La Vernia Independent School District

Technology Procurement Requirements

 

As explained on the following District Technology Procurement Standards, La Vernia ISD chooses to purchase products and services exclusively through State of Texas approved cooperative purchasing agreement vendors (e.g., QISV/CISV vendors). Unless quoting/bidding equipment and/or services not available through these vendors, a vendor will not be considered eligible for business unless they are a member of a State-approved technology purchasing cooperative.

 

Additionally, the following conditions apply above and beyond the Procurement Standards:

 

  • As LVISD has standardized on Compaq/HP computers, quotes for computers (desktop, notebook and servers) are only accepted from Compaq/HP Certified Education Partner resellers/VARs, including resellers offering purchase through Compaq/HP GEM Direct.  In the event that any required equipment is not available from Compaq/HP, quotes are only accepted on products produced by Tier One manufacturers (e.g., IBM, Apple, etc.); generic or “clone” computers will not be considered for purchase.
  • In order to demonstrate a commitment to network design and to minimize network problems, vendors quoting network cabling/infrastructure installation and/or support must have at least one on-staff BICSI-certified Registered Communications Distribution Designer (RCDD); all infrastructure must be designed by the RCDD, and on-premises work must be supervised and/or inspected by an RCDD during installation.
  • Vendors quoting support for network switching and/or routing equipment must provide personnel holding at minimum Cisco CCNA certification.
  • In order to perform maintenance/support on network servers, vendor personnel must hold at minimum Microsoft MCSE certification.

 

For information related to these specifications, please contact:

Allen D. Bordelon

La Vernia ISD

Director of Technology and Grants

13600 US Hwy 87 West

La Vernia, TX 78121

(830) 779-2181 ext 2232

allen.bordelon@la-vernia.k12.tx.us

 


EQUIPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROCUREMENT PROCEDURES

 

La Vernia ISD has chosen the State of Texas and Telecommunications Infrastructure fund Board (TIFB) approved practice of exclusively using vendors from the Texas Building and Procurement Commission (TBPC) Qualified Information Service Vendors (QISV), Certified Information Service Vendors (CISV), Department of Information Resources (DIR), and/or Education Service Center Region-20 Purchasing Co-op (ESC Co-op), unless the services, equipment and/or software sought for purchase is not available through one of these channels.  Districts that choose to use these cooperative-purchasing programs are presumed to have met State of Texas bid requirements. 

a.      Information regarding the Qualified Information Service Vendors (QISV) and/or Certified Information Service Vendors (CISV) program is available from the TBPC.  La Vernia ISD is responsible for evaluating, negotiating and ordering items which meet our needs and which the organization determines to be the “best value.” 

b.      Public school districts using the purchasing services of the TBPC/QISV/CISV, DIR, or ESC Co-op are exempted from submitting bid documentation to the Texas Infrastructure Fund Board (TIFB) for review and approval prior to purchasing equipment.

c.      In the case of equipment, software or services purchased with TIF funding, La Vernia ISD must submit a letter to the TIFB stating that all equipment purchases over $25,000 will be from one or any of the vendors from the TBPC/QISV/CISV, DIR, or ESC Co-op vendors list, prior to obligating or expending grant funds for such equipment.


CONTRACTUAL SERVICES PROCUREMENT PROCEDURES

 

The following services are considered Contractual Services:

a.      Network Design

b.      Network Maintenance and Support

c.      Project Management

d.      Training

e.      Wiring Installation, if installation is not included in the wiring purchase price and must be purchased separately.

f.        Other support services not detailed above, including offsite support

 

La Vernia ISD uses the purchasing services of the TBPC/QISV/CISV, DIR, or ESC Co-op for contractual services.  Therefore, according to State of Texas and TIFB guidelines, La Vernia ISD is exempt from submitting bid documentation to TIFB and is considered to have met all State of Texas bidding requirements. 

La Vernia ISD must acquire and maintain all contractual services over $25,000 from one or any of the vendors from the TBPC, DIR, or ESC Co-op vendors list. 

·         A signed copy by all parties of each services contract in excess of $25,000 must be acquired and maintained.

Two or more contracts for less than $25,000 each with one individual or firm, which together equal or exceed $25,000, are subject to the above provision and must be retained.

 

Service Contract Requirements

Prior to the delivery of services, a written contract should be executed to secure professional and/or consultant services.  

a.      The contractual agreement must be written, formal, and consistent with La Vernia ISD’s usual practices for obtaining such services.

b.      An individual may not receive dual compensation from a regular employer and La Vernia ISD for work performed during the same period of time, even if the services performed benefit both.


c.      Transportation and subsistence costs for travel by consultants must be at an identified rate consistent with La Vernia ISD’s general travel reimbursement practices and must be specified in the contractual agreement. Contracts must ensure that the work or services claimed for reimbursement are directly and exclusively devoted to La Vernia ISD.


PROCUREMENT PROCEDURES FOR EQUIPMENT, INFRASTRUCTURE, SOFTWARE OR SERVICES NOT AVAILABLE THROUGH TBPC/QISV, DIR, or ESC CO-OP VENDORS

 

To secure equipment, infrastructure, or professional and consultant services not available through a State-approved cooperative purchasing arrangement, the following bid requirements apply:

a.      La Vernia ISD must retain bid documentation for three years.

b.      Purchases up to $1,000.00 may be made on a spot purchase basis, without comparative pricing.

c.      Purchases between $1,000.01 and $5,000.00 require a minimum of three oral “quote” bids based on identical specifications. La Vernia ISD is required to maintain records for audit that show the name, telephone number, date, and bid amount of each source contacted.

d.      Purchases above $5,000.00 require formal bid advertising. La Vernia ISD is required to maintain records for audit that include copies of the advertisement(s) and all written responses thereto (including original signatures thereon) for three years. 

e.      When the required services/supplies and/or the required skills are so unique that La Vernia ISD cannot identify a minimum of three prospective sources and when the cost exceeds $1,000.00, La Vernia ISD shall record all relevant facts in a Sole Source Justification for Non-Competitive Procurement letter, signed by the vendor and the District.


PROJECT AWARD PROCEDURES

 

When awarding projects to vendors either through cooperative purchasing agreements or through competitive bidding, La Vernia ISD always seeks the best value; therefore, quality and scope of project, vendor reputation, vendor experience, vendor stability/longevity, and vendor qualification to perform the project outweigh project cost.  Therefore, La Vernia ISD reserves the right to select a vendor who is not the lowest qualified bidder meeting all specifications.

a.      When La Vernia ISD does not accept the apparent lowest bid or quote, a description of the selection process used to select the successful bidder, with a copy of the evaluation of all proposals, is made available upon request to all participating bidders.

b.      A scoring/rating system for the proposal is developed, and applied equally to all qualified vendors whose proposal meets specifications.  A copy of this evaluation is made available upon request to all participating bidders.

c.      If only one response was received, an oral investigation is performed, and an explanation of why that is the case is documented, and if necessary, sole source documentation is drafted prior to purchase.