third party integrations that you currently support.

5. 1.8 Open APIs

The LMS must be able to extend the features of the system via APIs (Ap plication Program Interfaces) or some other customizations that follow a set of industry standards. What methods and/or tools are available to extend the system? What are the functions that can be performed via a web API? Can user accounts be created and deleted via an API? Can enrollment adds and drops be performed via the API? Can grades be imported, exported or updated? Can single sign-on from other campus systems (portals, legacy systems) be implemented? What other functions can be performed via a web API? What professional services areavailable to sup port and train developers to use the APIs?

5.1.9 Multimedia Workflow

Describe the workflow for course designers to get multimedia into the system. Where is media stored (database or file system) and how can it be discovered or shared with other courses? Can it be accessed outside of the LMS? Address how the system supports sharing media files between courses from a single file store.

5. 1.10 Support and Services

You must provide 24/7 support for administrators. Describe your product support and other services. Which services are included in this RFP and which are optional? What service levels are available and what level is proposed for the University of Texas at Dallas? How do support requests get tracked and escalated? What is the turnaround time for issues to be resolved? Is there a central knowledgebase and/or issue tracker available for customer use? How do support/enhancement requests influence product development?

Provide onsite implementation services package to transition from Blackboard Vista 8 or Blackboard 9.1 to your LMS. How will this be accomplished?



5. 1.11 Sandbox

A hosted sandbox for your product is required for evaluation purposes. Proposers must provide the URL and login information (typical administrator, faculty and student roles) for the university at the time of RFP response.

5.1.12 Ease of Use

How was the interface designed to be intuitive and user-friendly? How do you determine ease of use? How are these tools designed for higher education’s teaching and learning environment? Do you support drag & drop authoring and Cascading Style Sheets to control presentation? Does the system include context- sensitive help? What has been done to reduce the number of mouse clicks and server calls? What usability testing have you conducted?

5.1.13 Accessibility

The LMS must be accessible for all users, regardless of age, ability, or situation. The system should comply with section 508 accessibility standards and the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) issued by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Preference will be given to accessibility certifications, such as the National Federation of the Blind. The system should also comply with the Texas Administrative Code, Chapters 206 and 213, for electronic and information resource accessibility: http://info.sos.state.tx.us/pls/pub/readtac$ext.ViewTAC?tac_view=4&ti=1&pt=10&ch=206 http://info.sos.state.tx.us/pls/pub/readtac$ext.ViewTAC?tac_view=4&ti=1&pt=10&ch=213

5.1.14 Push or Subscriber Messaging

The LMS should be capable of sending e-mail (SMTP) and SMS messages (configurable by the user) either within the LMS itself, or by an integration with a companion product. An example might be that a student could configure the LMS to notify him via text message when his instructor posts an announcement or grades an assignment, and e-mail him when someone posts a new discussion message. Describe the options available for messages sent via e-mail and SMS. Costs for SMS messaging must be included in section 3.03.1. In addition, the LMS should provide the ability to both subscribe to RSS feeds within a course and also provide subscription feeds that can be used outside of the LMS (such as for new discussion postings or calendar events).

5.2 RFP Response Tables How to use these tables: Each section contains a list of abilities, features, or integrations that your system may have. You will be asked to rate the level of functionality, provide version numbers for software integrations, and show whether the features have passed accessibility testing. Rating: For each item, enter a value for the level of support that the item has. The possible values are described below



Browsers Supported Versions Rating Internet Explorer (Mac and PC) 7.x+ 5 Mozilla Firefox 3.x 5 Netscape Navigator 7.2 and earlier 3 Opera N/A 0 Safari (Mac) 5.x 3 Google Chrome 6.0.x 3

Value Definition

5 System has full support for the item and it has been implemented on production systems. 3 Development or testing of this item is in progress, or development is complete but it has never been implemented in a production system. (indicate if customization is required) 0 The item does not exist or is not supported.

