Vendor Questions - Texas Health and Human Services Commission

Responses to Vendor Questions submitted for further information and
clarification for RFP 529-13-0001 - Human Resources and Payroll Services
(HRPS)
Question no. 1:
Page # 176, Section 6.4.2, Overview - The State’s RFP references the need for vendor
compliance with FAR Parts 30 and 31, which apply to federal cost accounting requirements.
There are other references to the State’s ability to deem unallowable costs that the State
determines in its sole discretion are inefficient or uneconomical. Is it the State's intent to
determine cost allowability in accordance with FAR Parts 30, 31 in order to appropriately estimate
the cost of performance and so that vendors will know that they will be held to objective
standards
HHSC Response:
It is the state's intention to determine cost allowability in accordance with the terms of the RFP
which include references to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP); Title 48 CFR,
Chapter 1, Parts 30 and 31, and Chapter 99; Federal guidelines, rules, and regulations applicable
to programs within the scope of the RFP; and HHSC guidelines, rules, regulations, and provisions
applicable to programs within scope of the procurement.
The RFP also includes provisions related to services being provided inefficiently or
uneconomically by a vendor. The reduction of a vendor's administrative payments for any
contractual requirement that is deemed to be inefficient and/or is not being provided economically
will be determined based on facts related to each specific circumstance.
The State believes the basis for determining the efficiency or economic value will be based on
numerous elements including, but not limited to, specific audit findings, additional research
performed by the State subsequent to an audit finding and discussions with the vendor related to
the finding.
Question no. 2:
Page # 177, Section 6.5.1, Vendor Responsibilities - Although FAR Part 31 defines allowable
and unallowable costs as well as direct and indirect costs, it does not dictate how organizations
should structure their indirect cost recovery. Accordingly, companies have the flexibility to
determine indirect rate structures that meet management objectives, recover indirect costs
equitably across the company and are competitive within the industry. HHSC has designated
additional unallowable costs, which under government accounting standards, would be
considered allowable and generally included in the indirect cost pool. Please help us understand
why this deviates from FAR Part 31 to determine unallowable costs.
HHSC Response:
HHSC will not modify the financial provisions included in the RFP. The same provisions are
included in multiple contracts and have not posed a problem for other vendors to comply with the
stipulated financial requirements.

Question no. 3:
Page # 194, Section 6.9.3, Overview - Under government cost accounting practices related to
cost reimbursable work, the retrospective cost settlement is designed to reconcile final costs and
provide final reimbursement to the vendor or a refund of overpayments to the agency. Per the
draft RFP, the vendor’s costs are capped at the fee ceiling or Allowable Costs, whichever is less.
Please help us understand how material changes in volume would impact the cap.
HHSC Response:
The "Fee Ceiling" includes applicable Fixed Administrative Fees, Variable Administrative Fees,
Additional Periodic Activity fees, and Additional Recurring Activity fees paid to a vendor during an
Operational Contract Year.
Volume changes caused by increases or decreases in the number of HHSC Enterprise FTEs will
be captured by the Variable Administrative Fees paid each month.
Volume changes arising from additions or changes to the scope of activities performed under the
contract will be captured by the Additional Periodic Activity fee or the Additional Recurring Activity
fee portion of the Fee Ceiling through contract amendment(s).
Question no. 4:
Page # 194, Section 7.7.5.3HR 6.9.3, Overview - Can HHSC define the reconciliation process
and “Allowable Costs” used in the Monthly Reconciliation For example, the reconciliation could
be based on the number of clients for the variable administrative fees, or could be based on
actual costs incurred during the previous month.
HHSC Response:
On a monthly basis, the state and the Vendor will reconcile the sum of the "Fees" disbursed to
the Vendor with the Vendor’s allowable costs plus the allowable administrative service fee.The
Fixed and Variable Fees related to the initial month will be paid as stipulated in the contract.
Subsequent months would be reconciled utilizing the sum of the "Fees" disbursed to the Vendor
for the previous month with the Vendor’s allowable costs plus the allowable administrative service
fee that will be submitted 25 days later. The October 2012 invoices will be submitted and paid in
November 2012. The November 2012 invoices submitted in December would include a
reconciliation of the October invoices paid by HHSC with the actual costs incurred plus the
administrative service fees reported by the vendor for October 2012.
Question no. 5:
Page # 194, Section 6.9.3.1, Overview - Given the need to close and audit accounting records
each year, ninety days may not be sufficient time to provide a final accounting of costs incurred
during the operational contract year. As reference, the federal government provides 180 days to
submit final incurred costs on a fiscal year basis. Can HHSC comment on the success you have
had with this deadline on other contracts Would HHSC consider a longer period of time for
submission of the report of Allowable Costs
HHSC Response:
HHSC has never had a vendor need longer than 105 days to submit the required financial
information.
HHSC would possibly consider 105 days instead of 90 days for this RFP.
HHSC would not consider 180 days as being acceptable.

Question no. 6:
Page # 187, Section 6.8.1.4 - Overview - We understand that non-recurring activities will be
based on fixed fully burdened hourly rates in accordance with the Price Summary Sheet 4:
Periodic Activity All-inclusive Hourly Labor Rates. Given this, please confirm that the costs for
such non-recurring modification should not be subject to the Retrospective Cost Settlement
except as it relates to the hours incurred in performing the activities.
HHSC Response:
HHSC believes the provisions contained in Section 6.8.1.4 - Additional Periodic Activities provide
the answer to the posed question.
The costs for such non-recurring modifications will be based on the explicit fixed hourly rates
proposed by the vendor as described in the instructions for completion of the pricing proposal
forms and the actual number of hours worked on the specific modification by the vendor’s staff or
the staff of the vendor’s subcontractor. The costs for such non-recurring modifications will be
subject to the Retrospective Cost Settlement provisions in Section 6.9.3
Question no. 7:
Appendix A1 A2, A3; Administrative Fee - Would the State consider converting the Administrative
Fee component of the pricing worksheets to a fixed fee (overall or unite based on fixed/variable
administrative fee components)
HHSC Response:
No, the state will not convert the Administrative Service Fee component of the pricing worksheets
to a fixed fee.
Question no. 8:
Page 1, Data Request Section, AccessHR-Statistics-Data - Can HHSC provide a further
breakdown of the Transaction volumes in item number 4, by transaction type (as identified within
PeopleSoft) and by month.
HHSC Response:
Posted to Procurement Library under the file name Breakdown of the Transaction Volumes by
Transaction Type and by Month.

Question no. 9:
Page 1, Data Request Section, AccessHR-Statistics-Data - What percentage of the self-service
transactions (item number 3) require support from the provider, and to what extent
HHSC Response:
Self-Service Utilization Rates for Payroll and HR Transactions: Time and Leave entries
(16788785), Traceable Employee Self-Service Utilization (19,072) and Traceable Manager Self-
Service Utilization (17,518).
o Traceable Employee Self-Service Utilization includes: 1) Edit Mailing Address
(15,334) and 2) Request Name Change (3738)
o Traceable Manager Self-Service Utilization includes: 1) Manager Initiated
Retirement (1271) 2) Manager Initiated Termination (11,192) 3) Merit Increase
(2289) and 4) One Time Merits (2766)
Support from the provider is approximately less than 10%.
Question no. 10:
Page 104, Section 2.3.1;Data Request Section, Page 1 - How open is HHSC to process change if
it drives efficiency Understanding that any process that is required to meet state legislative
requirements would not be a candidate process for change. Off-cycle Payroll as an example -
There are three scheduled off-cycle supplemental payrolls for each of the five HHS Monthly
payrolls and one supplemental scheduled for each of the two Monthly Hourly payrolls (total of up
to 17 payroll documents). There is one scheduled off-cycle supplemental payroll for each of the
two Semi-Monthly and Semi-Monthly Hourly on-cycle payrolls (total of up to 8 payroll documents).
In addition, there is one scheduled overtime payroll processed for each pay group and agency
each month (total of up to 11 payroll documents) and there are two lump sum vacation payrolls
processed each month for all five agencies by pay group (total of up to 22 payroll documents).
HHSC Response:
The numbers of payrolls (documents) processed each month are driven by a combination of
system limitations and minimum acceptable level of service we desire for our employees. The
system limitations are that we cannot combine agencies or pay groups. In the 9.1 upgraded
model we will be combining some pay types and rejection reiterations will be be greatly reduced.
Those will lessen the number of payroll documents. The service level required is driven by the
recognition that pay is the major incentive for our employees to deliver direct services to Texans.
State of Texas payroll is created approximately 10 days ahead of payday. We hire approximately
1,000 employees each month and terminate approximately 1,000 employees. Many of those
actions occur after the payroll has been created for the month. That reality requires supplemental
pay. We want to provide a high level of payroll service for our employees so they will have
incentive to provide a high level of service to our clients. If the focus of the question is whether
HHS would be open to ideas on process improvement the answer is yes, factoring in the previous
information.

