City and County of San Francisco
Office of the Controller
REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)
The City and County of San Francisco’s Financial Management System
RFI#CON2013-20
CONTACT: Lily Conover, lily.conover@sfgov.org, (415) 554-7525
The Office of the Controller is requesting information from firms who provide comprehensive software solutions,
especially Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software, for a new central, citywide financial management system
for the City and County of San Francisco (City). The City has not decided what type of comprehensive system to
pursue and is therefore issuing this RFI.
The City’s current central, citywide financial system is FAMIS (Financial Accounting and Management Information
system). FAMIS is a Cobol-VSAM mainframe system which is supported by the Controller’s Office and used by all
City departments. FAMIS is the system of record for all official budgetary and accounting information for the City.
It is the basis of budgetary control, fund accounting and financial statements on the City’s fiscal position. In
developing the scope of implementing the City’s next central financial management system, the City is determining
the pace at which to replace FAMIS functions and modules, and any additional functionality that the City’s next
central financial system should include.
The purpose of this RFI is to conduct an industry review of ERP or other comprehensive application providers
capable of providing complete, large-scale, high performance software solutions. It is not the City’s intent to
award a contract based on this RFI; however, the City reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to request additional
information, demonstrations or presentations, or to form test or pilot projects.
This RFI does not attempt to describe all intricacies and functions of FAMIS or the City’s complex business
processes. Instead, the RFI asks for information in a format that will allow software providers to describe their
solutions. Selected firms will be asked to demonstrate their systems to a group of City officials with expertise in
government accounting, procurement, contracting, project management and information technology. Responses
to this RFI may be used to assist in refining the City’s goals for this system and to possibly develop specifications for
a competitive solicitation.
Schedule*
RFI Issued:
Questions Due:
Answers Posted:
Deadline for RFI Responses:
10/18/2013
10/25/2013 (5:00 PM)
11/01/2013 (5:00 PM)
11/08/2013 (5:00 PM)
Questions and Communications
To ensure fair and equal access to information about
this RFI, all questions, requests for clarification, and
requests for additional information must be
submitted to the Controller’s Contracts Manager,
Lily Conover, at lily.conover@sfgov.org.
*Dates are subject to change
Controller’s Office ● City Hall, Room 316 ● 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place ● San Francisco, CA 94102 ● 415.554.7500
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I. Background
The City and County of San Francisco’s central financial system is FAMIS (Financial Accounting
and Management Information System). FAMIS is an on-line, transaction based, Cobol/VSAM
file based mainframe system. Its major functions include general ledger, project and grant
accounting, fund accounting, purchasing, accounts payable, accounts receivable, budgetary
control, vendor maintenance and tracking, fixed asset accounting, labor distribution, payment
issuance functions. It is supported by the Controller’s Office and maintains the official
budgetary and accounting information for the City. It is the basis for all official budgetary,
operational, fund accounting reports and statements. It is the source for the City’s
Comprehensive Financial Report (CAFR) and other audited financial statements and reports. It
is the basis for the City’s fiscal position as issued by the Controller. FAMIS is used by financial,
accounting, purchasing and other staff in all City Departments.
FAMIS supports batch interfaces for certain financial activity. At the citywide level, interfaces
to and from FAMIS include the City’s Payroll System (currently Oracle PeopleSoft HCM 9.0), the
City’s Budget System, and the Executive Information System (EIS), a central data warehouse
reporting and analysis system. The Budget System and EIS use an Oracle database with Cognos
reporting and analytical software. For certain departmental activity, interfaces to and from
FAMIS include payment processing, encumbrance posting, cost allocation, work order billings,
vendor compliance and status information, inventory, accounts receivable, tax revenue
refunds, and other functions. FAMIS also interfaces with the City’s bank for check processing
and electronic payments.
Departmental processing systems and reporting environments also rely upon FAMIS data to
populate and update information for project management, requisitioning, materials
management, contracting, billing, grant reporting, and other purposes. Departments also use
standalone systems, spreadsheets, and other tools to track, maintain, and report on types of
financial information that are not maintained in FAMIS. They also use these systems and other
tools to reconcile FAMIS data. Departments often need to report on information at a lower
level or sometimes with a different accounting structure than is recorded in FAMIS. In some
cases, because of these department level needs, they must do duplicate data entry into FAMIS
and, reconcile data between systems.
FAMIS has a Web-GUI (Graphical User Interface) front end, using technology from HostBridge
Technology that is used by Citywide along with TN3270 emulators. HostBridge is also being
used to integrate some departmental Web applications to FAMIS.