(Note: If the vendor solution provides the functionality through means other than an implementation in their own software and the solution has been implemented and integrated on a “live” system that does not require extra login procedures, then the item can be given a score of “5”. You will also need to list any third-party software requirements in section 2.5.3 “Describe any additional hardware and software needed or recommended to complete implementing and managing the product.) Version: Enter the version or range of versions that your system supports/integrates with. Accessibility: Some sections also require that you list the accessibility of each feature. For the "Accessible" column, simply enter a Y or an N regarding whether the product (feature) passes Section 508Software Applications and Operating System Criteria 1194.21 (a) - (l) and / or Web Criteria 1194.22 (a) - (p) and provides equally effective access for individuals using a robust range of assistive technologies. Example 1: Rate your software’s browser support. In this example, Internet Explorer and Firefox are fully supported, Netscape is in development, Opera is not supported, and Safari and Google Chrome are in testing. Note: If a browser is only supported for certain operating systems, list the operating systems next to the browser name.



EXAMPLE 2: In this example, all features exist except there is no way to manage courses by term and the WYSIWYG content editor is still in development.

Features Accessible Rating 1. Teaching and Learning

a. Course Management Y 5 i. by Term N/A 0

ii. by Department Y 5 iii. by College Y 5

b. File Management System Y 5 i. WYSIWYG Content/HTML Editor Y 3 ii. File Manager Y 5

RFP Response tables are located in Appendix A

5.3 Cost Proposal

5.3.1 Cost for Recommended Additional Features/Interfaces Identify costs for any components that are not part of the core license that would be needed to meet the conditions of this RFP. List any proposed third-party software with the vendor name, product and version number.

5.3.2 Innovative Pricing Alternatives

Propose any pricing alternatives that might fit this RFP but may not follow standard licensing models. Explain the alternative in detail including any special conditions.

5.4 Supplier Information 5.4.1 History of the Company/Supplier

Suppliers shall describe the history of the company/Supplier and the history of its specific involvement with Learning Management Systems (LMS). Introduce the supplier’s organization (e.g., parent company, age, size, number of customers, offices, number of employees, etc.). Suppliers must demonstrate product long-term viability and future development with a description of the Supplier's long-term development strategy and plans to ensure that both the proposed learning management system and the Supplier as a business company remain viable in the market. In addition, Suppliers must describe the process by which UT Dallas requests for learning management systems enhancements would be considered and prioritized by the Supplier in formulating its future research and development strategy. Suppliers shall provide company information on their background, long-term viability, and experience with similar projects with particular emphasis on local, state, and federal government work. Suppliers shall include any affiliations to other corporate or organization entities, as well as information on general organization and staffing, scale of operations, and the Supplier’s proven



market for learning management systems. Identify staffing levels (as full time equivalencies, if necessary) in the following areas: sales and marketing, financial, research and development, technical support, training, conversion of current products, and interface with other systems.

5.4.2 Market Strategy Suppliers should describe the software product(s) and services strategy, including markets served. UT Dallas is particularly interested in knowing if products are designed for the higher education, technical education, K - 12, or corporate training market. Identify if there is a specific unit dedicated to support the higher education market and where it is located within the organization. Describe the Supplier’s commitment to the higher education market and provide a document such as a statement of commitment, press releases, and white papers. Include an organization chart that shows how the higher education sector fits within the organization and how it is supported.

5.4.3 Software Enhancements and Upcoming Releases Describe the number, chronology, and nature of major software releases in each of the past five years, along with the anticipated schedule (or roadmap) for the next three years. How does customer feedback influence product development?

5.4.4 Vision for the Future Describe the Supplier’s plan for further development of its software/services during the next five years. Include information about the Supplier’s commitment to standards such as SCORM 1.2 and 2004, IMS QTI, I MS Enterprise, and IMS LIP. 5.4.5 Strategic Partnerships Does the Supplier have strategic partnerships or alliances with other technology or educational entities? If so, how might these benefit the university?

