SOW-Legacy Systems Operational and Transitional Support - Novalink Solutions LLC

Project Overview: The State of Mississippi, Department of Human Services (MDHS), has planned an initiative to

modernize the legacy Information Systems that support its Human Services programmatic areas. Onboarding the

Design, Development and Implementation (DDI) vendor for the planned system modernization project has been

delayed by multiple factors. As a result, The Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) must continue

maintaining and supporting the current legacy systems and applications for an indefinite period while preparing these

aged systems for the planned transition to a modernized enterprise platform solution.

MDHS is seeking a qualified vendor project team to support and maintain its Human Services legacy eligibility systems in

preparation for modernization. The vendor team will play a crucial role in maintaining and supporting the existing

legacy information systems, their subsystems, and the technical infrastructure that facilitates the Supplemental

Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Child Support Enforcement

(CSE), and Childcare (CC) programmatic areas. The ideal vendor must possess a robust track record of delivering both

technical and business resources with proven experience in managing state human services legacy systems.

In addition to supporting the current legacy systems, the selected vendor must have technical acumen to assist in the

transition to the new, modernized eligibility systems. This includes providing technical expertise for the smooth

migration of data and services, ensuring minimal disruption to the existing programs and their beneficiaries. Vendor

expertise will ensure that the current systems remain fully operational, effective, and in productive use during a federal

funding partner pilot while transitioning to the modernized solution. The vendor must also support the eventual

decommissioning of the legacy systems, ensuring that all aspects of the transition are managed efficiently and

effectively.

By partnering with a vendor that can deliver comprehensive support and technical proficiency, MDHS aims to achieve

seamless operations and modernization process, ultimately enhancing its ability to serve at risk Mississippians with

needed services.

Required Experience

The vendor must demonstrate that all project team members have the necessary experience required to complete

the services requested in this solicitation. In addition to the required experience for each position, the vendor

must:

• Identify the primary key staff of who will be responsible for the execution of the various aspects of the project.

• Vendor staff must have a minimum of ten (10) years’ experience in working on large-scale multi-year SNAP,

TANF, and Child Support programmatic and technology initiatives.

• Vendor staff should possess active agile certifications as Scrum Master, Product Owner, and Lean Portfolio

Manager issued by a recognized agile certification provider (Scaled Agile Framework, Disciplined Agile, etc.)

• Vendor staff must have a minimum of seven (7) years’ experience with state eligibility systems, polices,

practices, technologies, and standard operating procedures (SOP).

• Vendor staff should possess a working knowledge of Federal Funding Partner requirements regarding

administration of the SNAP, Child Support, TANF, and Childcare Program and approvals required related to

eligibility system replacements.

• Working knowledge of MDHS Legacy Systems supporting SNAP, TANF, Child Support and Childcare program

areas.

• Strong knowledge of MDHS Application Lifecycle Management Processes (SDLC).

• Experience working within an Agile Team Environment.

Experience with effectively communicating with departmental program managers and executives.

• The proposed vendor must demonstrate that the proposed staff has the necessary skills and experience listed

in this solicitation and clearly identify the primary staff who will be responsible for the execution of the various

aspects of the assigned engagements.

• The proposer must provide a summary of qualifications, years of experience, and length of employment with

your company and provide contact information for three references who would be willing to verify

qualifications, experience, and performance.

• Describe team member roles, functional responsibilities, and experience with projects similar in size and scope

to the services required by this solicitation.

• For each proposed team member, provide a summary of qualifications, years of experience and length of

employment with your company.

• Vendor must ensure that each team member assigned to this project can communicate clearly in the

English language both verbally and in written form

Scope of Work & Deliverables

The Statement of Work (SOW) for this project defines the essential tasks, responsibilities, and deliverables required

from the selected vendor to support the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) in its legacy systems

support and transition initiative. This section specifies the objectives of the project, including the maintenance and

enhancement of current systems, the development and implementation of CI/CD strategies, and the preparation for a

smooth transition to modernized solutions. The vendor is expected to provide comprehensive solutions, deliver high-

quality outcomes, and adhere to project timelines and milestones to ensure the successful execution of the

modernization roadmap and the continued effectiveness of MDHS’ programs.

Project Manager

1.1.1 Description of Duties

The Project Manager will be responsible for overseeing the support and transition efforts for MDHS’s legacy systems.

The duties include managing the team’s performance to ensure the legacy systems remain fully operational and

effective throughout the transition to the new, modernized solutions. This includes, but is not limited to, coordinating

the maintenance of existing systems, ensuring that technical and business resources are effectively utilized, and

supporting the migration of data and services to minimize disruptions to the programs and their beneficiaries. The

Project Manager will oversee the team’s planning, operation, and the ultimate decommissioning of the legacy

systems, ensuring that all aspects of the transition are handled efficiently and in alignment with the MDHS

modernization roadmap. The project manager will work closely with the state PMO, Design-Development-

Implementation (DDI) team, and MIS teams to manage timelines, address issues, and facilitate communication among

stakeholders to achieve seamless operations support of the MDHS Legacy Systems.

2 Required Skills and Experience:

• Vendor’s project manager must have a minimum of ten (10) years’ experience leading successful large and complex,

multi-year Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance to Need Family (TANF), and

Child Support, and Childcare programmatic and technology support and modernization initiatives.

• The vendor must have a minimum of ten (10) years’ experience providing project management experience within

State Health and Human Service Agencies.

• The vendor’s assigned project manager must have an active Project Manager Certification issued by the Project

Management Institute (PMI) and be familiar with a value-based delivery system as outlined in the current PMBOK

7th edition.

• Strong knowledge of Application Lifecycle Management processes such as Agile, Kanban, and Scrum for Government

and project management tools such as JIRA/JAMA.

• Experience working within a Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) Agile environment.

• Experience effectively communicating with departmental program managers and executives.

• Experience championing Agile and SAFe principles to various types of stakeholders, including department leaders

and executives.

• A vendor’s assigned program manager must have a minimum of ten (10) years’ experience with federal eligibility

standards, cost allocation models, project budgeting, and cost projections.

• Vendor must demonstrate the necessary skills and experience listed above for the execution of the various aspects

of the assigned engagements.

Required Skills and Experience

• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience as a Linux Administrator.

• Experience with configuration management tools (e.g., Ansible, etc.).

• Experience with version control systems (e.g., Git).

• Hands-on experience with server hardware and software troubleshooting.

• Experience in managing web servers and databases.

• Familiarity with cloud services.

• Knowledge of security best practices and compliance.

• Experience with automation and DevOps practices.

Skill Required / Desired Amount of Experience Proven work experience with enterprise data governance Required 3 Years Proven work experience with the OneTrust platform (Data Mapping, Data Discovery, Data Catalog, Assessments) Required 2 Years Proven work experience creating documentation for internal and external audiences, technical and business audiences Required 3 Years Proven work experience supporting the creation and presentation of knowledge and training Required 3 Years