Question no. 11:
Page 62, Section 2.2.1; AccessHR Upgrade Requirements and Functional and Technical Designs
- “The CPA-owned AccessHR Business Requirements Matrix, the AccessHR contractor-hosted
Business Process documentation, and the AccessHR contractor-hosted AccessHR Upgrade
Functional and Technical Designs are available upon request.” Please provide these documents
or describe the necessary process to request the documents.
HHSC Response:
This will have to be done via open records request to CPA.
Question no. 13:
General Question - Who is the current human resources and payroll vendor
HHSC Response:
NGA - NorthgateArinso
Question no. 14:
General Question - Who is the incumbent vendor
HHSC Response:
NGA - NorthgateArinso

Question no. 15:
Page 140, Section 3.2, Questions and Comments - Would HHSC please post answers to
questions as answers are developed rather than waiting and posting all answers on 3/26 The
earlier we get answers the more thorough our proposal.
HHSC Response:
No.
Question no. 16:
Page 62, Section 2.2.1, AccessHR Upgrade Requirements and Functional and Technical Designs
- The CPA (need CPA & possibly DIR agreement) owned AccessHR Business Requirements
Matrix, the AccessHR Contract-Hosted Business Process Documentation, and the AccessHR
Contract-Hosted AccessHR Upgrade Functional and Technical Design Are Available Upon
Request. Would HHSC please post these or tell vendors how to request documents
HHSC Response:
This will have to be done via open records request to CPA.
Question no. 17:
General Question - Will there be an opportunity to know which HUB's are present at the vendor
conference today
HHSC Response:
Sign-in Sheets will be posted along with all answers on 3/26.
Question no. 18:
Page 73, Section 2.2.4, Employee and Manager Self Service - Will the vendor be required to
incorporate changes to the upgraded PeopleSoft 9.1 to accommodate the current self-service
management model (For ex: VURV being replaced by TAMS)
HHSC Response:
No.

Question no. 19:
Page 95, Section 2.2.7, Shared Services Questions, specific to training - How does the 1 million
training courses completed translate to the number of eLearnings and Instructor Lead trainings
Does the PS Learning Enterprise provide course evaluation functionality
HHSC Response:
HHSC was unable to respond to this vendor submitted question due to its broad and non-specific
nature.
PeopleSoft 9.1 Enterprise Learning Management provides Learning Components (surveys,
assignments, etc.).
Question no. 20:
How does HHSC evaluate bids from non-incumbent vendors to reconcile start-up costs (including
capital costs) that are not included in the incumbent's bid
HHSC Response:
HHSC understands and recognizes non-incumbent vendors must include some additional startup
costs that will not necessarily be included in an incumbent vendor's cost proposal. HHSC's
evaluation of a Respondent's proposal will include factors and criteria other than cost. HHSC is
seeking a vendor that will provide the "Best Value" to the state in response to the Services and
Deliverables included in the RFP. Section 5 of the RFP includes HHSC's evaluation criteria for
this RFP.
Question no. 21:
Proposal Response Format - In the absence of a prescribed format, will you accept a vendor
response that includes a web-based template to answer the questions (in addition to the
schedules)
HHSC Response:
No. The prescribed format for submission of proposals may be found in Section 3.14 -
Instructions for Submitting Proposals.
Question no. 22:
What has the agency valued this contract at
HHSC Response:
HHSC has not "valued" the anticipated costs for the Services and Deliverable required in the
RFP.

Question no. 23:
Unemployment Hearings - What role do you want the vendor to play in the hearings Do you
want the vendor to represent the agency or will the HHS Employment Attorneys perform this
function
HHSC Response:
2.2.6.3 Separations (of RFP) states: HHS agency employment attorney customarily represents
the agency at unemployment hearings. The vendor provides support before and after the
hearings.
Question no. 24:
Page 83, HR Services Questions, specific to Benefits Coordination - Requirement on pg 83 to
"Calculate longevity, verify prior state service, determine retirement plan eligibility…”
Clarify if the vendor needs to provide functionality to produce COBRA notices, HIPPA notices,
direct billing notices
Are COBRA/Retirees on benefits outside the scope of our services
HHSC Response:
Calculations are performed by vendor based on information provided by new hire.
Vendor does not need to provide this functionality. These are handled by the Employees
Retirement System of Texas (ERS).
Yes, this is outside the scope of vendor services.
Question no. 25:
HR Services Questions, specific to Recruitment & Hiring - How are offers provided to candidates
(hard copy/email)
What percentage of positions are posted internally only
HHSC Response:
Phone, email, etc - generally not hard copy.
Less than 10%.

Question no. 26:
General Question - SPOC - Special Point of Contact
HHSC Response:
Regina Adams
Question no. 27:
General Question - Is CPA required for this RFP
HHSC Response:
No.
Question no. 28:
General Question - How many managers are there for payroll and HR contact
HHSC Response:
HR and Training (4); Payroll (2)
Question no. 29:
General Question - Which cities in Texas does THHSC operate
HHSC Response:
HHS operates in over 300 Texas cities.

Question no. 30:
General Question - Is new starting up company who has no business reference acceptable for
this RFP
HHSC Response:
No.
Question no. 31:
Page 6, Attachment-A, HRPS-SLAs - Please clarify measurement and benchmark for SLA 2.05.
HHSC Response:
This metric will be measured and reported on a monthly basis. The benchmark requires that no
more than 15% of calls are not answered within 20 seconds.
Question no. 32:
Pages 7, 8 & 17, Attachment-A, HRPS-SLAs - Please define reports that would be due to HHSC
pursuant to SLA 2.11 and 2.12 under the terms of section 5.02 UTC.
HHSC Response:
In accordance w/Section 5.02, HHSC may request reports or data to fulfill or respond to a
request regarding compliance with any of the State or Federal laws, regulations, and
administrative rules that govern the performance of the Services including, but not limited to, all
State and Federal tax laws, State and Federal employment laws, State and Federal regulatory
requirements, and licensing provisions. The Vendor will be notified and provided a due date for
the particular report or data.
Question no. 33:
Page 9, Attachment-A, HRPS-SLAs - Please define who should receive the verbal notification in
SLA 2.15 and process for providing verbal notice.
HHSC Response:
The HHSC Contract Manager should be notified.