5.4.6 Third Party Software Describe any relationships with other software providers that are relevant to this proposal.

5. 4.7 Supplier Capabilities Describe the Supplier’s experience and capabilities in providing similar services to those required. Suppliers must include in their RFP response a current list of all organizations with whom the Supplier has done business, similar to that described in this solicitation, within the last three years. Suppliers must identify specific projects, dates, and results. 5.4.8 Project Management Supplier shall identify personnel to conduct the project, with details on training and work experience. No change in personnel assigned to the project will be permitted without the approval of the institutional project director/manager. Provide resumes describing the educational and work experiences for each of the key staff that would be assigned to the project.

5.4.9 Technical Support Does the Supplier provide help desk and technical support or work with a partner to provide this support? If so, list the options for these services. Who is entitled to technical and administrative support? Does this support extend to LMS administrators, faculty, and students? List any Web



sites used for support purposes. 5.4.10 User Groups Describe any official (Supplier sponsored) user groups that are in existence and the nature of the relationship with the Supplier. What mechanisms exist for proposing and prioritizing enhancements? Is there an electronic discussion group? List all relevant official user group forums, including group name, contacts, addresses, and phone numbers or URLs. Include a description of the process used to prioritize requests for added functionality and enhancements specific to the higher education market. 5.4.11 Potential Conflict of Interest Suppliers must provide a list of all entities with which it has relationships that might create, or appear to create, a conflict of interest with the work that is contemplated in this RFP. The list should indicate the name of the entity, the relationship, and a discussion of the conflict.

5.5 References At least three (3) references for customers that have used services similar to those required by the University are to be provided. Include business name, address, phone number and contact person for each reference. The University reserves the right to contact or visit any of the supplier’s current and/or past customers to evaluate the level of performance and customer satisfaction.

5.6 PROPOSAL EVALUATION

5.6.1 Proposal Evaluation Criteria. The criteria to be used to evaluate proposals, listed

in their relative order of importance, are as follows:

• Total cost for software licensing, support, and services, including potential cost savings with bundling other services or products • Demonstrated stability, reliability, and scalability of the system to support multiple institutions • Intuitive user interface that follows standard conventions • Comprehensiveness of feature set • Accessibility for all users • Proven course content migration path from Blackboard Vista • Integrations with SIS and portal systems and crosslisting support • Open APIs for integrating other web applications and support for open standards for import/export of content (LTI, SCORM, Common Cartridge, QTI, etc.), and existing integrations with third party tools • Mobile access from a wide variety of mobile devices (phones, mobile apps, iPad, etc.) and providers • Push or subscriber messaging services and services for implementation, integrations, training, and support • Integrating multimedia into LMS (workflow & process) • Potential cost savings with bundling of other services or products • References • Company history/stability/innovation and strategic partnerships • Ability to meet all other terms, conditions, and specifications in this RFP.



NOTE: In addition to addressing the specific criteria listed, each supplier should provide a detailed response to each requirement in this RFP.

5.6.2 Evaluation Process. All proposals in response to this RFP will be evaluated in a manner

consistent with the UT System Procurement Code and all applicable rules and policies.

In the initial phase of the proposal evaluation process, the evaluation committee will review all proposals timely received. First, nonresponsive proposals (those not conforming to RFP requirements) will be eliminated. Second, the remaining proposals will be evaluated in a cursory manner to eliminate from further consideration those proposals which in the judgement of the evaluation committee fail to offer sufficient and substantive provisions to warrant further consideration. Each supplier bears sole responsibility for the items included or not included in the response submitted by that supplier. The University reserves the right to disqualify any proposal that includes significant deviations or exceptions to the terms, conditions and/or specifications in this RFP. At the conclusion of this initial evaluation phase, finalist supplier proposals will be selected for detailed review and evaluation, including oral presentations. The University reserves the right to be the sole judge as to the overall acceptability of any proposal or to judge the individual merits of specific provisions within competing offers.

