P-60214 Public Records Act System Replacement (RFI)

The City of Pasadena is seeking information from qualified vendors regarding available solutions to replace its existing Public Records Act (PRA) request management system. The City aims to modernize its approach to managing public records requests, improve operational efficiency and coordination across departments, enhance the public experience, and ensure compliance with applicable legal and accessibility requirements.

The City currently utilizes an internally developed Public Records Act request management system that has been in operation for more than a decade. While the system has supported the City's public records processes, its aging architecture and functional limitations have made it increasingly difficult to meet evolving operational needs, accessibility standards, and the growing complexity of records requests.

The following outlines the City's preliminary business needs and desired capabilities for a replacement Public Records Act (PRA) request management system. These items are intended to help vendors understand the functionality and operational outcomes the City is interested in exploring, rather than establish final or mandatory requirements.

Functional Needs and Desired Capabilities

• Request Intake and Routing: Automated, rules-based, or AI-assisted routing based on request content and context.
• Department Workflow and Queue Management: Department-specific queues, filtering, and views of assigned requests.
• Communication and Correspondence Management: Centralized communication between City staff and requesters.
• Document and File Management: Support for large file uploads, downloads, and transfers, exceeding the current system's 25 MB limitation.
• Redaction and Legal Review: Integrated tools for reviewing and redacting responsive records.
• Reporting and Analytics: Dashboards showing open, closed, pending, and overdue requests.
• Payment Processing: Integration with existing payment processing systems or support for secure payment workflows.
• California Public Records Act Compliance: Tracking of statutory response deadlines and applicable extensions.

Technical and Operational Considerations

• Accessibility: The City seeks a solution that meets applicable accessibility requirements, including WCAG 2.1 Level AA under the U.S. Department of Justice's Title II web accessibility rule.
• Security and Privacy: Role-based access controls and configurable permissions.
• Scalability and Performance: Efficient searching and retrieval of historical requests and associated records.
• Reliability and Notifications: Configurable reminders for deadlines and outstanding assignments.
• Integration and Technical Architecture: Describe support for Microsoft Entra ID single sign-on, MFA, and role-based access controls.
• System Administration and Configuration: Configurable departmental assignments, workflows, and routing rules.
• Data Migration, Retention, and Portability: Migration of historical requests, associated records, correspondence, and metadata.

Parties interested in responding are required to submit electronically through the City of Pasadena's eProcurement Portal prior to **5:00 pm, Friday, December 4, 2026**. Responses must be received in the system prior to the deadline.

The information obtained from this RFI process may contribute to, and be used for, the guidance of a formal solicitation. THERE WILL BE NO CONTRACT AWARDED AS A RESULT OF THIS RFI PROCESS.

No payment shall be made to individuals, contractors, suppliers, or manufacturers that represent for information and solutions provided in response to this RFI.

Addenda shall be acknowledged via the City's eProcurement Portal for the project named "P-60214 Public Records Act System Replacement (RFI)." Project ID: 2026-RFI-0561.