The Western Climate Initiative, Inc. (WCI, Inc.) is requesting proposals from qualified firms to perform independent comprehensive Enterprise Architecture Services (EAS). The purpose of the EAS is to achieve greater alignment between information technology and business strategies and to guide the process of planning and designing the Information Technology (IT)/Information Systems (IS) capabilities of WCI, Inc. to meet desired organizational objectives and goals.
WCI, Inc. has recently finished an IT technical assessment of one of the systems that is currently utilized in the cap-and-trade program. During this assessment, opportunities for improving the processes and systems that support registration, tracking and compliance functions of the cap-and-trade program were identified. WCI, Inc. is interested in expanding on this technical assessment to evaluate the entire portfolio, functions and related services supporting the cap-and-trade program.
The Contractor will assist WCI, Inc. to transform the current technology infrastructure and systems for the cap-and-trade program into a more cost-effective, scalable and sustainable solution. The Contractor is expected to find mechanisms to improve our technology service provider functions so WCI, Inc. can support the future goals of the cap-and-trade program.
The Contractor will work with stakeholders, both leadership and subject matter experts, to build a holistic view of the organization’s strategy, processes, information and information technology assets.
The Contractor will link the mission, strategy, and processes of the organization to its IT strategy and document this using various architectural models or views that show how the current and future needs of the organization will be met in an efficient, sustainable, agile and adaptable manner.
The comprehensive EAS shall meet the following WCI, Inc. objectives:
- Develop a comprehensive understanding of the current processes related to application design, architecture, software development, IT infrastructure, hosting and maintenance, database management, IT security, controls, document management, system performance and other applied business operations, practices and procedures of the organization applications.
- Determine the ability of the applications to scale successfully to accommodate a range of future expansions to support WCI, Inc. and the Participating Jurisdictions, including an estimate of escalating costs as expansion occurs.
- Evaluate the efficiency and sustainability of the current business and IT processes, procedures, controls, and methodologies.
- Identify gaps, risks, issues and opportunities to meet WCI, Inc.’s and the Participating Jurisdictions’ needs.
- Develop recommendations to ensure scalability and sustainability of the applications, eliminate or reduce software and process inefficiencies, increase productivity, and create new functionalities that benefit the cap-and-trade program.
The Contractor shall document comprehensive findings of the EAS based on documentation review, as well as interviews with WCI, Inc., contractor personnel and Participating Jurisdiction staff. The selected Contractor will propose a plan to provide services consistent with industry standards and best practices evaluating and making recommendations in the following areas listed below:
- Business Value: Assess the business value of functionality needed to support the capand-trade portfolio versus what is currently available today. This will be accomplished by recommending scope, prioritization, gaps and alignment strategies across the multiple portfolio systems.
- Cross-Program Governance: Ensure the use of an enterprise architecture framework and Governance program that intertwines with and supports the WCI, Inc. Project Management Office (WCI, Inc. PMO). This will be based on industry standard enterprise architecture frameworks but will be tailored to suit the needs and best fit for WCI, Inc.
- Cross-Program Compliance: assess development of the cap-and-trade systems by different vendors which have an impact across the enterprise. This will include the recommendations for introducing standards, practices and principles whereby vendors will be evaluated, selected and managed.
- Technology Selection: analysis and recommendations related to the selection of various technologies that will support the future needs of the cap-and-trade program and its various functions.
- Enterprise Organizational Change Management: related to the future state of the organization and the system impacts and business process changes needed.
- Program Management & Execution: a Project Management Governance structure is in the process of being established to support and manage the projects that impact the capand-trade systems. The WCI, Inc. PMO supports the following functions: manage the overall projects and system development to include dependencies between various systems and vendors, establish consistent project management processes and tools, facilitate interaction throughout governance. The Contractor will conduct analysis, reinforce and make recommendations related to the implementation of the WCI, Inc. PMO, roles and responsibilities, issues where there are, or may be cross program impacts or conflicting views presented by participating Jurisdictions, effectiveness of decision making within projects, prioritization techniques within the programs and teams and across the portfolio.
- Cross-Program Risk management: cross program impacts of risks identified within individual projects and programs
- Procurement/Vendor/Contract Management: definition of future solicitation content, including milestone dates, deliverables and key performance indicators.
