6.2.4 Option 4 – Selecting a third-party vendor off-the-shelf product or Software as a Solution (SaaS) implementation that is specialized in the enforcement work space Option Description: This option consists of creating high-level requirements, developing and distributing a Request for Proposal (RFP) with associated evaluation criteria and rating analysis, accepting proposals from external vendors or system integrators, and selecting a third-party software solution. Once selected, the winning bidder’s solution is to be acquired and implemented to IT-enable the enforcement functions for the EI, CPP, OAS, SIN programs and associated Quality Control (QC) business functions. The implementation will also consist of developing the associated level of access, workload and case management functionality. IITB will be involved to determine the best approach establish physical IT gateways and interfaces between a COTS enforcement product and other systems within the departments (if required). In an attempt to contain costs, ISB would use the out-of-box functionalities and map/modify internal business processes to match the selected solution and then develop the necessary interfaces to other systems as required. Option Dependencies: A third-party solution that meets the Enforcement requirements, which can be acquired within an acceptable timeframe and within a reasonable implementation schedule, priority could be given to a Software as a Service (SaaS) implementation as this will shorten the overall implementation schedule. However, there are privacy and security concerns that will have to be assessed to ensure ISB could proceed with a SaaS implementation. • There will be heavy reliance on the vendor to provide configuration, build and deployment services including stabilization; and • Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) will be involved for contract award including the solution, implementation and 10 years of support. Option Assumptions: • Third-party vendors have IT capacity to provide training on how to use, develop or configure the selected application, if required; ISB will also need to provide training on our own processes independent of the actual software; • The processes for Enforcement are detailed and stable enough to facilitate the configuration of the selected solution; • The selected solution will fit within an approved Government of Canada (GoC) or ESDC systems environment; • IITB is not constrained by existing delivery commitments so as to be able to deliver interface capabilities that connect between the new solution and existing ISB systems, if required; • The out-of-box functionality meets the minimum requirements for Enforcement; • Development of new interfaces is supported by the solution, ISB will perform a technical assessment and make initial inquiries with potential vendors to determine if this is even possible; • Option to validate the product features before program-wide deployment by using a Beta test period; and • There is support to use other-than-government standard applications and no internal governance exceptions are required or triggered. Option Constraints: • The processing time and resource availability to complete the Request for Information (RFI), RFP and other procurement activities; • The selected solution may not be customizable; • ISB may need to negotiate support and design configuration with vendor; and • ISB may have to modify business processes and procedures to fit the capabilities of the solution. Feasibility: Feasible and recommended. Reasoning: Option 4 rating against the following evaluation criteria: 1. Delivery of an Enforcement solution by March 31, 2022 – the project would focus on delivering the full product suite by the due date; 2. Cost to implement, operate and retire solution – the cost to purchase a solution is expected to be lower than developing a solution; 3. Degree of and timeliness of benefits realization – the implementation of an enforcement solution by the TBS due date will support accomplishment of the outlined benefits within the required timeframe; 4. Risk associated with solution implementation and benefits realization – the purchasing on an off-the-shelf software solution will minimize the risks associated with tailoring or developing a proprietary solution; 5. Implementation considerations – purchasing a COTS application will allow ISB to purchase the appropriate servers and database to support the application with our original release, if required. If the selected software is available in a SaaS environment, we will be recommending this approach as it will minimize the purchasing of servers, etc.; 6. Organizational readiness to adopt and take full advantage of solution – the Enforcement functionality within ISB is being revised, based on the recommendations and the introduction of a new software solution will be closely tied to the revised timeframes; 7. Ability to deliver on the following requirements: audit trail, data security, compatibility with external agencies – these requirements will be used as the rating criteria during product selection and we will be selecting a product that meets most requirements; and 8. Scalability of the solution and the adaptability to add new features in the future – the CMS selected will use best practices and be most suitable for ISB case processing and integration needs that have scalability and adaptability built in.   