Specifications include, but are not limited to: A. Implementation Services: The Contractor will be required to provide initial implementation services upon award of the contract with contributions going to the new contractor on the targeted implementation date of January 1, 2025. The Contractor must provide all requested advice and counsel to the County during the period before the contract effective date. The Contractor must also prepare a detailed implementation plan outlining all the steps necessary to securely set up member data records, create secure interfaces with the County and establish secure enrollment and reconciliation procedures for data and trust/custody/investment accounts. Up to 45 days before the implementation date, the customer service telephone line that the contractor will provide must be staffed with a sufficient number of qualified customer service representatives to answer participant questions about the change in contractors. Within one (1) month of the Contract Effective Date, the Contractor will produce and publish a comprehensive administrative manual that includes the administrative rules established by virtue of the operation of this Contract, as well as all legal and tax requirements. The Contractor will continually review this manual and update it as necessary throughout the Term of this Contract. All changes must be submitted to the County for its review and approval. B. Education and Enrollment: The County requires a complete level of education services to employees, including individual meetings with employees when and where appropriate. The County expects the Contractor to conduct enough group meetings annually so that all employees at the different locations will have an opportunity to learn about the Plan. The meetings should be held at different locations and at different times of the day to ensure that all interested employees are able to attend. The County has employees that work in all shifts of the day. The Contractor will be required to provide an opportunity for participants to easily enroll electronically and coordinate the onset of salary deferrals with the County. The Contractor must also be staffed to be able to provide enrollment counseling to employees who wish to discuss Plan participation in person or over the telephone. The County anticipates that approximately 26 education days (either group or individual meetings) will be needed annually to maintain the current level of educational and enrollment meetings. The current meetings include twice monthly one-on-one meeting days, semi-annual new hire orientation sessions at the police and fire academies, semiannual attendance at retirement readiness seminars, and other group and individual meetings as needed. The Contractor will be required to prepare an annual education plan. This plan should detail the approach that the Contractor will take in communicating the program to employees. This should also include the Contractor's plan for contacting existing participants, by mail, via virtual meeting or in person, to periodically re-evaluate their deferred compensation plan participation and review whether changes should be made. The Contractor will also be required to provide an annual education report to the County. The Contractor will also need to report quarterly on the status of the Plan. This report shall include current data on the Plan and participation levels, as well as the status and resolution of any participant problems and developments in the delivery of 457 plan services. Email addresses will be provided for active employees on the census files; however, employees should have the option to opt out of e-delivery for participant statements and other materials in favor or receiving a hard copy.