Role of the Controller
The City's 1996 Charter designates the Controller as the chief accounting officer and auditor for
the City. The Controller is appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the Board of Supervisors
to serve a ten year term of office. The Controller is responsible for all financial management
systems, procedures, internal control processes and reports that disclose the fiscal condition of
the City to managers, policy makers and citizens. The Controller’s Office manages and operates
FAMIS. The Controller is also the auditor for the City and County performing financial and
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performance audits of departments, agencies, concessions and contracts. In furtherance of
these Charter-mandated functions, the Controller's Office provides a variety of support
services. These include processing the City's budget, developing and maintaining a financial
accounting information system for use by all departments, and preparing and distributing
paychecks for all City employees.
II. Purpose of the RFI
The City is currently in the planning stages to determine the scope of implementing a new
citywide financial management system. In developing the scope, the City is determining the
pace at which to replace FAMIS functions and modules, and any additional functionality that
the City’s next central financial system should include. In defining this, the City will be
determining whether functionality that is currently supported by some departmental systems
can be included in a new central, citywide solution.
The purpose of this RFI is to conduct an industry review of potential software solutions.
Information gained during this RFI may inform the City’s scoping process and help in designing a
subsequent Request for Proposals. It is not the City’s intent to award a contract based on this
RFI. Instead the RFI asks for information in a format that will allow software providers to
describe their comprehensive solutions. Selected firms will be asked to demonstrate their
systems to a group of City officials with expertise in government accounting, procurement,
contracting, project management and information technology.
Since the City intends to replace FAMIS, it is imperative that the proposed solution be
compatible with the City’s Oracle PeopleSoft HCM system. Ideally, the two must be fully
integrated and be able to support multiple interfaces for different business applications and
technical environments. For example, some of the major City departments have specialized
systems that may be interfaced to the new central system (dependent on the extent to which
departmental systems are replaced and centralized under the new central system).
III. EVALUATING RESPONSES
The City seeks to obtain a single RFI response from firms who provide a comprehensive, largescale, high performance software solution for a large government organization with the
following functions: general ledger, fund accounting, enterprise fund accounting, budgetary
control, purchasing, accounts payable, accounts receivable, fixed assets, project accounting,
grant management, work order, inventory, vendor maintenance, vendor self-service.
The City will select firms to present their solution whose responses best meet the City’s needs.
Only vendors who have provided solutions for governmental agencies equal in size or larger
than the City and County of San Francisco within the last five (5) years should respond to this
RFI. In FY13-14, the City’s budget is $7.9 billion. For more detailed information on the City and
County of San Francisco, see Attachment I.
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The City intends to invite selected vendors to make oral presentations and demonstrate their
system for the purpose of advancing the City’s understanding of the available solution. All such
invitations will be issued in writing on or before November 18, 2013. Firms that are selected to
demonstrate their software will receive a list of questions to address during the presentation at
least two weeks prior to the presentation.
IV.
PREPARING A RESPONSE
Responders must submit the requested information in the format specified in Section V below.
Proposals must be no longer than fifteen (15) pages. The page maximum does not include
brochures, literature and demonstrations. These additional items are welcome but should not
be submitted in lieu of responding to the individual questions below. The City will select firms
to present their software based on their responses.
Please provide information on the numbered items below. Responders are expected to answer
all items.
1. Provide company name, address, contact name, title, phone number, and email address.
2. Provide a letter of introduction with a brief description of your firm, experience in the
industry, number of years providing financial management solutions to federal, state or
local governments.
3. Provide a summary of the financial management products offered, including the annual
licenses fee, annual support fees, and/or annual subscription fee. Include third party
applications that are being recommended. List prices are acceptable.
4. Describe any professional services your firm offers, including, without limitation,
integration assistance, training, and hosting. Provide a rate structure or other costing
information (i.e. hourly rate or pricing methodology) for the professional services offering.
List prices are acceptable.
5. Describe the different implementation approaches (i.e. big bang vs phased roll out) the
City should consider when implementing your solution. Include the benefits and/or risks or
each.
6. Provide a brief description of the overall software and architectural design of your product.
7. Provide a description of how the product(s) integrate or interface from and to Oracle
PeopleSoft HCM v9.0 or higher.
8. Describe the recommended operating environment(s) required to install and use your
system and the minimum system requirements necessary to run your system. Include any
suggested production, development/test, and disaster recovery environments.
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9. Describe how your firm envisions your software solution changing over the next five to ten
years.
10. If selected, your firm will have up to six hours to demonstrate your solution. Submit the
proposed agenda your firm would like to follow during the presentation. Include amount of
time, modules to demo, topics to discuss, etc.
