Texas Department of Information Resources

Information Technology Assessments, Planning, Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V), and Market Research, Procurement Advisory, and Contract Implementation Services

This category includes but is not limited to:

• IT Assessments and Planning may include IT effectiveness, maturity, governance, and architecture. Strategic planning activities may include mission statement development, visioning and goals, objectives, and strategy development. Assessment of staff knowledge, skills and abilities, bandwidth, time and motion studies, and succession planning are included in this category. Strategic planning development and tactical planning may require the provisioning of actionable plans and roadmaps. Organization change management, enterprise architecture, cloud assessments, and network performance assessments are within scope as well. 
• Also included in this category are the independent verification and validation procedures that are used together for in-depth analysis of a product, service, or system for compliance with requirements as well as the independent oversight of software (or systems) development life cycle (SDLC) processes and specifications. 
• Market Research, Procurement Advisory, and Contract Implementation Services activities may include requirements gathering, facilitation activities, scoring criteria development, evaluation criteria development, negotiation guidance and assistance, and contract transition assistance.
  • Cost optimization including software license cost analysis;
  • Financial planning and pricing structures;
  • Market reviews/market research;
  • Market engagement;
  • Transition/implementation assistance; and
  • IT contract management assistance.

Note: When using Procurement Advisory Services under Texas Government Code § 2155.004, a state agency may not accept a bid or award a contract that includes proposed financial participation by a person who received compensation from the agency to participate in preparing the specifications or request for proposals on which the bid or contract is based. The selected Contract Holder and the employees of that Contract Holder who perform Procurement Advisory Services will be ineligible to respond to any resulting solicitation(s).