Appendix A: RFP Response Tables NOTE: Do not change the order of items or add additional items to a list unless you are specifically instructed to do so. Unexpected changes may cause a miscalculation of the overall score.

Features Accessible Rating 1. Teaching and Learning

a. Course Management i. by Term

ii. by Department iii. by College iv. Role-based course visibility by start/end date v. Create custom roles and assign permissions vi. Provide guest access vii. Option to enable self-enrolled or unauthenticated guest access to courses

b. File Management System i. WebDAV

ii. WYSIWYG Content/HTML Editor iii. File Manager

c. Gradebook i. Customizable weighted categories

ii. Output of grades to PeopleSoft Campus Solutions (v9.0 and greater)



iii. Customizable Rubrics iv. Running grade total v. Student progress/ early warning indicators

d. Import publisher content e. Assignment drop box

i. Drop box per course ii. Drop box per assignment

iii. File Upload iv. Instructor Feedback

f. Search within course or courses for learning content g. Selective release of assignments, grades, learning modules h. Sequenced lesson builder i. Exam/Quiz creation

i. Multiple Question Types (T/F, Essay, Short Answer, Multiple Choice, etc)

ii. Import quizzes iii. Able to randomize question and/or answer order

j. Peer Review for assignment submissions k. Tool for adding inline comments for grading and peer

review of assignments

l. Student view of the course accessible to the instructor

m. Customizable user interface

2. Communication a. Calendar b. Announcements c. Email d. Text messaging e. Discussion/forums

i. Anonymous posting option ii. Grading

iii. Sorting iv. Journaling (private between student/instructor)

f. Chat g. Voice recording tools (live and recorded) h. Virtual Classroom

i. Chat ii. Whiteboard

iii. Multimedia (video, graphics, images, audio) iv. Archiving capability

3. Users a. Student/Faculty profiles

i. Bio ii. Pictures



iii. Non-LMS contact info ( e.g., email addresses, Instant Messenger nick names, and other contact information for tools that exist outside of the LMS)

b. Course-level groups w/ private content areas, forums, etc c. Customizable account-specific portal/dashboard with role

pertinent data (student versus faculty/staff)

4. Content a. Blogs b. Course-level Glossary c. Foreign Language Support d. Linking to internal LMS tools/content and external web e. Multi-level wikis (course, user group, university) f. Podcasts - streaming and file download g. RSS Feeds h. File sharing for students i. Multimedia resources

5. Assessment a. Student Activity Tracking b. LMS system-wide survey c. Documenting and assessing learning outcomes

6. Help a. Documentation

i. Contextual ii. Customizable by the university

iii. Online iv. Printed

7. Other Features—List any features not included above.

a.

b.

Administration Tools Accessible Rating 1. Ability to create ad-hoc communities by email invitation (ex. –

student clubs, alumni organization)?

2. Reporting including: a. Course Statistics b. Course Statistics (across all courses)



c. Standard Reporting (To include: 1) General reports showing the number of faculty, students, courses using the system with subtotals by departments and colleges based on hierarchy; 2) Reports on how many courses are using what tools— gradebook, discussions, assignment tool, etc.; 3) Statistics about usage of the system—peak times, number of logins, avg. course size, etc.)

d. Active courses (available and with user activity) e. Number of students (by unique login)

i. In one or more active courses ii. In a given term

f. Number of instructors (by unique login) i. In one or more active courses

ii. In a given term g. Tool usage per course h. Tool usage across all courses i. Tool usage per instructor j. Tool usage across the institution k. Batch Activities

i. Import/Export Courses ii. Import/Export Users iii. Import/Export Enrollments

iv. Delete Courses and Users 3. University logo and text branding 4. Crosslisting Courses

[“Crosslisting” is a process for manually sharing course content withoutrecreating multiple instances of the same course that has different enrollments. Example 1) One course has two names because a student can get credit for either social studies or multicultural studies. Hence the same content, with enrollments from BOTH classes are merged and the students all end up in the same course. Example 2) One faculty member teaches 2 sections of Health 101. He wants all students in one course with the same content, but students from the different sections do not see each other in forums, etc.]

