Inland Counties Legal Services, Inc. (ICLS) is initiating this Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit
responses from vendors interested in evaluating Dissodocs, a document automation project. ICLS staff
created interviews and template court forms using Afterpattern- a no-code legal document automation
platform.
About Inland Counties Legal Services Inc. (ICLS)
Inland Counties Legal Services, Inc. is a nonprofit organization providing legal services to low-income
persons and the elderly residing in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. ICLS has been in existence
since 1958. ICLS targets services to the poor and to seniors in the greatest social or economic need.
Legal services are provided by attorneys, or paralegals under the direct supervision of an attorney.
Services include advice and counsel, limited action (including negotiation and preparation of legal
documents), as well as direct representation before administrative judges and civil courts. Legal
assistance is provided in areas including housing; family; consumer; tax and bankruptcy; public
benefits, Social Security; healthcare access; immigration, education rights and systemic impact
litigation.
ICLS is funded in part by the Legal Services Corporation (LSC). LSC is a federally funded grant making
organization that supports civil legal aid providers across the country. Its mission is to expand access to
justice by funding high-quality, free attorneys for low-income Americans in basic civil matters like
divorce, child custody, and eviction. It does not provide direct legal services itself.
- PURPOSE AND DESCRIPTION
1.1. Purpose
ICLS is initiating this Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit responses from vendors interested in
evaluating our Dissodoc project automating dissolution court forms and pleadings using
Afterpattern. ICLS staff developed applications consisting of guided interviews and
template forms. These applications are intended to be used by low income pro-se
litigants located in Riverside and San Bernardino counties, to complete their dissolution
documents. The hope is that using these applications will make the process of form
completion easier for the pro-se litigant, compared to completing the forms on their
own.
The successful vendor will assist ICLS with the evaluation of template usage, conduct
surveys, and hold focus groups of users and clients to assess the success of the project
as appropriate. The successful vendor will work with ICLS to create meaningful surveys
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of users and clients. ICLS will also participate in follow-up questioning of clients after
surveys including any focus groups the evaluator conducts. ICLS will review the
development of the evaluation with the contractor on a weekly basis during the review
period.
1.2. Goal
ICLS’s plan is to create a virtual remote office for ICLS attorneys, volunteer attorneys,
and pro se litigants that will allow for remote automated creation of both petition and
response forms and pleadings.
1.3. Product and Services Required
The PRODUCT is to meet all the mandatory requirements listed in Exhibits A and B.
1.4. Timeline for Completion: The PRODUCT is to be completed by APRIL 26, 2023.
1.5. Payment: Successful bids must be for no more than $15,000.00. Payment will be made
in three installments contingent upon completion of specific services.
1.5.1. The first installment payment will be made on or before January 31, 2023 upon
satisfactory completion of the evaluation plan.
1.5.2. The second payment will be made on or before April 7, 2023 upon the
completion of the first draft of the Evaluation.
1.5.3. The third and final payment will be made on or before April 26, 2023 upon the
satisfactory completion of the final evaluation report to be submitted to the
Access to Justice Commission. - RFP ADMINISTRATION AND INSTRUCTIONS TO VENDOR
2.1. RFP Coordinator
Upon release of this RFP, all vendor communications concerning this acquisition must be
directed to the RFP Coordinator listed below. Any oral communications will be
considered unofficial and nonbinding on ICLS. Only written statements issued by the RFP
Coordinator may be relied upon.
Tessie Cross, Deputy Director of Operations
Inland Counties Legal Services
1040 Iowa Ave., Suite 106
Riverside, CA 92405
Email: tcross@icls.org
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Telephone: 888-245-4257 ext. 4524
Direct Line: (951) 248-4524
2.2. RFP Schedule
RFP released – December 7, 2022
Responses due not later than 12 noon PST – December 23, 2022
Evaluation Period – December 28, 2022
Successful vendor announced – December 31, 2022
Contract signed and work commences – January 2, 2023
2.3. Work Schedule
Evaluation Plan Completed – January 15, 2023
Set up of control test groups – January 31, 2023
Evaluation Completed – March 30, 2023
Evaluation Report Submitted – April 28, 2023
2.4. Vendor Questions
Vendors must contact the RFP Coordinator by email at the email address listed in
Subsection 2.1 above with any questions concerning this RFP.
2.5. Response Time and Format
The proposal must be sent electronically via email in Adobe PDF format to the RFP
Coordinator designated in Section 2.1 of this RFP. The email subject should be clearly
marked Legal Aid Infrastructure & Innovation Grant
2.5.1. The vendor’s response, in its entirety, must be received by the RFP Coordinator
in Riverside, CA, in accordance with the schedule contained in Subsection 2.2
above. Late responses will not be accepted and will be automatically disqualified
from further consideration. Vendors should allow enough electronic delivery
time to ensure timely receipt of their proposals by the RFP Coordinator. Vendors
assume the risk for any email delay problems.
2.5.2. Proposals that exceed 20 pages (excluding charts and graphs) will not be
accepted. Late proposals will not be accepted and will be automatically
disqualified from further consideration.
2.6. Response Requirements and Content
Vendors must respond to each question/requirement contained in Exhibit A, Vendor
Response. In preparing their response, vendors should restate each requirement and
then give their response.
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2.7. Costs of Preparing Responses
ICLS will not pay any vendor costs associated with preparing responses submitted in
response to this RFP.
2.8. Responses Property of ICLS
All responses, accompanying documentation and other materials submitted in response
to this RFP shall become the property of ICLS and will not be returned.
2.8.1. Proprietary Information/Public Disclosure
All responses received shall remain confidential until the evaluation is completed, and
the vendor is selected and approved. Thereafter responses shall be deemed public
records.