Question no. 34:
Page 55, Section 2.1.5, Health and Safety - Please identify the requirements of the ad hoc
reporting the AccessHR contractor should provide to ERM and FSSRM.
HHSC Response:
Reporting should include incident date, date reported to the supervisor, number of days between
the incident date and the report to supervisor, date filed in accessHR, date filed as a claim,
number of days between date of incident and filing in accessHR, number of days between filing in
accessHR and filing the claim with SORM; number of list time claims, number of distinct claims
that were returned to work with restricted duty; incident reporting by cause, nature of injury and
body part. Each report must identify the employee id, location and agency.
Question no. 35:
Page 56, Section 2.1.5, Health and Safety - Please provide an illustration of the functionality in
9.1 of tracking return-to-work employees
HHSC Response:
Illustration will be demonstrated to successful vendor.
Question no. 36:
Page 58, Section 2.1.5, Health and Safety - Please provide a listing of the off-line systems for
historic records retention.
HHSC Response:
People soft and e-case databases have been utilized for historical records retention.
Question no. 37:
Page 58, Section 2.1.5, Health and Safety - Please provide the requirements for the ad hoc
reports for workers' compensation, return-to-work, and accident/incident reporting that ERM and
FSSRM would like the ability to run.
HHSC Response:
Reporting should include incident date, date reported to the supervisor, number of days between
the incident date and the report to supervisor, date filed in accessHR, date filed as a claim,
number of days between date of incident and filing in accessHR, number of days between filing in
accessHR and filing the claim with SORM; number of list time claims, number of distinct claims
that were returned to work with restricted duty; incident reporting by cause, nature of injury and
body part. Each report must identify the employee id, location and agency.

Question no. 38:
Page 40, Performance Management - Please provide a list of the performance
management/compliance reports and notate the requirements of each.
HHSC Response:
The contractor will provide performance management reporting to HHS management upon
requests to assist managers in tracking and monitoring performance plans/evaluations.
Question no. 39:
Page 44, Performance Management - Please provide anticipated volumes will providing job
description consultation, developing & maintaining job description repository, assisting with
creation of career ladders & maintaining career ladder promotions, conducting salary surveys,
and conducting classification studies.
HHSC Response:
The contractor will provide consultation and technical assistance to HHS managers upon request.
HHS has approximately 5,000 managers and supervisors who may request assistance.
Question no. 40:
Page 44, Compensation - How frequently would salary survey requests be submitted and who
would have authorization to make requests
HHSC Response:
Salary survey assistance may be requested as needed. The number of requests depends upon a
number of factors, such as, the creation of new positions, employee turnover, recruitment issues,
vacancy rates, legislative session, requests for classification plan revisions and changes in
workforce configurations. The contractor should have sufficient classification staff available to
handle these requests, as well as, access to market salary resources and information.
Question no. 41:
Page 45, Compensation - Requirement #3 states “Provide content catalog and profile
management support.” Can clarification be provided for this requirement
HHSC Response:
The contractor must maintain job description files, audit history, job description review findings,
job audit files and other related information to support audit determinations.

Question no. 42:
Page 47, Compensation - Please provide a list of the compensation administration reports and
notate the requirements of each.
HHSC Response:
The contractor will provide compensation management reporting to HHS management upon
requests.
Question no. 43:
Training - While the CPA will be hosting or serving as the ASP, will the AccessHR contractor be
responsible for resolving any technical issues with courses or will this be part of the role of the
CPA
HHSC Response:
No, this will be the responsibility of the CPA and HHSC.
Question no. 44:
Page 99, Training - Please provide a list of the ad hoc and routine training reports and notate the
requirements of each.
HHSC Response:
The contractor will provide HR management with ad hoc and routine training reports upon
request. The reports will be generated from workforce data maintained in PeopleSoft tables.
Question no. 45:
Page 38, Recruitment and Hiring - Please provide a list of the Recruitment and Hiring reports and
notate the requirements of each.
HHSC Response:
The contractor will provide HR management with ad hoc and routine recruiting and hiring reports
upon request. The reports will be generated from workforce data maintained in PeopleSoft
tables.

Question no. 46:
Page 68, AccessHR System - Please provide a list of the Service center reports and notate the
requirements of each
HHSC Response:
The contractor will provide HR and Payroll management with ad hoc and routine reports upon
request. The reports will be generated from workforce data maintained in PeopleSoft tables. The
contractor is responsible for providing federally required and state required reporting related to
Payroll and Time Labor and Leave (for example, but not limited to, Federal Tax Reporting).
Question no. 47:
Page 54, Benefits Coordination - Please provide a list of the benefits reports and notate the
requirements of each.
HHSC Response:
The contractor will provide HR management with ad hoc and routine reports upon request. The
reports will be generated from workforce data maintained in PeopleSoft tables.
Question no. 48:
Page 71, Organization Management - Please provide a list of the organization management
reports and notate the requirements of each.
HHSC Response:
The contractor will provide HR management with ad hoc and routine reports upon request. The
reports will be generated from workforce data maintained in PeopleSoft tables.
Question no. 49:
Page 76, Employee and Manager Self Service - Please provide a list of the self service activities
and notate the requirements of each
HHSC Response:
The contractor will provide HR and Payroll management with ad hoc and routine reports upon
request. The contractor will maintain current self service reports that are available to managers
and employees. The contractor will develop and provide additional reports that will assist
managers in the completion of his/her HR and Payroll related duties and activities.

Question no. 50:
Page 103, Reporting - Please provide a list of the reports that assist HHS employees.
HHSC Response:
The contractor will provide HR management with ad hoc and routine reports upon request. The
contractor will maintain current self service reports that are available to managers and
employees. The contractor will develop and provide additional reports that will assist managers
in the completion of his/her HR and Payroll related duties and activities.
Question no. 51:
Page 48, 2.1.4 Benefits Coordination - Please clarify the expectation to provide employees with
appropriate resources and referrals to carriers.
HHSC Response:
The contractor will provide benefits coordinator functions and support both managers and
employees. The contractor will support benefits enrollment, benefits canceling and changes,
reporting and monitoring.
Question no. 52:
Page 119, Pay Modeling - What is the frequency or volume of requests for performing pay
statement modeling based for tax status, exemptions, annual benefit elections, qualifying life
events, voluntary deductions, flexible spending accounts (TexFlex), 403(b), 401(k), or 457
deferred compensation plan contributions, and base salary. Please clarify how change of
address is related to pay modeling.
HHSC Response:
Less than 20 per month. Change of address is not related to pay modeling.
Question no. 53:
Page 109, Section 2.3, Payroll & Financial Services - Reference is made to IT technical and
functional payroll support staff. Will contractor be accountable for researching and correcting
production payroll application issues including code and data fixes If so will they be provided all
the necessary PeopleSoft access to provide the support
HHSC Response:
This resource will have deep and broad PeopleSoft 9.1 knowledge and will serve to assist
functional payroll production staff with researching daily production issues (e. g. error messages,
unique constraints, virtual pay lines, etc.). The level of access will be negotiated with the
Comptroller's office depending on the outcome of the Service Level Agreement being negotiated.
At the least this resource should have full inquiry capability.

Question no. 54:
Page 102, Section 2.2.8, Reporting - Will the CPA provide access to develop reports, SQRs, and
application engines and then migrate those changes to the production environment Also, will
they provide database connectivity to run queries directly against the database
HHSC Response:
No to the first question. Yes, to the second question.
Question no. 55:
Page 37, Section 2.1.1, Recruitment and Hiring - "Maintain Selection packets in a way that is
retrievable by multiple search tools". Define multiple search tools.
HHSC Response:
The contractor must be able to immediately provide the selection packet information upon request
of the State. Selection packet information should be easily retrievable and available.
Question no. 57:
Page 75, Section 2.24, Employee and Manager Self Service - Please clarify the accessibility
options for the IVR system.
HHSC Response:
HHSC was unable to respond to this vendor submitted question due to its broad and non-specific
nature.
Question no. 59:
Page 29, Section 2.1.1, Recruitment and Hiring - For the TAM (PeopleSoft) replacement of the
Vurv Recruitment platform, please provide a summary list of the TAM functional and technical
capabilities HHSC intends to use.
HHSC Response:
TAM should provide the same functionality as currently available in VURV.

