ITS87 IT Staff Augmentation: This is a Statewide Contract (SWC) for Eligible Entities who need to procure specific labor skills on a temporary basis to supplement their existing information technology staff. This contract replaces ITS77, which remains live until June 30th, 2026.

ITS87 has two Categories. Category 1 is a “Full Service” Category, under which vendors will recruit candidates and submit resumes in response to Eligible Entity postings on COMMBUYS. Category 2 is “Lower Overhead”, under which vendors will supply temporary staff that have already been recruited by an Eligible Entity.

For the Master Contract Record, refer to the ITS87 Master Contract Record.

Note: This contract may be used to procure the goods or services described in this user guide at any dollar amount. Any limitations, including for procurements involving construction, are outlined in this Contract User Guide.

Benefits and Cost Savings

Statewide Contracts are an easy way to obtain benefits for your organization by: 

• Leveraging the Commonwealth’s buying power
• Simplifying the solicitation process
• Providing contracting expertise
• Enhancing vendor relationships through proactive management and oversight
• Offering competitive pricing
• Offering Prompt Payment Discounts (PPD), which is a percentage discount given to the buyer if the invoice is paid within a specified time, in accordance with the Commonwealth’s Bill Paying Policy

• The ability to convert Resources to Commonwealth W-2 employees after a defined period with no fee

This contract includes 2 categories of IT Staff Augmentation, listed as follows:

• Category 1: Full Service Placement
• Category 2a: Lower Overhead, where the vendor is the temporary staff’s employer
• Category 2b: Lower Overhead, where the vendor subcontracts with the temporary staff’s employer
  

Please refer to the following list of products and services not available for purchase:

• Temporary staff outside of Information Technology. Please see PRF85 Enterprise Temporary Help Services for non-IT Temporary Staffing services
  

The following is a complete list of the types of organizations generally allowed to use the Operational Service Division’s (OSD's) Statewide Contracts (SWCs). Some SWCs may be open to additional organizations, and some are more restricted in usage.

• Cities, towns, districts, counties, and other political subdivisions
• Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Branches, including all departments and elected offices therein
• Independent public authorities, commissions, and quasi-public agencies
• Local public libraries, public school districts, and charter schools
• Public hospitals owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
• Public institutions of higher education
• Public purchasing cooperatives
• Non-profit, UFR-certified organizations that are doing business with the Commonwealth
• Other states and territories and their cities, towns, districts, counties, other political subdivisions, and public institutions of higher education without prior approval from the State Purchasing Agent 
• Other entities when designated in writing by the State Purchasing Agent
  

Note: The price files and vendor catalogs are accessible through public view in COMMBUYS; therefore, buyers may access the price files and vendor catalogs without signing into a COMMBUYS account.

A “Rate Card”, updated periodically, determines the maximum rates which Vendors can charge for specified job titles. Rate Card 8 was published with the ITS87 bid, and is attached to the Master Contract Record.

If an Agency does not receive satisfactory resumes using the Maximum Rate Card rates and wishes to post at a higher rate, they may petition the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security for a variance from the rate card. The decision is made by the Commonwealth’s Chief Information Officer or designee. Waiver requests can be submitted to MaryBeth Martinez.

Category 1 Pricing

• Bill Rate: The Bill Rate is the rate the vendor charges the Eligible Entity. The Bill Rate is subject to negotiation between the Eligible Entity and the ITS87 vendor. The negotiated bill rate will be included in the Statement of Work (SOW).
• Pay Rate: The Pay Rate is the direct pay the resource receives, whether paid by the vendor or the vendor’s subcontractor.
• Differential: The differential is the percentage (%) difference between the Bill Rate and the resource’s Pay Rate. The differential may not exceed 40% without prior written approval from the Eligible Entity. Each resume submission should include the bill rate, pay rate and percentage (%) differential.