5. Secure exam administration (browser lockdown) 6. Ability to identify students who have been inactive for X number

of months and disable their access/remove them from the system.

7. Ability to identify sections that have been inactive for X number of months, archive those sections, and remove them from the system.

8. Enhanced exam/section auditing so instructors can see concurrent sign on access from different IP addresses.

9. Ability to make courses available for guest access.



10. Ability for administrators to quickly access a course as an instructor or a student without having to enroll in the course.

Server Support

Operating Systems Versions Rating

Red Hat Linux Solaris Windows (specify each software platform) List additional supported operating systems

Database Management Systems Versions Rating Microsoft SQL Server MySQL Oracle Other?

Database Reporting Tools Versions Rating Brio Crystal Reports Other?

Web/Application Server Versions Rating Apache IIS Tomcat WebLogic Other?

Client Support

Browsers Supported Versions Rating Internet Explorer



Mozilla Firefox Netscape Navigator Opera Safari Google Chrome Other?

Operating Systems Supported Versions Rating Linux Mac OS X - Leopard Windows Vista Windows XP Windows 7 Other?

Web Plug-ins Versions Rating .Net Java Flash Other?

Mobile Access Versions Rating iPhone/iPod Touch App iPad App Android App Blackberry App Generic mobile browser support AT&T T-Mobile Verizon Sprint Other?

Standards Versions (if applicable) Rating

1. IMS a. IMS Enterprise b. Common Cartridge c. QTI (Question Test

Interoperability)



d. LTI (Learning Tools Interoperability) (Example: LMS #1 builds a gradebook that uses the LTI standard. Our campus uses LMS #2 that allows other tools to be plugged in that are LTI standard. This would allow us to plug the gradebook of LMS #1 into LMS #2. Gradebook is just one example. In the future, there will be many tools that are LTI standard allowing universities to mix and match the best of the tools.)

2. Metadata a. Dublin Core

3. OSID (Open Service Interface Definition)

4. LDAP Authentication 5. CAS Authentication 6. OSPI (Open Source Portfolio Initiative) 7. SCORM 8. XML 9. Web Services (i.e. SOA – Service

Oriented Architecture)

10. LIS

11. HTML 5

Please add any additional integration items to this list. For example, if another exam creation software can be integrated, add an additional row for it below ExamView.

Certified Integrations Rating 1. Student Information Systems

a. PeopleSoft Campus Solutions (v9.0 and greater)

i. Real-time Add/Drops

ii. Grade Exchange iii. Crosslisting

2. Assessment a. Direct Database Access

3. Exam Creation a. Respondus b. ExamView

4. Plagiarism Detection/Prevention



a. TurnItIn.com b. Other

5. Content Management Systems a. Equella b. Sharepoint c. Kaltura d. Other

6. Audience Response Systems a. eInstruction b. Other

7. Identity Management Systems a. Active Directory b. CAS c. LDAP

8. Online Library/Journal Software a. E-Library b. E-Reserve

9. ePortfolio a. TaskStream b. OSPI

10. Live Classroom a. Adobe Connect b. Other

11. Portal a. PeopleSoft Campus Solutions vv.(v9.0hihgreater)

b. Other

12. Digital Marketplace MERLOT

13. Extensibility a. SDK Available b. API Available

14. Reporting Tools a. Crystal Reports

Certified Integrations Rating

b. Custom reporting API 15. Wiki

a. PBWiki b. Wikispaces b. Confluence

16. Blog a. Blogger b. Wordpress c. RSS

17. Warning Systems (ex. In case of hardware failure) 18. Other

a. Google Tools/Apps



b. YouTube c. Flickr d. Facebook e. Twitter f. Other

For each service enter a 5 if the service is provided, a 3 if it is provided at an additional cost or a 0 if it is not provided at all. Service Provided?