Question no. 60:
Page 29, Section 2.1.1, Recruitment and Hiring - With regard to TAM, what is the anticipated
learning curve (i.e., duration) for HHS Hiring Authorities, and what is the start date to begin
training
HHSC Response:
All new managers and employees should complete online training on the HR system. As with
any system, initial training completion and use of the applications first hand improves efficiencies
and competency.
Question no. 61:
Page 30, Section 2.1.1, Recruitment and Hiring - Regarding the following statement (provided in
paragraph 1 on page 30): – Many employees who work at the DADS state supported living
centers (SSLC), the DSHS state hospitals (SH), and DARS Disability Determination Services
(DDS) do not have regular access to computer workstations. Employee and manager self service
is limited within those organizations and the AccessHR contractor will enter data into the system
for these employees. The AccessHR contractor staff will provide additional assistance to
applicants who are visually impaired or have other disabilities. Approximately how many
employees are at DARS and the state hospitals How many total HHSC employees do not have
access to computer workstations
HHSC Response:
There are several hundred employees who do not regularly login to AccessHR. Support for these
individuals is provided by Job Requisition Coordinators, Hiring Specialist and service center staff.
Contractor staff provide assistance to these individuals as needed. As necessary, contractor staff
are required to assist visually impaired applicants navigate the hiring center, complete his/her
application and ensure that the application is applied to a specific requisition or job posting.
Question no. 62:
Page 30, Section 2.1.1, Recruitment and Hiring - Is it HHSC’s intent to have dedicated
Recruitment Administration staff (i.e., AccessHR Contractor staff) dedicated to each of the five
Agencies, as opposed to a more potentially cost-effective pooled approach Please further
define what is intended by “staff dedicated to work with hiring authorities in each agency,” as is
referenced in paragraph 4.
HHSC Response:
In our current model, the contractor has assigned recruiting staff to a specific agency. Each
vendor should propose the strategy they would use to staff the hiring center.

Question no. 63:
Page 31, Section 2.1.1, Recruitment and Hiring - For service levels related to time-to-fill, at what
point does the measurement begin: after a requisition has been approved and released or when a
position has been approved to be filled What percentage of approved positions are canceled
before they are filled
HHSC Response:
The measurement begins when the requisition is posted and available to applicants. Less than
10 percent of approved postings are canceled before they are filled.
Question no. 64:
Page 31, Section 2.1.1, Recruitment and Hiring - How will the internal candidate pool be
maintained and kept fresh and relevant
HHSC Response:
Internal and external applicants are required to apply to a specific job requisition. The contractor
is not required to maintain applicant pools outside of AccessHR.
Question no. 65:
Page 30 & 32, Section 2.1.1, Recruitment and Hiring - Regarding the following statements – The
AccessHR contractor reviews the selection summary and initiates the appropriate due diligence
checks. (Page 30); and Certain due diligence checks are initiated by the AccessHR contractor
staff. (Page 32) – Which due diligence checks will be conducted by the AccessHR Contractor for
pre-employment, and how many of each occur in a year
HHSC Response:
Due diligence checks are required on all applicants offered a position with HHS. Some jobs
require multiple checks. The contractor initiates certain due diligence checks as required by the
state. Approximately 800 new hires each month require the contractor to perform due diligence
checks.

Question no. 66:
Page 31, Section 2.1.1, Recruitment and Hiring (Applicant Sourcing subsection - 2.1.1 b) - The
RFP states “At the direction of the hiring authority, the AccessHR contractor will assist with
targeted sourcing activities. These activities may include placing print and electronic
advertisements in newspapers, periodicals, journals, job boards, or professional associations”.
Please provide clarification on whether the State pays for the additional sourcing activities or they
are paid for by the contractor Can HHSC provide more detail as to the degree of assistance
offered and for what percentage of all sourcing activities
HHSC Response:
Print and electronic job advertising assistance may be requested as needed. The number of
requests depends upon a number of factors, such as, the type of position, difficulty in recruiting
qualified applicants for the position, vacancy rates, employee turnover, recruitment issues, and
changes in workforce configurations. The contractor should have sufficient recruiting staff
available to handle these requests, as well as, access to sourcing services and resources.
Question no. 67:
Page 32, Section 2.1.1, Recruitment and Hiring - Please describe the role the AccessHR
contractor plays in the end-to-end pre-hire check process.
HHSC Response:
The contractor is responsible for oversight and facilitation activities for the requisition from
beginning to end. The contractor will assist the hiring authority as needed to complete the hire.
Question no. 68:
Page 34, Section 2.1.1, Recruitment and Hiring - Will candidates be required to include the
position control number on faxed and mailed applications If they fail to include this number,
what steps should the AccessHR Contractor take to align with the most appropriate open
position
HHSC Response:
Applicants must include the requisition number on all documents. If they fail to do so, the
contractor hiring specialist should notify the applicant of the omission.

Question no. 69:
Page 34, Section 2.1.1, Recruitment and Hiring - What percentage of external job postings
requires additional sourcing activities to attract qualified candidates
HHSC Response:
Print and electronic job advertising assistance may be requested as needed. The number of
requests depends upon a number of factors, such as, the type of position, difficulty in recruiting
qualified applicants for the position, vacancy rates, employee turnover, recruitment issues, and
changes in workforce configurations. The contractor should have sufficient recruiting staff
available to handle these requests, as well as, access to sourcing services and resources.
Question no. 70:
Page 34, Section 2.1.1, Recruitment and Hiring - How many applicants do you handle each
year What is your current acceptance rate and is this something you are looking to improve
Are criminal background checks and drug tests currently being done by a third party/agency
Will the creation of recruiting-related documentation (e.g., contracts, other forms) be retained
HHSC Response:
Approximately one million applications are received annually. The acceptance rate is unknown.
Criminal background checks and drug tests are performed by other providers than the AccessHR
contractor. All recruiting records associated with a job requisition are maintained.
Question no. 71:
Page 35, Section 2.1.1, Recruitment and Hiring - Regarding the following statement, as provided
in requirement #4 – Provide assistance and develop solutions for offline processes required for
DARS DDS in the recruitment and hiring activities – can we characterize this “offline” assistance
as being manual entry of data by AccessHR Contractor staff into the self-service module of
PeopleSoft v9.1
HHSC Response:
Contractor staff may assist DARS job requisition coordinators with job postings and managing
applicants.
Question no. 72:
Page 37, Section 2.1.1, Recruitment and Hiring - Will the following capability – Process hiring of
multiple candidates using one job opening (perpetual postings) for high turnover positions – be
enabled within TAM
HHSC Response:
Yes.

Question no. 73:
Page 37, Section 2.1.1, Recruitment and Hiring - Will the following capability (identified in
requirement #49) – Monitor approvals in workflow to avoid delays in hiring and override an
approver as directed by HHSC – be enabled within TAM
HHSC Response:
Yes.
Question no. 74:
Page 39, Section 2.1.2, Performance Management - Are all agency staff members on an annual
performance review cycle, or are the cycles based on hire date (i.e., anniversary date)
HHSC Response:
All HHS employees are evaluated on an annual basis.
Question no. 75:
Page 39, Section 2.1.2, Performance Management - Will the performance management system
provide the functionality to manage improvement plans resulting from the performance review
What role will the AccessHR Contractor play in this process
HHSC Response:
Performance management assistance may be requested as needed. The number of requests
depends upon a number of factors, such as, the number of performance plans/evaluations
processed by a manager at any given time. The contractor should have sufficient staff available
to handle assistance requests. Requests may include how to use or navigate the system.
Question no. 76:
Page 39, Section 2.1.2, Performance Management - Regarding the following statement – The
AccessHR contractor supports employees and managers using the self-service functionality –
please specify the application that will be used to support Performance Management for HHSC
and who will maintain and support this application.
HHSC Response:
PeopleSoft 9.1 ePerformance Management module. Performance management assistance may
be requested as needed. The number of requests depends upon a number of factors, such as,
the number of performance plans/evaluations processed by a manager at any given time. The
contractor should have sufficient staff available to handle assistance requests. Requests may
include how to use or navigate the system.

