The Colorado Office of The Child’s Representative (OCR)
- Client: The Colorado Office of The Child’s Representative (OCR)
- Service: Bid Builder
- Industry: Government
- Location: Denver, Colorado
Company Bio: The Office of the Child’s Representative (OCR website) is an independent state agency within Colorado’s judicial branch. OCR ensures high-quality legal representation for children and youth throughout the state. They do this by setting attorney practice standards, providing litigation support and training, and overseeing compliance. OCR owns and directs “CARES,” a custom case management and billing platform. CARES was developed and managed in close partnership with technical vendors. In 2024, OCR began the CARES 3 project. This project’s objective was to upgrade ease of use, strengthen data integrity and access control. Ultimately, the project would improve performance while preserving core workflows.
“Our attorneys do extraordinarily difficult work on behalf of children and youth in Colorado, and the CARES system must actively support their practice. We hold the system to the highest standards so it is both easy to use and captures the complex oversight data OCR relies on to ensure quality representation. Having led the development of CARES 2, I knew we faced a tough road in writing the technical specifications for CARES 3. At the same time, we needed outside expertise to facilitate the procurement process, and we looked to The Bid Lab for that support so we could move forward with confidence.”
– Rebecca Garrison, Director of Information Systems
The Office of the Child’s Representative (OCR) Overview
- Provided templates and example materials that supported OCR in drafting the RFP.
- Applied clean formatting and visual polish to OCR’s drafted materials — including transforming 1,400+ system requirements into an attractive, easily navigable spreadsheet with menus and consistent structure.
- Managed Q&A logistics, including collecting vendor questions, organizing them for OCR response, reviewing responses for risk and compliance, and handling distribution.
- Hosted a pre-proposal conference attended by numerous technology vendors.
- Converted OCR’s evaluation criteria into structured, consistent, user-friendly scorecards.
- Coordinated vendor presentations for shortlisted firms, executing OCR’s desired content and structure with professionalism and fidelity.
- Assisted with vendor selection, including providing detailed comparative charts and analysis.
The Challenge
The Colorado Office of the Child’s Representative (OCR) sought a vendor to build and support the next generation of its custom Court Appointed Reimbursement Electronic System (CARES), a platform used by more than 550 active attorneys, case consultants, and staff in the state. CARES enables oversight, payment, and administrative processes essential to OCR’s mission.
CARES 2 had reached an age and architectural complexity where further maintenance and improvement efforts were becoming increasingly inefficient. OCR recognized an opportunity to invest proactively in a new version of the system—one designed from the ground up to preserve familiar workflows while raising long-term utility and user experience.
To launch the procurement, OCR needed to transform a complex, internally developed technical system design into a clear and professional RFP package that would attract top-tier software vendors. With limited internal resources to manage the full solicitation lifecycle, OCR partnered with The Bid Lab to support this high-stakes effort, including structured presentation of materials, vendor coordination, and expert guidance on procurement.
The Solution
The Bid Lab began with a kickoff meeting to align on the procurement timeline and key process milestones. Working closely with OCR’s IS Director, The Bid Lab supported a fast-moving effort to translate a detailed internal system design into a public RFP package. OCR led the definition of technical requirements and ultimately provided more than 1,400 detailed line items. At The Bid Lab’s recommendation and with its support, OCR organized these into a MoSCoW (“must, should, could”) prioritization model.
The Bid Lab contributed RFP templates, proofreading, and formatting guidance to support development of the final solicitation. The team transformed OCR’s detailed materials into polished, navigable documents with cross-references, menus, and a consistent, attractive presentation. Our team also ensured the RFP was posted through proper procurement channels and shared across our extended network, increasing visibility among qualified vendors.
Once the RFP was released, The Bid Lab managed a high volume of vendor engagement activities: organizing a pre-proposal conference attended by a broad range of technology firms, collecting and preparing vendor questions for OCR response, and coordinating the final formatting and distribution of a Q&A.
The Colorado Office of the Child’s Representative received 20+ proposals—a strong and competitive field that delighted us all! The Bid Lab went on to support internal review after the RFP closed. Our team formatted OCR’s evaluation criteria into structured scorecards for the OCR evaluation team. During the presentation phase, The Bid Lab coordinated logistics and hosted live sessions with shortlisted vendors, ensuring cordial, professional meetings aligned with OCR’s provided structure and goals. Our team also created a vendor evaluation report with comparative analyses, charts, and summaries to guide internal discussion and assist OCR in selecting the best candidate for the project. Finally, we supported OCR in reaching the negotiating round with the chosen vendor.
“The Bid Lab brought structure and momentum to a complex process, along with a kind, energetic, and collaborative spirit. While our team brings deep technical and design expertise, we’re not procurement experts, so The Bid Lab helped us shape our work into a clear, professional package that spoke directly to the prospective vendor audience.”
– Mark Teska, Chief Operating Officer
The Results of the Engagement
The RFP attracted 23 proposals, and six finalists advanced to the presentation stage. The OCR was pleased to announce that they successfully selected a clear winner following the presentations. The OCR contracted with its preferred vendor. Not only that, but the project is also 34% under budget for ongoing support and a whopping 25% under budget for the projected implementation.
The Bid Lab is excited to share that, together with OCR, we issued a successful high-stakes procurement. Our work culminated in a clean, competitive RFP and a strong path to selecting an exceptional vendor.
Ready to Find the Right Vendor Like The Office of the Child’s Representative (OCR)?
Are you ready to redesign your systems and processes for the long term? We’ve built bids for plenty of government agencies, non-profit organizations, and legal agencies. We can do it for you, too! Just check out our case studies for the non-profit American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO). Agency case studies include the Wyoming Office of Tourism and the Colorado Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel (OADC). So, what are you waiting for? Reach out to The Bid Lab for a free consultation today! You can also call us at 1-844-4BIDLAB or email respond@thebidlab.com to learn how we can help you build a bidding process that brings the best out of your business or organization.