There are three steps for obtaining IT Resources under Category 1, Full Service, explained in more detail under Posting the Job and Choosing a Resource:

1. Post the position on COMMBUYS and select a candidate from the resumes received. COMMBUYS posting is required for all positions to be filled under this contract except for non-Executive agencies who do not use COMMBUYS. Non-COMMBUYS users may solicit resumes via email (see the Vendor Spreadsheet Listing, found on the Master Contract Record), and should request resumes from all Category 1 vendors.
2. Notify the Vendors that a candidate has been selected and sign an agreement with the selected Vendor.
3. “On-board” the Resource (obtain required forms before the Resource can start work).
   

Category 2a and 2b Pricing

The “bill rate” (what your Agency pays the ITS87 Vendor) for Category 2a is equal to the Resource’s “pay rate” plus the ITS87 Vendor’s charges.  For Category 2b, the bill rate is the rate paid by the ITS87 vendor to the Resource’s employer, plus the ITS87 vendor’s charges (under Category 2b, you won’t necessarily know the Resource’s ultimate pay rate, because the ITS87 vendor is subcontracting with the Resource’s employer).

For Category 2, the vendor may not impose any additional charges, such as a “management fee,” to their markup.

The usual practice is to negotiate a rate with the Resource and allow the Resource to choose the ITS87 Vendor they will work with, because the ITS87 Vendors’ practices differ (payment scheduling, insurance provisions, etc.).  You can do this in one of two ways:

1. Negotiate a “pay rate” with the Resource
   In this case, the bill rate to your Agency may be different depending on which ITS87 Vendor your Resource selects.  Therefore, you must be sure that if your Resource chooses the ITS87 vendor with the highest markup, the rate your Agency pays will be a) under the Rate Card maximum and b) within your budget. (Remember that for Category 2b, this is the pay rate to your Resource’s employer.)
                                                                                                                    OR
2. Negotiate a  “bill rate” with the Resource
   This is the amount your Agency will pay regardless of which ITS87 vendor the Resource chooses.  The Resource will have a higher pay rate if they choose the ITS87 vendor with the lowest markup.
   

    

Pay Rate and Bill Rate Calculations for Categories 2a and 2b

Please see the Vendor List and Information table or the Vendor Listing Spreadsheet published on the Master Contract Record for a list of maximum markups for each Category 2a and 2b vendor.

A spreadsheet is posted to the Master Contract Record that can calculate Bill Rate and Pay Rate for Categories 2a and 2b.

Note: Links to all the vendors’ Master Blanket Purchase Orders (MBPOs), where product pricing may be found, are provided in the Vendor List and Information.

Category 1

Buyers must solicit quotes when using ITS87 Category 1. The ITS87 Category 1 Solicitation Enabled MBPO allows users to easily request quotes from all Category 1 vendors on ITS87.

Posting the Job and Choosing a Resource (Category 1 Only)

All of the documents referenced below can be found on the Master Contract Record.

• Select a job title from the Rate Card attached to the contract on COMMBUYS. If you cannot find a job title that is an exact match with your requirements, choose the closest match and add additional qualifications (i.e., years of experience with specific tools) to the Job Specification Template.
• Review and complete the Job Specification Template.

There are several decisions you will need to make when completing it – for example, whether face-to-face interviews are needed, and whether you wish to be able to select a candidate before the deadline for resume submission. The Template also provides a place to include three specific questions for the Vendors to answer regarding each Candidate, which you must customize for each posting. The purpose of the questions is both to facilitate resume review and to establish that the candidate's resume was actually reviewed by someone to determine how well the Candidate matched your job specifications.

Although use of this Template is not mandatory, it was designed by representatives of the Commonwealth Departments who use the contract most frequently, and it is strongly recommended for use in conjunction with the Candidate Bid Sheet Submission Form described below.