Question no. 77:
Page 41, Section 2.1.2, Performance Management - For the Performance Management platform,
please provide a summary list of the functional and technical capabilities HHSC intends to utilize.
HHSC Response:
PeopleSoft 9.1 ePerformance Management module. Performance management assistance may
be requested as needed. The number of requests depends upon a number of factors, such as,
the number of performance plans/evaluations processed by a manager at any given time. The
contractor should have sufficient staff available to handle assistance requests. Requests may
include how to use or navigate the system.
Question no. 78:
Page 41, Section 2.1.2, Performance Management - In the table under the requirement for the
General Business Function, requirement #s 5 and 6 state “Configure and maintain text catalog to
support performance management documents” and “Configure and maintain language checker to
support performance management documents”. Please provide more information on the text
catalog and language checker and how these applications are to be maintained.
HHSC Response:
Contractor should be familiar with all ePerformance Management 9.1 functionality.
Question no. 79:
Page 41, Section 2.1.2, Performance Management - How are historical records maintained
currently
HHSC Response:
Historical records are maintained in PeopleSoft tables.
Question no. 80:
Page 41, Section 2.1.2, Performance Management - How often are audits conducted What is
the typical time commitment to support these audits
HHSC Response:
Routinely, open records requests, internal and external audits, reviews, and/or investigations may
be required. Most requests are time sensitive and require a contractor to satisfy due dates and
timelines.

Question no. 81:
Page 42, Section 2.1.3, Compensation Administration (classifications) - Please provide an
estimate as to the frequency of the following: Job audits to ensure that classifications and
compensation are aligned.
HHSC Response:
All jobs are audited to ensure appropriate classification and FLSA status meets state and federal
guidelines. The number of audits performed each month by the contractor may vary based on
the creation of new job, annual reviews, and job revisions submitted by managers.
Question no. 82:
Page 42, Section 2.1.3, Compensation Administration (classifications) - What salary surveys
(third party) are currently used
HHSC Response:
The contractor should propose how they will satisfy the requirements to provide current salary
market information for comparable HHS jobs.
Question no. 83:
Page 43, Section 2.1.3, Compensation Administration (classifications) - How many total jobs are
in scope How many career ladders do you have How many salary structures do you have
Are your job descriptions up to date
HHSC Response:
All HHS jobs are in scope. Career ladders are applicable for certain HHS jobs. Both state salary
schedules A and B apply. Job descriptions are current, however, all jobs require an annual
review.
Question no. 84:
Page 45, Section 2.1.3, Compensation Administration - Please provide a more detailed
description of the AccessHR Contractor’s role and responsibilities regarding the following [as
provided in Center of Expertise (Classification and Compensation Specialists) area: Ensure that
the HHS salary administration practices are in compliance with the state classification system,
state pay practices, and the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
HHSC Response:
The contractor is responsible for compliance with Fair Labor Standards Act; State of Texas
Classification Plan; state pay practices; and state compensation policies and rules; and HHS HR
and Payroll compensation policies, practices, and procedures.

Question no. 85:
Page 47, Section 2.1.3, Compensation Administration - How many new job descriptions are
created on an annual basis (by Agency)
HHSC Response:
Current job descriptions are regularly revised, and new job descriptions are created as needed
each year. All jobs require an annual review.
Question no. 86:
Page 48, Section 2.1.4, Benefits Coordination - What organization within HHS and/or ERS has
responsibility to calculate, determine and track entitlement and eligibility for the various leave
types (e.g., FMLA) How are these activities and steps currently performed
HHSC Response:
The contractor is responsible for working with HHS HR, Payroll and Time and Labor staff to
ensure leave and pay is appropriately managed.
Question no. 87:
Page 48, Section 2.1.4, Benefits Coordination - Regarding the following benefit coordinator
responsibilities – Monitor employee contributions to TexFlex; and Monitor employee Family &
Medical Leave status for the impact to benefits – are any additional responsibilities included in the
monitoring process (e.g., notification)
HHSC Response:
The contractor is responsible for working with HHS HR, Payroll and Time and Labor staff to
ensure leave and pay is appropriately managed.
Question no. 88:
Page 48, Section 2.1.4, Benefits Coordination - Regarding the following statement – Benefits
coordinator provides employees with support in enrolling, updating and canceling ERS and HHS
administered employee benefits programs. These programs include: [Multiple Listed] – does the
AccessHR contractor’s support include all programs supported by ERS, such as Texa$aver
401(k) and 457 programs and ERS Retirement System Please provide the call volumes related
to supporting the above.
HHSC Response:
Yes. Metrics on call volume to be provided.

Question no. 89:
Page 48, Section 2.1.4, Benefits Coordination - Does TX ERS provide call center support for
benefits, or will the selected vendor be the initial and only point of call center contact support for
TX ERS benefits coordination
HHSC Response:
The contractor benefits coordinator is the initial contact point.
Question no. 90:
Page 50, Section 2.1.4, Benefits Coordination - Regarding the following item, which is listed as
“In Scope” – Maintain online benefit information, links to ERS user guides, and other help tools –
please specify which portal is being described as being in scope.
HHSC Response:
AccessHR portal.
Question no. 91:
Page 50, Section 2.1.4, Benefits Coordination - Please describe how (e.g., what is included and
media used) annual enrollment is currently marketed internally to each Agency.
HHSC Response:
The HHS Connection and accessHR portal communicate the annual enrollment information to all
employees.
Question no. 92:
Page 50, Section 2.1.4, Benefits Coordination - How many manual benefit calculations are
required each year on average
HHSC Response:
This data is not tracked. Any attempt to answer would be only an educated estimate.

Question no. 93:
Page 51, Section 2.1.4, Benefits Coordination - What percentage of Agency staff currently
receives annual enrollment information via email Can they elect to receive information
electronically only versus hardcopy mailings
HHSC Response:
The contractor is not required to distribute email communications or hard copy mailings to
employees regarding annual benefits enrollment information. However, the contractor may
choose to do so.
Question no. 94:
Page 51, Section 2.1.4, Benefits Coordination - Who has responsibility to perform monthly,
quarterly and annual benefits reconciliations How many carriers are included in the
reconciliations
HHSC Response:
The contractor performs all benefits reconciliations.
Question no. 95:
Page 51, Section 2.1.4, Benefits Coordination - How often is ERS training provided Can it be
provided as needed (i.e., on demand) Are self-paced (e.g., CBT, eLearning, etc.) courses
available for new AccessHR Contractors or refresher training
HHSC Response:
ERS provides benefits coordinator training. It is currently available on line or upon request.
Question no. 96:
Page 51, Section 2.1.4, Benefits Coordination - Do retirees and active staff enroll during the same
period each year
HHSC Response:
Active employees, including rehired retirees, enroll during the annual enrollment.

Question no. 97:
Page 52, Section 2.1.4, Benefits Coordination - What processes and procedures are currently
used by ERS to maintain HIPAA compliance, and can these be made available to the AccessHR
Contractor
HHSC Response:
The Employees Retirement System is responsible for benefits administration which includes
HIPAA notifications, tracking and compliance.
Question no. 98:
Page 53, Section 2.1.4, Benefits Coordination - One of the requirements (#36) of the AccessHR
Contractor related to the Benefits Processing/Leave Business Function is Process Leave of
Absence (LOA) in the ERS Online System. Does the State have an IVR solution in place today
that allows employees to enter time/leave transactions via phone where access to a computer is
not possible Will that solution remain in place
HHSC Response:
The current vendor provides an IVR system which allows employees to enter time/leave
transactions via phone. The vendor should propose their solution to provide an IVR system
which allows employees to enter time/leave transactions via phone.
Question no. 99:
Page 53, Section 2.1.4, Benefits Coordination - One of the requirements (#37) of the AccessHR
Contractor related to the Benefits Processing/Leave Business Function is Identify employees with
insufficient salary payments and support HHS staff in collecting repayment for benefits. What is
the volume of employees with insufficient salary payments to cover required benefit deduction
collection
HHSC Response:
Insufficient salary to cover deductions is identified via the deductions not taken report. The 9.1
system is set up to process for arrears on insurance deductions where possible. The volume is
estimated to be less than 50 per month.
Question no. 100:
Page 54, Section 2.1.4, Benefits Coordination - What level of support services do you envision
(e.g., 24x7) for Agency staff who do not work normal business hours and may not be able to
contact the Service Center during the Monday – Friday, 7 AM – 7 PM CST hours of operation
HHSC Response:
The vendor should propose the level of support services for staff who do not work normal
business hours.

