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Request for ProposalCarlton Trail CollegeWebsiteIssue Date:JUNE 8, 2022Submission Information:Submissions are required on or before JULY 20, 2022 by 4:00 PM (CST)Carlton Trail CollegePO Box 720611 17th StreetHumboldt, SK S0K 2A0CanadaSubmit inquiries to:Jennifer BrooksDevelopment and Communications DirectorCarlton Trail College(306) 682-6851brooksj@carltontrailcollege.com

1.Carlton Trail College OverviewEstablished in 1973, Carlton Trail College serves east-central Saskatchewan as a leader in adulteducation and workforce training services. As one of seven regional colleges charged withproviding access to post-secondary education and training in rural, small urban and northerncommunities within the province, Carlton Trail College’s mission is to serve learners, business,industry and communities by offering lifelong learning, industry and career trainingopportunities. It does this with a focus on trades training, Adult Basic Education, EnglishLanguage Training and industry-focused skills offerings.Programming is offered at key regional learning locations in Humboldt, Watrous, Wynyardand Punnichy. Engagement with key partners also permits the College to offer selectprogramming in other communities/locations, as needed. Appendix A illustrates the College’sgeographic region or find it on our website at www.carltontrailcollege.com/about-us/ourregion.2. Carlton Trail College Organizational StructureCarlton Trail College is governed by a six-person, appointed Board of Directors. Individuals areselected from within Carlton Trail College’s geographic region and are appointed by theMinister of Advanced Education for a pre-determined governance term. The College is led bya President & CEO, as well as an executive leadership team.The College’s annual approximate 80-100 employee contingent provide an array of servicesincluding educational administration, academic program development, support andinstruction, industry training as well as outreach and recruitment activities. As the Collegeresponds to the evolving needs of students in virtual, face-to-face and blended instructionalenvironments, the organizational structure adapts to reflect changing roles andresponsibilities.Appendix B illustrates the College’s current organizational structure. Please refer to theattached document or find it on our website at onal-chart.3. Project Background & ObjectivesCarlton Trail College’s website is a key communication and business tool that is in need ofredevelopment and upgrading. A summary of the site is provided below.Carlton Trail College www.carltontrailcollege.comThe College’s current website was launched in 2016. The content is maintained in-house bystaff with maintenance and/or technical support provided as needed. Hosting services areprovided via Linux VPS Hosting. The website is Java-based, built with the OASIS ContentManagement System, using a MySQL database.Carlton Trail College - Website RFP8 June 20221

The key users of the website include the College’s students, staff, prospective students, Boardmembers, program partners, newcomers, donors as well as professional colleagues, agenciesand Ministries connected to the post-secondary education system in Saskatchewan. Theseaudiences require a diverse range of information.Aspects that are working well on the College’s current website include: Institutional branding that provides a consistent look/feel;Integrated online payment processes;Text/image/video embedding;Availability of detailed information regarding programs, services and key information.Some of the concerns with the College’s current website include: Information is not always easy to find due a navigation system that is overwhelmingto users;Split search functions that are often confusing to users;The content management system can be challenging to users;The course catalog database can be challenging to staff who assist with program andcourse management;The design is tired-looking and text-heavy;It is not fully optimized for use with mobile devices.The redevelopment of the website needs to consider: Assurance that the new website is responsively designed, with the ability to beviewed appropriately on mobile devices as well as on a variety of browsers.Reorganization of information to ensure that the website is clearly organized andeasy to navigate. Information should be more user-centered/task-based/servicefocused. Clean, streamlined navigation is critical. A reduction of pages is expected.Ease of site management and maintenance for multiple web editors. This includeshaving a “central repository of information,” so when key information is edited, itupdates across the website. Authoring permissions will vary.Search optimization to make it simple for users to find content when they search onthe site/Internet for what they need.Alignment and/or integration with critical functions such as: online payment application and/or registration* Learning Management System donor giving platformAbility to easily and quickly add an alert and/or notification to all pages.Option(s) to cleanly print information from a webpage.Connections to social media channels and digital marketing activities.Alignment with Canada’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.Quick download speeds.Cybersecurity/data security considerations regarding protocols, tasks and/orcontrols to be performed or monitored.Carlton Trail College - Website RFP8 June 20222