Option Cost Identification – Estimates will be finalized with FMA guidance The following table defines the estimates costs to proceed with this option. Major Cost Item Lifecycle Type – Goods, services or salary Estimated Value Assumptions Third-Party Costs Third-party software and Services Services TBD New product procurement. Project Costs for ISB staff and consulting to support business initiatives Planning, Implementation, Testing, Training and closure Salary and Services TBD Project Costs for IITB staff and consulting for system configuration Planning, Development, Testing, Implementation Salary and Services TBD Training of user community Implementation Services $0 Total Cost TBD Option Cost Summary The option cost summary takes the implementation and annual operating costs and divides them by the number of years that the solution will be in use to get an Average Annual Lifecycle costs. Cost Category Cost ($) Cost Assumptions Implementation Cost (IC) TBD Assumptions for Implementation, based on information in previous table Annual Operating Cost (AOC) TBD Assumptions based on taking the ongoing costs for Option3 and using the same figure for Annual Operating Cost Decommissioning Cost (DC) N/A Assumptions for Decommissioning Cost Total Lifecycle Cost (TLC) TBD Assumptions for Total Lifecycle Cost based on Implementation cost + yearly operating costs over the 10-year life span – will be adjusted once FMA approved costing received Average Annual Lifecycle Costs (AALC) TBD Assumption for Average Lifecycle Cost, based on a 10-year life span of the new solution – will be adjusted once FMA approved costing received. Benefits Analysis This area will be completed once the FMA provides us the cost workbook for both ISB and IITB. Preliminary Risk Identification The following preliminary risks have been identified for this option: Source of Risk Risk Definition / Context Internal – Business Requirements Validating existing requirements in the system to identify whether they apply to the COTS application may be more complex than anticipated. Internal – Data migration For transition, migration of existing legacy data including case status may be more complex than anticipated, or not possible Internal – Impact on Business (change management) Implementing a new system will change existing operational processes and embedded culture and may disrupt established networks for staff. External – Interconnectivity Program management between the TMB, BISB and the project-sponsoring branch must align to ensure interconnectivity between ongoing projects is in place. External – Interoperability The capabilities to link to other datasets, systems and their existing state may cause some dis-benefits or require major workarounds for business operations. External – Stakeholder Engagement Adopting an agile approach to support optimal documentation requires continued stakeholder involvement and is depending on evolving priorities. There will be certain legal standards and requirements as well regarding how the application is used and data is captured and shared. Implementation and Capacity Considerations Stakeholder Impacts: 1. ESDC and ISB will receive a positive impact from the costs savings for implementation of new systems and increased efficiency in the handling of enforcement cases within the affected programs; 2. Canadian citizens will experience increased fairness due to the added investigational coverage and consistent delivery processes; 3. ESDC personnel – Regional Integrity Operations will have a consistency in the delivery of modern services and processes; 4. ESDC Personnel will be using an application that provides the following software product qualities – Functional Suitability, Reliability, Performance efficiency, Operability, Security, Compatibility, Maintainability and Portability; 5. Benefit Delivery Service Branch will be impacted by the reliability of data provided by the case management Application and the improved service access; and 6. External LE Agencies and PPSC will be impacted by the consistent service and cases provided by ESDC. Project Management Capacity: Over the last fiscal year, ISB has created a PDO to centralize the function and to help increase its overall maturity level in PM. Specifically, for this project, ISB has assigned a Project Manager, two Deputy Project Managers, change management and business analysis staff to this effort. Between them, the project will have over thirty years of project experience and more than ten years of ISB experience. The project will be tracked using the ESDC PM framework, with the associated support from ESDC’s EPMO. ESDC executives will be kept informed of the project progress by monthly dashboard reporting and the necessary project-gating process. The third-party vendor will provide his own internal PM staff to ensure that the implementation is delivered when required by ESDC. ESDC PM will establish ongoing project update meetings with the third-party vendor that will allow for the sharing of status information and ongoing project discussions. Based on the implementation and capacity listed above, the ability to implement the option is rated as High. Organizational Readiness Analysis The following concerns have been identified regarding ISB’s readiness to adopt and take full advantage of this solution option: Organizational Readiness Considerations 1. ISB is currently executing an initiative to define the business model to process Enforcement cases; 2. Involvement from the ISB regional community, with the ongoing enforcement project, has been at the levels and effort that ISB requires to complete the work. Regional and NHQ staff have bought into the proposed changes to support the new Enforcement model and ISB expects this level of commitment to continue; 3. Within the ISB department, this project and associated Enforcement Maturity Model work, has a high priority and staff are available as required and sufficient funding is in place to support both efforts; and 4. The ISB team has a dedicated Change Management group who will ensure that the end-user community will be informed of the proposed changes and will have the necessary training to support the system moving forward. Based on the organizational readiness considerations above, the organizational readiness to adopt this option is rated as high.