Question no. 101:
Page 54, Section 2.1.7, Health and Safety - How many workers’ compensation claims and
transactions are processed per year What are the annual reporting requirements included in
scope for the AccessHR Contractor
HHSC Response:
Over the past three years an average of 3899 incidents were reported. Of those, 3350 claims
were filed, which would require filings of: DWC 3, 6 and 90s in addition the submission packet
which includes the SORM 16, 29 and 80.
Question no. 102:
Page 55, Section 2.1.7, Health and Safety - Under the AccessHR Process Summary
requirements area, the RFP states “The AccessHR contractor will provide an electronic case
management system to support employees and managers using self-service functionality.”1.
Please provide details on the functionality required for the case management system.2. How will
current e-cases be transitioned to the AccessHR Contractor
HHSC Response:
1. The functionality required for the case management system includes:
o
o
o
o
o
access to scanned copies of all documents routed to and from the SORM
access to all e-mails routed to/from the SORM
access to all e-mails routed to/from the employee, supervisor and/or case manager
dates of service center actions, who took the action and a description of the action
trigger dates for actions to be taken by the service center
2. This will agreed upon by the current vendor, HHSC and the new vendor on how transitioned of
e-cases records will be handled.
Question no. 103:
Page 57, Section 2.1.7, Health and Safety - Are the online knowledge bases referenced in the
Customer Support – Contact Center (Help Desk) portion of the table provided and maintained by
the State or the contractor If provided and maintained by the contractor, will the initial data be
provided
HHSC Response:
Information is provided by the State and maintained by the contractor. The contractor will work
with HHSC regarding the initial data.

Question no. 104:
Page 59, Section 2.2.1, Shared Services – Human Resource Information Systems and
Information Technology - We understand the target date to complete the PeopleSoft upgrade (to
version 9.1) is May 2012. At what point will the design of all PeopleSoft modules be frozen to
possibly enable the AccessHR Contractor to begin process documentation and training activities
prior to May 2012 (with access to PeopleSoft in a test and training environment)
HHSC Response:
HHSC anticipates these activities will be complete during the Summer of 2012
Question no. 105:
Page 64, Section 2.2.1, Shared Services – Human Resource Information Systems and
Information Technology - How often are security audits conducted and what is the normal time
commitment (in hours) to complete the audits
HHSC Response:
There is no set schedule for audits. Information security, operational, financial, and other types of
audits may be performed by HHSC internal or external auditors, as determined by the audit
entity’s planning process. The audit scope, objectives, approach, and resources are typically
determined during the initial phase of the project. As such, the time commitment from business
areas or contractors during an audit will vary.
Question no. 106:
Page 64, Section 2.2.1, Shared Services – Human Resource Information Systems and
Information Technology - Can you confirm that the upgrade to PeopleSoft 9.1 will be completed
for all modules in support of the scope of services by end of calendar year 2012
HHSC Response:
Yes.
Question no. 107:
Page 71, Section 2.2.4, Employee and Manager Self Service - Are you looking to add any selfservice
capabilities to what is already available through PeopleSoft Is the creation of documents
(e.g., offer letters, termination letters) automated If not, is there a plan to do so in the future
For self-service updates, is there a validation process that must happen on the back-end
HHSC Response:
The vendor should propose any self-service capabilities in addition to those already in the
PeopleSoft system, including automated documents. The proposal should include validation of
any data that is entered.

Question no. 108:
Page 77, Section 2.2.5, Employee Communication - Please identify the sources of HHS
employee dissatisfaction, if any, as measured in the most recent surveys in the last 12 months
HHSC Response:
The use of the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system was a source of employee
dissatisfaction identified by the Point of Service Evaluation Survey.
Question no. 109:
Page 77-78, Section 2.2.5, Employee Communication - Approximately how many
communications do you envision per year Approximately how many surveys do you issue per
year What types of delivery do you typically use Frequency What are the Spanish/English
language requirements around communications Who is responsible for the creation and
maintenance of HR documentation such as offer and termination letters, etc. What, if any, role
does your in-house Legal team typically play in the communications creation process
HHSC Response:
Communications support and assistance may be requested as needed. The number of requests
depends upon a number of factors that require informing employees of deadlines, changes or
other activities. The vendor should propose the number of surveys per year to adequately
measure employee satisfaction with vendor services. Communications are required to be
published in English for accessHR contractor responsibilities. HR documentation related to hiring
and separation letter are generated by managers, unless the document is part of the automated
accessHR system. Legal, as well as other HHS stakeholders, may be required to review and
approve communications, depending upon the content.
Question no. 110:
Page 81, Section 2.2.6.2, Manage Employees - One of the requirements (#14) of the AccessHR
Contractor related to transaction processing center/specialists is Process regular and one-time
merits that managers cannot complete. Are regular Merits paid at the same time by all groups
Because they are processed via self-service, is there any time the payroll team needs to
manually key the transactions
HHSC Response:
Regular merits are generally accomplished via self service based on agency policy and budget
availability. The regular merit is paid with the employee regular salary (not separately). The
contractor would be required to enter merits in the cases where the deadline has been missed or
a Letter of Authorization is required due to timing.

Question no. 111:
Page 85-86, Section 2.2.6.3, Separations - In the Roles and Responsibilities table, the following
specification is listed as being In Scope: “Support HHS agencies in administering the
unemployment insurance claims process.” On average, how many unemployment claims are
processed in a given year As a result, approximately how much support time is required from
the contractor to support HHSC in administering those claims
HHSC Response:
Approximately 2240 claims appealed annually of which 20% are appealed.
Question no. 112:
Page 88, Section 2.2.6.4, Mass Changes(items 16 and 20) - Please confirm that the AccessHR
contractor will not represent HHS in unemployment hearings but will instead provide information
to HHS in preparation for such hearings.
HHSC Response:
HHS legal represents the HHS agencies at unemployment hearings. The contractor provides
assistance in filing appeals.
Question no. 113:
Page 95, Section 2.2.7, Training - The RFP states that the contractor provides approximately 150
off-the-shelf elective web-based courses and several customer courses.
• Will the prior contractor be required to leave these courses, or will the courses need to be
reproduced
• Can the State provide an estimate of the number of new web-based courses that will need to be
developed annually and a summary of the content
• Can the State provide an estimate of the number of offline courses that will need to be
developed annually and a summary of the content
• Will the course catalog be reconciled (and purged) prior to the start of the new contract period
• Do custom Web-based courses need to comply with any industry or HHS-defined standards
HHSC Response:
The contractor should propose how it will provide 150 off-the-shelf web-based courses. The
contractor is responsible for providing these courses. The number of new web-based courses
depends upon a number of factors, including new legislation, HHS initiatives, and other training
needs based upon needs assessment. The contractor will not be responsible for developing
offline courses are normally developed by HHS staff or purchased from third parties. The
contractor should propose how the course catalog will be transitioned from the current contractor
to the new contractor. Courses must comply with SCORM and HHS defined standards, include
HHS Electronic and Information Resources Accessibility policies and procedures.

Question no. 114:
Page 101, Section 2.2.8, Reporting - How often are new reports required If a report requires
joining of data from multiple sources, what organization has responsibility to design and map the
report
HHSC Response:
New reports will be required as requested from HHS management. The frequency and number
and content will vary depending on various factors, such as requesting entity, legislative
requirements, and other factors. The contractor should propose how it will provide assistance to
HHS in designing and mapping reports.
Question no. 115:
Page 103, Section 2.3, Payroll & Financial Services - What percentage of reductions in payroll
runs is expected upon the completion of the PeopleSoft 9.1 upgrade
HHSC Response:
We anticipate 25% to 30% reduction in the numbers due to combining pay types and eliminating
SPRS rejection processing.
Question no. 116:
Page 103, Section 2.3, Payroll & Financial Services - How many employees are processed per
pay group for each on-cycle payroll production
HHSC Response:
Monthly = 40,545 employees. Semimonthly = 13,434 employees two payrolls each month =
26,868 payments. Hourly Monthly = 70 employees. Hourly Semimonthly = 25 employees two
payrolls each month = 50 payments.
Question no. 117:
Page 103, Section 2.3, Payroll & Financial Services - Are all time records automatically uploaded
to the Payroll system after time is approved by HHSC, and are all check-ups and exceptions
addressed prior to the upload
HHSC Response:
Time records are automatically uploaded via the time administration process. All known time
exceptions are handled prior to the upload by the vendor.