• Review and complete the Candidate Bid Sheet Submission Form. 
  This form is optional. It includes information such as the actual Resource pay rate, the Resource's past experience with the Commonwealth, and the answers to the questions described in item 2, above (these questions must match the questions that you have customized in the Job Specification Template).
• Tips to keep in mind
  • Choose a candidate as quickly as possible. Candidates with skills that are in high demand historically remain available for a short time.
  • Check for duplicate resumes submitted by different vendors. General guidance is that if, at the time candidates have been selected for interviews, resumes for the same candidate have been submitted by multiple vendors:
    • The ITS87 vendor who submitted the lowest Bill Rate will be contacted to arrange the interview.
    • If bill rates are the same for all ITS87 vendors who submitted the same candidate, the ITS87 vendor who submitted the highest Candidate Pay Rate will be contacted to arrange the interview.
    • If the Bill Rate and Candidate Pay Rate are the same for all ITS87 vendors who submitted the same candidate, the ITS87 vendor whose submission was received earliest by the Contracting Department will be contacted to arrange the interview.
    • If the Contracting Department selects the candidate for the position, the ITS87 vendor who was contacted by the Contracting Department to arrange the interview will be awarded the contract.
    • Whether or not your Department chooses to follow the above process, it is a good practice to determine in advance how duplicate resumes for the same candidate will be handled. This cannot be prevented and there should be a process in place so that it does not slow down the candidate selection process.
  • “Tell your story” in describing the job requirements. Recruiters may attract better candidates if a project sounds interesting or uses cutting edge technology.
  • When posting a position that is “hard to fill,” or has unusual requirements, it is helpful to offer a question/answer period in a format where answers can easily be shared with all Vendors, such as a short teleconference for the purpose of answering bidder questions more interactively.
  • Indicate how long the job is expected to last. If you post a job for three months (for example, based on funding or the end of the fiscal year), but expect it to continue for the duration of a project, mention the possibility of a more extended engagement, which is potentially attractive both to potential candidates and vendor recruiting staff.
  • The Candidate Bid Sheet Submission Form requires that vendors indicate, for each candidate, whether the Resource is presently working for a Commonwealth Agency or has done so during the past year. You may contact the Commonwealth Agency for a reference.

Notify Vendors and Sign an Agreement

• Notify the vendor whose candidate you have selected
• Notify all other vendors that their candidate was not selected
• Sign an agreement with the selected Vendor. A Statement of Work (SOW) template is posted on COMMBUYS ("Agency Attachments" section). You may use your own Agency’s agreement but be sure to cover all elements of the SOW template.
• Encumber funds in MOSAIC, or the financial system your Agency uses, prior to the start date.

On Board the Resource

• H1-B Visa Resources: The Department of Labor requires (20 CFR 655.734) the filing of a labor condition application (LCA) and a posting of a notice of the LCA filing for Resources with H1-B visas. The requirement can be met by Commonwealth Agencies by posting a copy of the notice, which the ITS87 Vendor will supply, at the Resource’s work site, in two conspicuous locations, for a period of ten days.
• Representations by Resources Form: This form, found on the Master Contract Record, must be signed by all Resources on or before their first day of work.
• ITS87 Employee Certification Form: The Resource must bring this form (found on the Master Contract Record) to work on his/her first day (if not submitted previously). The form must be kept in the procurement file. A copy of the form is located in the Agency Attachments section of the contract on COMMBUYS.

The “Resource Employer” will be the same as the ITS87 Vendor for Category 2a but will be a different company for Category 2b. Review the form to ensure that the Resource is eligible to provide services under ITS87. The form indicates how questions must be answered for a Resource to be eligible.

Category 2a and 2b

See Category 2A and 2B Pricing regarding how the vendor will be chosen and the Bill Rate will be established.

Additional Caveats and Benefits

• Category 1 Vendors (but not Category 2) must absorb the cost of background checks (if requested by your Agency), even if your Agency has special requirements (i.e., a child care agency may have specific requirements pertaining to child abuse or neglect). Background checks may include but are not limited to Massachusetts Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) checks.
• Under Category 2, If your agency requires a specific background check that has a cost associated with it, be sure to notify the vendor in advance if the Resource will be required to pay.
• If the Vendor is not the Resource’s direct employer, you have the right to request and receive a copy of the subcontract.
• Do not provide advance notice of postings before they are posted on COMMBUYS. All Vendors should have an equal opportunity to respond to a posting.
  

