RFP #1194351 - E-Discovery Software

Background
Montgomery County, Maryland is seeking proposals for a cloud-based electronic discovery (e-discovery) Software as a Service (SaaS) solution. The Office of the County Attorney (OCA) provides legal services to various County departments and handles a significant volume of electronic data, including emails and documents, which are essential during litigation and in response to Maryland Public Information Act (MPIA) requests. Annually, OCA manages approximately 230 lawsuits and 60 MPIA requests, necessitating an effective system for managing electronically stored information (ESI).

Work Details
The selected vendor will provide a secure cloud platform that includes intuitive tools for ESI data processing, review, analysis, predictive coding, artificial intelligence, and production. The software must support multiple users simultaneously and cover the full cycle of the Electronic Discovery Reference Model (EDRM), including:

1. Identification: Locate relevant ESI within the County’s information ecosystem.
2. Preservation: Place legal holds on identified ESI to prevent alteration or deletion.
3. Collection: Collect identified ESI from various sources using appropriate methods.
4. Processing: Clean and organize collected data by removing duplicates and extracting metadata.
5. Review: Allow native file review with collaboration features for teams of reviewers.
6. Production: Deliver relevant ESI in specified formats with options for bates-stamping.
7. Presentation: Provide tools to present ESI clearly for court proceedings.

The vendor must also ensure compliance with industry standards such as SOC2 and NIST guidelines, provide training and technical support, and facilitate data migration from existing systems.

Period of Performance
The contract will begin upon signature by the Director of the Office of Procurement and will last for one year, with the option to renew four additional one-year terms based on satisfactory performance.

Place of Performance
The services will be performed in a secure cloud environment housed in the continental United States.

Bidder Requirements
Vendors must demonstrate a history of successful e-Discovery software delivery to corporate clients and public entities. They must comply with industry standards including SOC2 compliance, NIST Special Publication guidelines, HIPAA, PCI-DSS, and ensure accessibility under ADA regulations. Vendors are required to submit their Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) with their proposal.