11. Submit at least two (2) references of federal, state or local governments equal in size or
larger than the City and County of San Francisco that have implemented your solution
within the last five (5) years. Please include:
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Name of the client
Contact information (name, address, phone, email)
Dates of engagement
Total Annual Budget
Total # of Employees
Total # of Departments / Agencies
Type of Departments / Agencies (e.g. Airport, Hospital, Public Works, Social Services,
etc.)
Software implemented (specific modules)
Technical environment
V. RESPONSE SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
All questions, requests for clarification, and requests for additional information regarding this
RFI must be submitted to Lily Conover at lily.conover@sfgov.org. All such questions and
requests must be submitted by e-mail. Responses to such questions and requests shall be at
the City’s sole discretion and nothing in this RFI shall create an obligation by the City to provide
any response to the submitting party. Responses may, at the City’s sole discretion, be posted
as addenda to this RFI on the City’s website.
Responses must be received by 5:00 pm PT on the Response Due Date. Responses, including
any attachments, should be submitted by email to lily.conover@sfgov.org.
VI.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS RFI
Responses to this RFI become the exclusive property of the City and subject to the California
Public Records Act and the City's Sunshine Ordinance. Please be aware that any information
submitted, even personal identifying information may be disclosed to the public.
The Respondent shall be solely and fully responsible for all costs associated with the
development, preparation, transmittal, and submission of any material in response to this RFI.
The City may, in its sole discretion, ask selected Respondents to present their material in person
to City’s representatives at the City’s offices, and the costs of such presentations shall be solely
the responsibility of the Respondent. The City assumes no contractual or other obligations as a
result of the issuance of this RFI, the preparation or submission of materials by a Respondent,
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the evaluation of materials, the Respondent’s conducting of presentations, or the selection of
any Respondent for further negotiations. There may be no claims whatsoever for
reimbursement from the City for such costs.
VII. SUBMITTING A RESPONSE TO THE RFI
The submittal of a response to this RFI does not guarantee use of the information provided.
This is not a Request for Proposals (RFP). The City, at its sole discretion, will determine if a
Request for Proposals or other competitive solicitation may be issued at a later date. Any RFP
issued by the City may differ significantly in content from the applications and services
described in this RFI document. This RFI is to be used solely for the purpose of this industry
review and the City assumes no responsibility for any other use of this document. It is not a
requirement to participate in this industry review process in order to be considered by any
competitive solicitation arising out of this process. Participation in this industry review is
strictly voluntary and the City will not reimburse participants for any costs in connection
therewith. Submission of the RFI does not guarantee any future business with the City. The
issuance of this RFI does not constitute agreement by the City that any contract will actually be
entered into by the City. The City expressly reserves the rights to:
1. Waive or correct any defect or informality in any proposal, response or response
procedure;
2. Reject any or all responses and re-issue a new RFI, RFQ or RFP;
3. Prior to submission deadline for responses, modify all or any portion of the schedule for
receiving responses;
4. Procure any materials, equipment, products or services specified in this RFI by any other
means; or
5. Determine that no project will be pursued.
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ATTACHMENT I
The City and County of San Francisco was established by Charter in 1850, and is the only legal
subdivision of the State of California with the governmental powers of both a city and a county. The
City’s legislative power is exercised through a Board of Supervisors, while its executive power is
vested upon a Mayor and other appointed and elected officials. Key public services provided by the
City include public safety and protection, public transportation, water and sewer, parks and
recreation, public health, social services and land-use and planning regulation. The heads of most of
these departments are appointed by the Mayor and advised by commissions and boards appointed
by City elected officials.
Elected officials include the Mayor, Members of the Board of Supervisors, Assessor-Recorder, City
Attorney, District Attorney, Public Defender, Sheriff, Superior Court Judges, and Treasurer. Since
November 2000, the eleven-member Board of Supervisors has been elected through district
elections. The eleven district elections are staggered for five and six seats at a time, and held in
even-numbered years. Board members serve four-year terms and vacancies are filled by Mayoral
appointment.
Statistics (Fiscal Year 2012)
Population: 820,466
Number of Employees: 24,805
# of Departments / Agency: Approximately 60
# of Enterprise Agencies: 6 (Airport, Public Utilities Commission, Municipal Transportation Agency,
San Francisco General Hospital, Port, Laguna Honda)
Major Agency Funds: 2 (Health Service, Retirement System)
The assets of the City exceeded its liabilities at the end of the fiscal year by approximately $6.95
billion (net assets). Of this balance, $6.46 billion represents the City’s investment in capital assets
net of related debt and $902.1 million represents restricted net assets. This is offset by a deficit in
unrestricted net assets of $410.2 million.
Go to the below link for City and County of San Francisco financial and budget information, such as
the Comprehensive Financial Reports (CAFRs).
http://www.sfcontroller.org/index.aspx?page=275
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