Services will be obtained on a time and materials basis only. Travel may be paid only with prior written consent by the Eligible Entity.

This contract provides for the following methods of purchase:

• Quote Solicitation: Buyers may solicit quotes from multiple vendors on Category 1 (refer to the Vendor List and Information for a list of eligible vendors), award vendors, and place orders through COMMBUYS. A solicitation-enabled contract allows the buyer to solicit quotes from vendors who have Master Blanket Purchase Orders (MBPOs) or Statewide Contracts in COMMBUYS. Please see the ITS87 Category 1 Solicitation Enabled MBPO. The buyers may create a solicitation-enabled bid using a release requisition, converting the requisition to a bid, and then requesting quotes from eligible vendors.

Refer to the How to Request Quotes from Vendors on Statewide Contracts job aid for more details.

Please see Pricing Options for a detailed description of the purchase process for each category.

Performance and Payment That Goes Beyond Contract End Date

The extend beyond period is in place to allow performance and payment obligations under a contract to continue after the contract term has ended. This period is primarily used to aid the transition between an expiring contract and its replacement and to ensure the continuity in service delivery.

For extend beyond, the following stipulations are in place:

• Buyers may not enter into a written agreement that will go more than twelve (12) months beyond the maximum end date of the contract. Existing services may be completed and payments made during this period.
• No new agreements, including leases, rentals, or service contracts, may be made after the contract's expiration.
• Agreements established prior to the Master Agreement expiration may allow performance and payment obligations to continue until the maximum Extend Beyond date.
  

COMMBUYS is the Commonwealth of Massachusetts' e-procurement platform, serving as a central marketplace for state agencies and other Eligible Entities to procure goods and services, connecting government buyers and businesses. It aims to streamline the purchasing process, ensuring transparency and efficiency in the procurement process.

For Executive Agencies, COMMBUYS is required. Per 801 CMR 21.00, Executive Agencies must use established Statewide Contracts (SWCs) for the purchase of products and services. To set up a COMMBUYS buyer account or to update an existing agency account, the buyers must contact the COMMBUYS Help Desk at: 888-627-8283 or OSDhelpdesk@mass.gov.

While COMMBUYS use is not mandated for Non-Executive Agencies and other Eligible Entities, it is highly recommended to streamline the procurement process and assist buyers in making informed purchasing choices. Eligible entities should follow their internal guidelines for COMMBUYS use.

Buyers can view contract documents on COMMBUYS without requiring a COMMBUYS account or logging in.  
To find contract documents in COMMBUYS, follow these steps:

1. On the COMMBUYS home page, enter ITS87 in the search tool and select Blankets from the drop-down list.
2. Select the Search icon. The related Master Blanket Purchase Orders (MBPOs) information opens in a table format. 
3. To view the associated contract documents, under the Blanket # column, select the applicable Purchase Order (PO) link. MBPO opens for the selected PO and the attachments can be found in the Agency Attachments or Vendor Attachments section. 

If applicable, to find vendor-specific documents, view the links to the individual vendor MBPOs on the Vendor Information page, and follow these steps:

1. On the Vendor Information page, select the applicable Purchase Order (PO) link. The Master Blanket Purchase Order (MBPO) opens for the selected PO.
2. If applicable, on the MBPO, scroll down to the Vendor Attachments section to find the vendor-specific documents.
3. To view, select the desired document link.

Please refer to the following guidelines:

• Executive Departments must use diverse and small businesses to the extent possible based on contract terms, Supplier Diversity Office (SDO), and departmental policies, laws, and regulations.
• The Small Business Purchasing Program (SBPP) applies to small procurements ($250,000 or below annually), while the Supplier Diversity Program (SDP) applies to large procurements (over $250,000 annually). Executive Departments must consider these requirements when soliciting quotes or issuing Statements of Work (SOWs).
• Operational Services Division (OSD) provides a list of SDO businesses through the Statewide Contract Index. Refer to the Programs (SDP and SBPP) tab on the index (scroll to view the tab).

