Senior SNAP EBT Consultant

HighCloud Solutions; Pierre (SD); On-site; USD 165,000 - 248,000; Full time

Job summary

DSS is seeking a qualified consultant to plan South Dakota’s SNAP EBT RFP, spanning through 2029. The consultant will help develop and maintain a project timeline and ensure all activities meet USDA/FNS deadlines.

Responsibilities include updating RFP drafts, preparing evaluation plans, and coordinating with USDA/FNS on re-procurement efforts. The role also covers developing IAPD/IAPDU documents and leading test and implementation planning to ensure compliance with FNS Handbook 901 and federal

Responsibilities

• Review and update SD SNAP EBT Services RFP to meet Federal requirements and USDA/FNS deadlines.
• Develop evaluation plan for RFP responses including pricing structure and scoring for award decisions.
• Prepare Implementation Advanced Planning Documents (IAPD/IAPDU) in accordance with FNS Handbook 901.

Job description

DSS is seeking a qualified consultant for planning South Dakota’s SNAP EBT RFP. This project is expected to span through 2029. The Consultant shall assist the State in developing and maintaining a project timeline and ensuring all activities meet required USDA/FNA deadlines.

Activities include but are not limited to:

1. Review and provide recommended changes and updated drafts of the SD SNAP EBT Services RFP to ensure it addresses current Federal requirements regarding SNAP EBT, including regulations, policy guidance, procedures, requirements, and provisions of the Agricultural Act of 2018 and subsequent amendments and industry technical standards, including the Quest operating rules applicable to SNAP.

• Prepare updated drafts of the RFP based on Consultant’s research, identification, and inclusion of business and technical requirements for South Dakota.
• Participate in project calls with USDA/FNS concerning the re-procurement RFP and the Advanced Planning Document (APD).
• Assist the Agency with evaluation and implementation of USDA/FNS recommendations and changes.

2. Develop and write an evaluation plan for team evaluation of the RFP responses that will include the design of pricing evaluation structure, training of evaluations, and compilation of scores for purposes of awarding the bid.

This plan shall include but not be limited to:

• Technical and cost bid evaluation criteria, scoring guidelines to enable South Dakota to select the most qualified offeror, utilizing, but not limited to, South Dakota’s statutorily required RFP evaluation criteria.
• Training materials to be used in training the evaluation team.
• Scoring documents and summary documents to assist the states in making a final determination of award.

The Consultant will provide training to the evaluation team in the use of the evaluation tools. South Dakota will work with the Consultant to arrive at cost efficiencies with respect to training for the evaluation team, which may include an on-site or virtual option. The Consultant’s preference to hold training at a single site should be reflected in the Consultant’s cost proposal.

3. Develop and submit for USDA/FNS approval the Implementation Advanced Planning Documents (IAPD) for South Dakota based on the RFP and SNAP EBT Services drafted by South Dakota and the Implementation Advanced Planning Document Update (IAPDU) as needed. All IAPDs and IAPDUs shall comply with the requirements of FNS Handbook 901, Advance Planning Documents, and all applicable federal regulations. The Contractor shall follow the most current version of FNS Handbook 901 in effect at the time of submission. Each IAPD must meet all needs of South Dakota in order to be approved by FNS prior to release of the procurement RFP.

The IAPD will include the following:

• Executive Summary
• Functional Requirements
• General System Design
• Capacity Study
• Project Management Plan and Resource Requirements
• Security Planning
• Training Plan
• Schedule of Activities, Milestones, and Deliverables
• Cost Allocation Plan
• Proposed Budget

The IAPDU is necessary if there are significant changes in funding levels, project timeline extensions, or delays (greater than 120 days), changes in procurement methodology, changes in cost allocation methodology, or chances in scope or system architecture.

4. The Consultant shall provide comprehensive test administration services to verify that the EBT system complies with all program requirements, design specifications, performance standards, usability expectations, capacity demands, and security requirements. Testing activities shall include, but are not limited to, unit testing, integration testing, performance testing, end-to-end testing, user acceptance testing, regression testing, and fail-safe testing, in accordance with the most current USDA/FNS regulations on system testing and FNS Handbook 901, Section 3.5.24 Test Plan.

The Consultant shall develop, document, and manage all testing processes and shall coordinate all testing activities with the EBT processor to ensure consistency, accuracy, and completeness.

The Consultant shall prepare a comprehensive Test Plan that addresses, at a minimum:

• The full set of testing types to be performed
• The organization of the test team, including roles and responsibilities
• Development and management of test databases
• Development of test cases and test scripts A detailed test schedule
• Acceptance testing procedures
• Defined Go/No-Go criteria
• Contingency plans to revert to the legacy system if testing delays rollout or if the new system is determined to be unusable

The Consultant shall lead System Acceptance Testing to validate that the EBT system meets State and Federal requirements. SAT must minimally address functional requirements, security, recovery, system controls, and “what-if” scenarios. The Consultant will prepare all SAT documents, scenarios, and evaluation materials, and train State staff to perform acceptance testing.

SAT responsibilities include:

• Reviewing specifications and participating in related meetings
• Providing written comments on reviews
• Training State personnel in user acceptance testing
• Attending tests and test result walk-throughs
• Reviewing interface specifications and outputs
• Evaluating overall testing completeness and results
• Participating in regression testing

The Consultant shall prepare and submit the written evaluation of test results to USDA/FNS for review and required approval.