Question no. 118:
Page 104, Section 2.3.1, Payroll & Time, Labor and Leave Services - Under “Payroll Production
Overview” it is stated that If a payment is rejected by SPRS on any payroll document submitted,
the corrections to authorized data must be remedied and the payments reprocessed on a new
payroll document by company, pay group, and pay period end date. This edit process with the
SPRS system typically results in approximately 100-125 rejects per month which must be
reprocessed. Why are there payment rejections in SPRS What causes this volume (100 - 125)
of rejects per month
HHSC Response:
SPRS rejections in the 9.1 system will occur mainly due to timing of the interface of authorized
payroll, benefits and personnel data. The rejections will be greatly reduced given that CAPPS will
be updated with SPRS daily.
Question no. 119:
Page 104, Section 2.3.1, Payroll & Time, Labor and Leave Services - Under “Payroll Production
Overview,” can the HHS provide a payroll production calendar for a month
HHSC Response:
Yes
Question no. 120:
Page 105, Section 2.3.1, Payroll & Time, Labor and Leave Services - Under the “Additional
Components of Pay” subsection, how often and when are merits given and paid Do they include
any retroactive merits
HHSC Response:
Merits are given based on budget availability and agency policies. This also controls the timing.
They are typically done through self service. However, given the number and if coordination is
desired, pay sheet merits spreadsheets are provided by HHS and loaded by the vendor via
sequel if awarded in mass. For example, last year the Office of Eligibility Services awarded
approximately 5,000 one time performance merits in one month. Retroactive merits are not
allowed unless on a exception basis and supported by a letter of authorization submitted to the
Comptroller of Public Accounts

Question no. 121:
Page 105, Section 2.3.1, Payroll & Time, Labor and Leave Services - Under the “Additional
Components of Pay” subsection, what types of mass changes have been done in 2011 and the
volume of these changes Which functions related to mass changes are automated and which
functions are manual
HHSC Response:
These are typically one time merit payments but can be other items such as department
reorganizations. As noted in the previous question merits could be several thousand.
Department changes occur infrequently except at fiscal year end but could affect several hundred
staff in an instance. Notwithstanding fiscal year end conversion of data, for agency specific
reorganizations, Excel spreadsheets are currently provided to the contractor with the values
needed and those are loaded by the contractor into the system.
Question no. 122:
Page 106, Section 2.3.1, Payroll & Time, Labor and Leave Services - Child Protective Services
Investigative (CPI) Pay is described under “Additional Components of Pay” subsection How are
these CPI amounts determined How are they reported to Payroll for inclusion in the payroll
HHSC Response:
These payments are driven by statute (currently $5,000 per year, divided into monthly payments
of $416.67). These amounts automatically flow to payroll based on the job code the employee
holds at The Department of Family and Protective Services. They automatically prorate for partial
months and Leave Without Pay.
Question no. 123:
Page 107, Section 2.3.1, Payroll & Time, Labor and Leave Services - 941 processing is outlined
under “Additional Payroll Production Support” specifications area. Who performs the regular
reconciliation and payment of taxes as the payrolls are produced, if over the threshold
HHSC Response:
941 processing is done by the contractor. Payroll taxes are automatically deposited via EFT by
the Comptroller of Public Accounts as payrolls are produced. The Comptroller determines the
timing of the payment in relation to the threshold in order to maximize interest revenue to the
State Treasury. The contractor must reconcile the amounts daily in preparation of producing the
quarterly 941 report to HHS payroll by the 20th of the month following the last month of the
calendar quarter.

Question no. 124:
Page 107, Section 2.3.1, Payroll & Time, Labor and Leave Services - Under the “Additional
Payroll Production Support” specifications area, in the Garnishments subsection, it is stated that
access HR contractor is responsible for communicating directly with active and terminated
employees impacted by a garnishment order. Beyond system-generated letters, what kind of
communication is expected
HHSC Response:
Any communication required to support the process. This may come in the form of email,
telephone and/or letter. We expect positive contact with the affected employee so they will not be
surprised in the change in their net pay.
Question no. 125:
Page 107, Section 2.3.1, Payroll & Time, Labor and Leave Services - Garnishments are
described under “Additional Payroll Production Support”. Are garnishment payments made by
CPA If so, are there garnishment payment interfaces to CPA to provide payee and payment
data for timely payment
HHSC Response:
Garnishment specification data is entered from the garnishment orders by the vendor into
CAPPS. This data is used in the calculation process and creates either a warrant or a direct
deposit which is distributed to the vendor by the state along with the account for which it is to be
posted.
Question no. 126:
Page 112, Section 2.3.1, Payroll & Time, Labor and Leave Services - FMLA eligibility hours
tracking is outlined under “Additional Time Labor and Leave Production Support”; specifically,
The proposed AccessHR contractor must provide supervisors with tracking tools to determine if
an employee has met the 1,250 hour eligibility criteria. What current tools are used to track
FMLA eligibility hours (i.e., the 1,250 hours criteria)
HHSC Response:
Currently in the 8.3 version of PeopleSoft, the existing manager reports have issues with
reporting FMLA data, therefore manual workarounds and queries have been used to assist
mangers in determining eligibility. In the 9.1 PeopleSoft upgrade two reports have been
developed to assist managers with FMLA issues. One report is the FMLA Detailed report which
will pull the Time Reporting Code associated with the Override Reason Code of FMLA, and show
the number of hours associated with the entries. The second report is the FMLA Qualifying
report, this will assist managers in determining if the employee has met the eligibility criteria of
physically working the 1250 hours. The selected vendor will be responsible for maintaining the
reports in the 9.1 system

Question no. 127:
Page 130, Section 2.5.2, Reports - Please define the reports that are to be produced by the
vendor-provided system and the State-provided systems. Is the report access for state personnel
to be provided remotely or onsite at the vendor facility
HHSC Response:
HHSC will request and the vendor will provide reports specific to the any of the services and/or
deliverables provided under the contract. Report access may be remote or onsite at the vendor
facility.
Question no. 128:
Page 131, Section 2.9, Transition Plan - Do you have a standard PMO methodology that you
follow If so, please describe. Typically, how does HHSC participate in the PMO activities How
will HHSC participate in the transition Will there be a dedicated team If not, what do you
envision Who are the primary stakeholders and what role does HHSC expect them to play in
the sign-off process How are decisions typically made in the HHSC organization By group
consensus or point person
HHSC Response:
Typically, Director level HHS staff and their staff will be engaged in the process. Business
owners for each result area (Human Resources, Payroll, Time, Labor and Leave, Information
Technology and Training are the primary stakeholders in the transition. Each will provide sign off
for their area of direction. There will be a dedicated team. Decisions are made collaboratively
among the primary stakeholders. It is expected the contractor will make recommendations on the
governance and implementation.
Question no. 129:
Page 133, Section 2.12, Management Plans - With regard to the Security Management Plan, a
Final Draft Due date of 0 calendar days from the date of contract execution is specified in Section
2.12. In Section 2.13.2, Security Management, the RFP states that HHSC Enterprise Security
Management will provide a template to be used for the development of the Security Management
Plan. Please identify HHSC’s final draft due date with regard to the Security Management Plan.
HHSC Response:
According to the RFP, the plan must be submitted by contractor and approved by HHSC prior to
contract execution or another date specified by HHSC. I believe if management chooses to
specify another date, it would be no later than 30 days after contract execution.