2.9. RFP Amendments/Cancellation/Reissue/Reopen
ICLS reserves the right to change the RFP Schedule or issue amendments to this RFP at
any time. ICLS also reserves the right to cancel or reissue the RFP. All such actions will be
posted on ICLS’s website.
2.10. Minor Administrative Irregularities
ICLS reserves the right to waive minor administrative irregularities contained in any
response.
2.11. Inability to Enter Contract
ICLS reserves the right to eliminate from further consideration any vendor that ICLS,
because of legal or other considerations, is unable to contract with at the time
responses are due in accordance with the schedule contained in Subsection 2.2 above.
2.12. No Obligation to Enter a Contract
The release of this RFP does not compel ICLS to enter any contract.
2.12.1. ICLS reserves the right to refrain from contracting with any vendor that has
responded to this RFP regardless of whether the vendor’s response has been
evaluated and regardless of whether the vendor has been determined to be
qualified. Exercise of this reserved right does not affect ICLS’s right to contract
with any other vendor.
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2.12.2. ICLS reserves the right to permit an interview with any vendor and/or a
demonstration from any vendor prior to entering a contract with that vendor. If
a vendor declines the request for an interview or demonstration for any reason,
the vendor may be eliminated from further consideration.
2.13. Multiple Contracts
ICLS reserves the right to enter contracts with more than one vendor because of this
RFP.
2.14. Non-Endorsement
The selection of a vendor pursuant to this RFP does not constitute an endorsement of
the vendor’s services. The vendor agrees to make no reference to ICLS in any literature,
promotional material, brochures, sales presentations, or the like without the express
written consent of ICLS.
2.15. Contract Payment Limitations
Vendors should anticipate payment at the end rather than the beginning of the invoice
period in which they provide services or after they submit any deliverable for which a
payment is due. - RFP EVALUATION
3.1. ICLS Evaluation Team (Team) of at least two (2) people will evaluate the responses to
this RFP. The Team may also consider past contract performance and check references
beyond those listed in the vendor’s response.
3.1.1. As part of the evaluation process, at the discretion of the Team, vendors may be asked
to clarify specific points in their response. However, under no circumstances will the
vendor be allowed to make changes to the response. - POST EVALUATION
4.1.1. Notification of Selection of Successful Vendor: The successful Vendor and Vendors
whose responses have not been selected for further negotiations or award will be
notified via email on or before December 31, 2022.
4.2. Contract Award/General Terms and Conditions: ICLS Board of Directors may be
required to approve entering into a contract with the selected vendor in accordance
with ICLS’ procurement procedures. A vendor selected to provide application services
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will be expected to sign a contract with ICLS on or before December 31, 2022
4.3. Appeals: Requests to appeal the rejection of a bid must be made to the RFP
Coordinator in 2.1 above by email as soon as possible after the announcement of the
award.
4.3.1. Time is of the Essence in requesting an appeal as a contract may be signed prior to the
contract deadline in 2.2 above.
4.3.2. Compelling Business Reason: Requests for an appeal must set out a compelling
business reason why the appeal should be considered.
4.3.3. Discretionary Consideration: Appeals of bid rejections may be accepted or rejected at
the sole discretion of ICLS management.
Commented [MA1]: update
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RFP
Dissodocs (Legal Aid Infrastructure & Innovation Grant)
Project Evaluator
EXHIBIT A – VENDOR RESPONSE
Responses must contain the following information in the following format. Please number your
responses to correspond with the information requested here. - Vendor’s name, address, federal tax identification number or Social Security Number (SSN),
Uniform Business Identifier (UBI) number, and a description of the vendor’s legal status, e.g.,
corporation, sole proprietor, etc. Additionally, if applicable, address of corporate headquarters,
state of incorporation and business insurance information. - Vendor’s contact name, telephone number, fax number and email.
- A statement that guarantees that the response constitutes a firm offer valid for sixty (60) days
following receipt, and that ICLS may accept any time within the 60-day period. - A statement on whether the vendor or any employee of the vendor is related by blood or
marriage or current or former business association to an ICLS employee or resides with an ICLS
employee. If there are such relationships, list the names and relationships of said parties.
Include the position and responsibilities within the vendor’s organization of such vendor
employees. - State whether the vendor has been a party in any litigation during the past five (5) years, all
such incidents except employment related cases must be described, including the other parties’
name, address, and telephone number. Present the vendor’s position on the matter - Provide two (2) references for programs for other evaluation projects you have completed.
Provide references of customers only of similar size, scope, and service offerings. Please
include the phone number or email address of the referenced customer and contact so he/she
may be contacted. Also, provide a sample contract or service agreement. - Describe how the vendor will work with ICLS staff to evaluate the project.
- Describe in detail the project plan and timeline to evaluate this project.
- State your assurance that you can meet the schedule of work in 2.3 above and that you agree
to evaluate all templates and interviews no later than March 30, 2023.
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REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS RFP
Dissodocs (Legal Aid Infrastructure & Innovation Grant)
Project Evaluator
EXHIBIT B – Scope of Work - Evaluation Plan
The Evaluator must produce a detailed plan with scheduled milestones explaining how they will
conduct the evaluation and what input ICLS must provide. - Evaluation Content
• The evaluation should review, compare and contrast the ease of form completion
compared to user completing court forms on their own.
• The evaluation should analyze the costs and benefits of automation relative to the
ability to increase client intake, pro se assistance and representation.
• The evaluation should use surveys to analyze the user experience for San Bernardino
and Riverside based clients.
• The evaluation should use focus groups of clients to gather insightful commentary on
the client user’s experience.
• The final evaluation should cover the efficiency and effectiveness of the project’s
completion, the impact of the project on ICLS’s productivity and quality control, and the
impact of the project on the client community using meaningful metrics to show
impacts both statistically and anecdotally.
