Approve the Letter of Engagement for Services from Business Objects for Installation, Configuration, Build and Deployment of Software Using Their Accelerator Methodology (Information and Technology Division)

To develop and implement the Merit Award Program (MAP), Florida’s state performance pay program, the District purchased software from Business Objects, a leader in Business Intelligence and Data Warehouse software solutions. The software, Data Integrator and Metadata Manager, is used specifically to integrate data from disparate software systems and manage the information, or data about that data, in order to effectively correlate the integrated data for meaningful use. The implementation of Lawson has carried the District a long way toward integration of financial and human resources data into one system. Student information however is maintained in a separate software data system than Lawson and will remain as is. The development and implementation of MAP requires the consolidation of assorted student data with assorted human resource data which is best accomplished using software like the Data Integrator and Metadata Manager. The purpose of this twenty day service engagement with Business Objects is to bring in a principal Business Objects consultant, as a subject matter expert in the Data Integrator and Metadata Manager software. The consultant will provide the software installation and configuration as well as use a Business Intelligence Solution Accelerator Methodology to help the District’s Information Services staff build and deploy the integration of student and human resource data required for the implementation of MAP. To take part in the MAP, we must have the system in place for the first merit pay date of August 31, 2007. Time is of the essence to install, configure, build and deploy the Data Integration and Metadata Manager solutions.

This recommendation meets Division Key Objective Areas of Data Accuracy and Financial Performance in support of the District Plan of Work.

Services are provided on a time and materials basis at the rate of $275 per hour. Based upon the 20 day schedule, the cost of engagement is estimated at $44,000. Travel and expenses, estimated at 15% of the engagement cost will total approximately $6,600 for a total engagement cost of about $50,600. Funding is from FY 2007 project 5002 funds.

Though a short engagement, it has very specific goals and a timeline for each phase of the methodology which Information Services Department Management will monitor closely. In addition, the Business Objects consultant will work directly with the lead programmer of the MAP project who will provide feedback daily on the progress of these services. These processes will enable us to ensure the services meet the district’s needs.