Question no. 130:
Page 137, Section 2.13, Facility Acquisition, Management and Operation - How often are
physical security checks performed by HHSC
HHSC Response:
Physical security checks are performed at HHSC’s discretion, not more than once per year.
Question no. 131:
Page 137, Section 2.13, Facility Acquisition, Management and Operation - Please clarify whether
the IVR, CRM, and telephony solutions may be hosted solutions and hosted outside of the State
of Texas. Hosted solutions are more cost-effective than on-premise solutions and provide
advantages for disaster recovery.
HHSC Response:
The contractor should provide a solution for IVR, CRM and telephony solutions which are cost
effective. Vendor can propose a cost-effective hosting solution.
Question no. 132:
Page 139, Section 2.13.2, Security Management - The RFP states “HHSC Enterprise Security
Management will provide a template to be used for the development of the Security Management
Plan).” Since a draft Security Management Plan is required with the proposal, can the State
provide this template or point Vendors to where they can obtain this template
HHSC Response:
HHSC will post the template to the procurement library.
Question no. 133:
Page 143, Section 3.14, Instructions for Submitting Proposals - Given requirements related to
provisions of Draft Plans, would HHSC please confirm that it is acceptable for RFP respondents
to include 11x17 paper and fold-outs with which to accommodate schedules, plans, exhibits, and
GANTT charts Would HHSC also consider modifying the requirement for 10 pt text size for
schedules, plans, exhibits, and GANTT charts to allow for an 8 pt font, which is a commonly used
size
HHSC Response:
11 x 17 inch paper is acceptable for schedules, plans, exhibits and GANTT charts. 8 pt font is
acceptable for schedules, plans, exhibits and GANTT charts.

Question no. 134:
Page 147 and Page 148, Section 3.15.1.6 and Section 3.15.2,Section 6 – Appendices; Part 2 –
Cost Proposal - Section 3.15.1.6 indicates that the Pricing Schedules and Price Summary Sheet
located in the RFP appendices should be included with the respondent’s Business Proposal.
Section 3.15.2 indicates the Pricing Schedules and Price Summary Sheet should be included in
the Cost Proposal. Would HHSC please confirm that responses to the Pricing Schedules and
Price Summary Sheet are to be located within the Cost Proposal
HHSC Response:
The reference to the Business Proposal in Section 3.15.1.6 is incorrect. Section 3.15.1.6 should
have stated the following: Please include the following appendices with the respondent’s COST
Proposal:
As specified in Section 3.15.2, The Respondent's Cost proposal must include the following:
(1) Cover Letter;
(2) Cost Proposal Assumptions;
(3)Transitional Pricing Schedules (Appendix A-1) and Transitional FTE Narrative;
(4) Operational Pricing Schedules (Appendix A-2) and Operational FTE Narrative;
(5) Price Summary Sheets (Appendix A-3);
(6) Financial Statements and Financial Solvency;
(7) Corporate Guarantee;
(8) Financial Operations Plan;
(9) Initial Accounting Policy Manual and Disclosure Statement; and
(10) Bonding Requirements.
Question no. 135:
Page 154 and 160, Section 3.15.2.4.1.6 and Section 3.15.2.5.6, Transition Pricing Schedule 5a
and Operational Pricing Schedule 5a - Pricing Schedule 5a for both Operational and Transitional
services reference multiple “categories” for vendor’s proposed acquisitions and leases of capital
equipment. Could the State please clarify what is meant by “categories”, and further describe
how the use of categories should be used in completion of the Operational and Transitional price
forms
HHSC Response:
The categories and asset types on schedule 5a are intended to serve as examples only.
Responding companies should change these labels and expand the schedule as necessary to
accurately reflect all proposed acquisitions of nonexpendable capital items.
A respondent could use category labels to separate computer hardware, computer software,
office equipment, office furniture, etc from other capital items and/or separate purchased capital
items from leased items.

Question no. 136:
Page 177, Section 6.5, Financial Accounting Requirements (6.5.1 Vendor Responsibilities) -
The last bullet point of vendor responsibilities on page 178 lists the following as an unallowable
cost:“Inter-company profits and margins related to all transactions with any parent, affiliate, or
subsidiary organization, including inter-company profits and margins related to all transactions the
vendor or the vendor’s subsidiary has with any parent, affiliate, or subsidiary organization.”
If a related party (parent, affiliate, or subsidiary organization) provides services at its Commercial
Prices (i.e., meets the requirements of FAR 12-Acquisition of Commercial items) to the Vendor,
would this result in unallowable profits under this Contract If so, what if the Vendor does not
mark-up the related party price with any Administrative Service Fee
HHSC Response:
As written, this would result in unallowable profits pursuant to Sections 6.5.1 and 6.7.1 (HRF 17
and HRF 19) of the RFP.
HHSC may consider classifying a specific related party charge as a pass-through expense on a
case-by-case basis during contract negotiations. For HHSC to consider such an arrangement,
the responding company must first demonstrate that the charge is fair, reasonable, and
commensurate to the services provided through the submittal of detailed information with the
respondent's cost proposal.
Question no. 137:
General Question - Please describe the IT systems the AccessHR contractor will be required to
provide, host, and maintain under the contract.
HHSC Response:
The vendor is to propose systems, other than the system the CPA will provide, to meet HHSC
business requirements.
Question no. 138:
General Question - Many sections of the RFP mention the need for Testing, Functional
Requirements, and Technical Requirements. Can you explain the split between the CAPPS ASP
team, Texas HHSC, and AccessHR Vendor roles with regards to these functions
HHSC Response:
The contractor should propose how to maintain documents in electronic or paper format that will
meet the Texas Open Records Act requirements and HHS retention policy.

Question no. 139:
General Question - It is our understanding, ongoing, that the new AccessHR Contractor will be
required to store paper documents at their site. Can the State provide the estimated volume of
such documents and the corresponding retention period for each type of document stored
Please also indicate the volume of historical (archived) documents the new Contactor will be
expected to store, if any. Please provide details on how paper documents (e.g., employee files)
are handled. Are they stored electronically What percentage of paper documents will the State
expect the Contractor to convert over to imaged files, and what is the State’s retention policy for
such files
HHSC Response:
The contractor should propose how to maintain documents in electronic or paper format that will
meet the Texas Open Records Act requirements and HHS retention policy.
Question no. 140:
General Question - Which of the outsourced activities are seasonal, or have highs and lows in
terms of activity/staffing bandwidth required
HHSC Response:
It is difficult to provide an accurate answer as all events cannot be predicted. However, for
examples but not limited to, annual benefits enrollment in August, W-2 production in January,
Charitable Contribution enrollment in September and October, Calendar year end in December,
and Fiscal Year End conversion in June through August are known drivers of high activity.
Question no. 141:
General Question - Please confirm the type of access HHS will require to the Case Management
system (e.g., view capability, admin capability) Also, how many individuals will require admin
access vs. view-only access
HHSC Response:
HHS will require view and reporting capability.

Question no. 142:
Service Center – General Question - Will HHSC provide call and transactions volumes with the
final RFP and does HHSC anticipate that calls and transactions handled by the new AccessHR
Contractor will be the same as those currently experienced by the incumbent firm
HHSC Response:
Posted to Procurement Library under the file name Breakdown of the Transaction Volumes by
Transaction Type and by Month.
Call volume activities may remain the same or increase.
Failure to acknowledge receipt of this addendum may result in response rejection. Respondents
may acknowledge receipt by one of the following methods:
1. Sign and return this addendum to HHSC-ECPS with the solicitation response; or
2. Acknowledge receipt of this addendum on the face of your response, or;
3. If response has already been submitted by respondent, the respondent may acknowledge
receipt by signing and faxing this addendum to the fax number above prior to the solicitation
due date and time:
Authorized Signature:
Date: ____________
Printed or Typed Name of Authorized Signature: ______________________________
Business Entity Name: __________________________________________________