1. Support a. 24x7x365 Support b. Dedicated contacts within the company for this

account

c. Follow-up protocol in place d. Online bug and support call tracking viewable by

customer

e. Tiered escalation path 2. Implementation Assistance

a. Migration Services b. Performance Tuning c. Professional Services d. Project Manager e. Project Timeline f. Regular (Weekly, Monthly, etc) Planning

Meetings

3. ASP a. Hosting b. Disaster Recovery

i. Recovery from Catastrophic Failure ii. Recovery of a single course section

c. Offsite backup d. Security (including FERPA and HIPAA) e. Uptime Monitoring f. Virus scanning support for attachments/content g. Encrypted communication

4. Community a. Conferences (A conference would be a

gathering in a certain geographical location of the vendor and user community, providing services such as workshops, training, Q & A sessions, and/or demonstrations of upcoming products.)

b. User Groups c. Webinars d. Website/Forums

5. Training a. Administrators



b. Existing materials (video, tutorials) available c. Train-the-Trainer

6. Documentation

a. User Documentation (Administrator, faculty, etc) b. Hosting guidelines c. Server configuration specifications provided d. Standard service profile/process for license types

For the following accessibility requirements, enter a 5 if your company meets the requirement, a 3 if the item is in progress, or a 0 if your company does not plan to meet the requirement.

Requirement

Rating

Provide link for software accessibility information, if one is available

1. Accessibility Documentation a. A Voluntary Product Evaluation

Template (VPAT) exists for each unique electronic and information technology product (rather than a single VPAT for an entire line of products).

b. A VPAT is completed by a person (or group) that had sufficient technical knowledge of the product to be able to accurately and credibly complete the document

c. All VPATs are available in an accessible, electronic format such as XHTML, Tagged PDF, DOC (MS Word), or RTF.

d. All VPATs are available on the vendor's website.

e. All VPATs are completely filled out (indicating which subsections are applicable for the product as well as addressing every point of that subsection)

f. All VPATs are descriptive (indicating not just whether a particular subpoint is met/not met but also providing specific examples and describing how this was determined)

g. All VPATs contain versioning information (including the document version number - if applicable - as well as the date completed, and identification of the department that authored the document.)



2. General Product Documentation a. All production documentation is

available in an accessible, electronic format


Requirement

Rating

Provide link for software accessibility information, if one is available b. All product documentation includes

information regarding known accessibility features, limitations and workarounds of the product (e.g. keyboard equivalent, display modification options, etc.)

c. Priority should be given to ensuring that product documentation is accessible in its native (default) format. If the native format does not provide adequate support for accessibility, then the vendor may elect to provide separate, alternative- format version of the product documentation.

d. Any alternative-format version should provide access to the same information contained within the native format in its entirety as well as retain the same functionality as the native format (to the fullest extent possible).

3. Company Accessibility Commitment a. Website contains an aggregated list of

all accessibility documentation including product VPATs

b. A company accessibility policy c. Any additional accessibility-oriented

documentation (e.g. White Papers, Case Studies, Tutorials, FAQs, Best Practices, links to external info)

d. An indication that the company has dedicated specific employees to handling accessibility questions/concerns (including contact info)

e. Information regarding support for accessible communications channels (e.g. TTY, Relay services)



f. Any forward-looking statements regarding anticipated improvements to the accessibility of company products


Requirement

Rating

Provide link for software accessibility information, if one is available

g. An intuitive URL for accessibility information examples: (http//www.company.com/accessibility or http://access.company.com)

Education

RFP Learning Management System - Evaluation Process and Criteria