A functional and aesthetically pleasing design that incorporates the College’s visualidentity through engaging imagery and adherence to brand guidelines. Scalable architecture for ease of growth, maintenance and incremental changes overtime.*It is important to note that Carlton Trail College is currently participating in an EnterpriseResource Planning (ERP) and new Student Information System (SIS) initiative with seven otherregional Colleges across Saskatchewan. As this initiative progresses, there may be requiredintegrations, such as for a renewed registration system, that may need to occur. Work willadvance on both projects concurrently, and relevant information about the ERP-SIS initiativewill be communicated to the successful website project vendor, as needed.Overall, the College seeks to create a dynamic website that: is designed and organized in a manner that allows users to easily find and accessinformation;is easy for non-expert internal users to manage content;leads with responsive design considerations;integrates key functionalities such as online applications/registrations and payments,providing a seamless digital experience for all users;includes the ability to export program and course information;integrates cybersecurity/data security features;is visually attractive and aligned with branding guidelines;is scalable to incorporate future changes or developments.It is expected that this project will require reworking of content and site architecture, as wellas require changes to internal College procedures. Content redevelopment and relatedinstitutional process changes will be led by College representatives.Please note Carlton Trail College does not employ an internal webmaster. Primarydependence on a vendor for general site management will not be acceptable.4. Project Scope of Work & DeliverablesCarlton Trail College is requesting interested parties to submit a proposal to develop aninstitutional website.This RFP is for the website design, set-up, implementation as well as initial training servicesfor staff. The project costing should reflect these core functions.Responses can include hosting services. Website hosting services must be located in Canada.Please provide the costs for this separately.The successful Respondent should also provide options for the kinds of support that could beprovided in terms of a continuous maintenance relationship and what costs might beassociated with such. Please provide the costs for this separately.Carlton Trail College - Website RFP8 June 20223

Carlton Trail College is open to ideas that a Respondent feels would improve the website andoverall user experience. Final navigational structure, content and design will be decided inconsultation with the successful Respondent.The College’s website is to be friendly, professional and engaging in appearance, uniformlyrepresenting the College as an educational and training ‘institution of choice’ to a range ofusers.Respondents should organize their proposal into four main areas for consideration as theywill be expected to deliver the following:a) Design Redesign of the College’s website including theme creation, consistency ofwebsite look/feel, and straight-forward navigational options. The provision of at least two proposed design mock-ups for review by theinstitution, which may include sample page designs for the following:Homepage; Programs; Future Students; Student Services; About CTCb) Content Management System Provision of a comprehensive content management solution, avoidingproprietary, limited release solutions. Ease of content creation and straight-forward administration navigation andflexible editing tools. Ability for user accounts with multiple levels of security for multiple usertransactions and/or password management. Search engine capabilities for each page as well as ease of submission of sitesto search providers for indexing. Secure online payment integration with existing vendor. Standard contact forms and/or forms integration. A seamless application and/or registration function. Integration with analytics/reporting functionalities. Other platform and/or system integration(s) which may be required.c) Website Production and Usability Testing The Respondent will provide a fully operational and working website. Content migration, if applicable. Web hosting options, if applicable. Must display appropriately in a variety of browsers and adhere to mobiledevice responsiveness standards. Provision of appropriate cyber security/data security measures. Assistance in addressing any URL changes and/or URL naming conventions. Usability testing and functionality review, with anticipated refinements to bemade, as needed. Be designed for potential integration of features in the future.Carlton Trail College - Website RFP8 June 20224

d) Training The provision of initial training on the use of the content management systemfor applicable staff. Creation of website guidebook.Considerations for compatibility with additional accessibility tools for disabled or newcomerpopulations, such as screen readers or language translation tools, may be noted but shouldnot supersede the project’s primary objectives.Carlton Trail College will provide content to the developer, including existing content files,PDFs, graphics, branding guidelines, copy, and any other source files or information asneeded. Once the project is completed, the website design, and all of its contents become theproperty of Carlton Trail College.5. Project Timeline & Schedule of EventsThe anticipated timeline for this project is approximately 12-18 months, with the successfulRespondent working with appropriate designates from Carlton Trail College to create the finalproduct.The Respondent will be required to adhere to the following project timelines:RFP Release Date8 June 2022RFP Submission Deadline20 July 2022Selection of Firm &Commencement of Services31 August 2022Website Live/Soft-launchAugust/September 2023Presentation to Institutional Representatives &Training CompletedOctober/November 2023Final Project Sign-off andReceipt of Invoicing DeadlineDecember 2023Specific project timelines will be determined further with the successful Respondent.Carlton Trail College reserves the right to modify this schedule as circumstances may warrant.Carlton Trail College - Website RFP8 June 20225