• In cases where all other factors are equal, and particularly when adhering to a best value approach, the department will favor the vendor with stronger SDP commitment.
• For more information, refer to Best Value Evaluation of SDP Plan Forms: A Guide for Strategic Sourcing Teams.
• Vendor SDP commitment percentages may be found on the Vendor List table.

• If available, departments must notify at least two certified small businesses capable of providing the product or service. Bids received from SBPP-participating small businesses must be evaluated, and if one meets the department’s best value criteria, the contract must be awarded to that vendor.
• For more information, refer to Best Value Evaluation of Responses to Small Procurements: A Guide for Strategic Sourcing Teams.
• Vendor SBPP Certification status can be found on the Vendor List table.

The awarded vendor’s use of subcontractors is subject to the provisions of the Commonwealth’s Terms and Conditions and Standard Contract Form, as well as other applicable terms of this Statewide Contract (SWC). 

Vendors on this contract may be required to provide products or services in cases of statewide emergencies. The 801 CMR 21.05(3) defines emergency for procurement purposes. Visit the Emergency Response Supplies, Services and Equipment Contact Information for Statewide Contracts list for emergency services related to this contract.

Vendors' performance is measured by several factors, including the following:

• Buyers provide actionable feedback on vendors for this contract to optimize performance through the Procurated platform. On the Procurated website, click "Search for a Massachusetts Vendor to Review", then search for the vendor by name and select them from the list. Once you enter your professional email address, you will be forwarded to the review screen.
• Buyers are encouraged to reach out to the Category Manager(s) (Joshua Flanagan-Lanier or Kerri Quinn) if vendors are not meeting their contractual obligations and buyers may be surveyed for vendor performance feedback.
• Vendors will be evaluated on their current performance and may be asked to work with the Commonwealth toward improvement.
• Vendors must meet all contractual requirements throughout the life of the contract, including requirements for timely and accurate report submission, to remain in good standing under the contract.
  

• Vendors are required to respond to all quote requests from buyers with a quote or a “No Bid” response.
• Vendors must remain in compliance with all terms of contract and relevant laws and regulations.
  

For general procurement guidelines and best practices, follow these recommendations:

• Buyers should inform vendors to reference Statewide Contract ITS87 on all quotes and invoices.
• No prepayment should be made for products not yet delivered or services not yet rendered.
• No sales tax should be applied to invoices.
• No fees or surcharges (including travel, fuel, delivery) should be applied to invoices.
• Special order fees must be agreed upon by both parties upfront.
• Payments for products or services provided must be paid within 45 days per Massachusetts Bill Payment Policy, or sooner if applying Prompt Payment Discount.
• Buyers are not required to sign additional agreements with vendors that conflict with the Request for Response (RFR) Terms and Conditions. Contact the Category Manager(s) (Joshua Flanagan-Lanier or Kerri Quinn) for guidance. 
• Vendors must notify buyers of product substitutions.

When placing orders with a vendor, MOSAIC users must reference the contract ID number ITS87* in the Agreement ID field in MOSAIC for encumbrances related to purchases from Statewide Contracts. Please address all inquiries regarding MOSAIC technical support and job aids by emailing the Comptroller Help Desk or by calling 617-973-2468. 

*The asterisk is required when referencing the contract in the Massachusetts Management Accounting Reporting System (MOSAIC).

General Response Quality Concerns

If you do a posting and are not satisfied with the quality of responses in general, buyers are encouraged to email all the vendors and indicate how, generally, the responses fell short. This may improve quality when you re-post the position. You may also invite vendors for face-to-face meetings if you choose, or set up a teleconference to help the vendors understand your Department's particular requirements, or answer questions vendors may have about a live posting.

If The Needed Skillset Cannot Be Found

If a specific skill set is not listed in the rate card, a buyer may contact OSD's Category Manager(s), Joshua Flanagan-Lanier and Kerri Quinn to inquire whether the skill set may be added.