SOURCES SOUGHT
D -- Use of Mobile Devices & Applications to Provide Customer Service to Applicants
- Notice Date
- 1/11/2012
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541519
— Other Computer Related Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Homeland Security, Citizenship & Immigration Services, USCIS Contracting Office, 70 Kimball Avenue, Burlington, Vermont, 05403
- ZIP Code
- 05403
- Solicitation Number
- RFI-CSD-MOBILE-APPS
- Archive Date
- 3/12/2012
- Point of Contact
- Stephen K Hill, Phone: 802-872-4197, ext.4421
- E-Mail Address
-
stephen.k.hill@dhs.gov
(stephen.k.hill@dhs.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- Department of Homeland Security U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) r the Customer Service Directorate, Customer Relationship Interface. USCIS is conducting market research into whether it can more effectively receive and respond to an array of customer inquiries from mobile devices, such as, but not limited to, smartphones and tablets. USCIS wants to be able to address general inquiries and case-specific questions in the most timely, efficient, and effective ways available. USCIS is eager to learn of and consider the newest, most innovative models of customer service using mobile devices. The information USCIS receives will assist USCIS in shaping future requirements with the goal of implementing new service models at the earliest possible time. USCIS interacts with a diverse public customer base with a wide range of education, technological access, capabilities, and purposes. USCIS administers a wide array of benefits reflecting the diversity of its customers and their needs. The processes to obtain immigration benefits similarly vary, sometimes including in-person interviews and often not involving direct personal contact between the agency and the applicant. The volume of applications USCIS receives is high, ranging from approximately six to seven million annually. Accompanying the high volume of applications is a higher volume of customer inquiries, sometimes general in nature and other times case-specific. USCIS currently receives approximately 14 million customer inquiries annually and employs a variety of methods to receive and respond to them. Smartphones are the highest selling consumer electronic devices in the world. US sales of smartphones is expected to grow from 67 million in 2010 to 95 million this year. Worldwide there were 302.6 million smart phones in 2010 and sales are expected to reach 500 million by 2012. At current rates the number of Internet users who use smartphones to access the Internet will exceed those who use laptops or PCs to do so by the end of 2012. The current USCIS customer model is to provide information through its web site and through the National Customer Service Center using traditional call center techniques. USCIS is not wedded to these techniques and seeks information on the use of the internet through the use of an application or applications for mobile devices to provide services in the following areas: ● Provide USICS customers updated case status from a given receipt number (Web Version https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/Dashboard/CaseStatus.do) ● Provide USCIS customers the ability to change their mailing address via the mobile application (Web Version https://egov.uscis.gov/crisgwi/go?action=coa) ● Provide USCIS customers filing times (Web Version https://egov.uscis.gov/cris/processTimesDisplayInit.do?locale=en-US) ● Provide USCIS customers the ability to create E-request. (Web Version https://egov.uscis.gov/e-Request/Intro.do?locale=en_US) USCIS fields inquiries that can involve both Sensitive But Unclassified (SBU) information and Personally Identifiable Information (PII). Please discuss generically how such information can be protected, whether a cellphone or WIFI connection is being used. USCIS is interested in ways to provide customer service that are flexible, have room for growth, and that can act as a foundation for expanded and effective customer interaction. Interested parties are requested to submit information on the process of developing and making available to the public applications for mobile devices that would enable USCIS to provide information to interested customers. Include in this discussion how to address issues raised by the different operating systems. Information submitted should include a company profile, a description of experience with mobile applications, a list of mobile applications created, operating systems used, and the devices these applications were created for/used on. Please include a capability statement if your company has one and you company web site address. Provide no more than three case studies of applications created. Provide generic information on how your company prices the design, development and implementation of applications to including texting options, the use of databases, web sites, communications, and portal access for viewing metrics. Additionally, provide generic information on potential infrastructure needed to support the use of these applications that the Government may want to provide as Government Furnished Equipment (GFE). Information shall be submitted electronically by email, using Microsoft 2003 or compatible software. If newer versions of Microsoft Office are used, then Office 2003 must still be able to open the documents. The Government is not responsible for any format changes due to the use of a newer version of Microsoft Office. The email address for submissions is ContractingProposals@dhs.gov, cc’ing Stephen.k.hill@dhs.gov. Include a cover letter with contact information. The Capability Statement should be submitted as a separate electronic document. The overall submission, excluding the Capability Statement, is limited to fifteen (15) pages. Pages are to single sided with one (1) inch margins. Do not submit any proprietary information. Responses are due thirty days from the date this RFI is published on FedBizOpps. THIS IS NOT A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS. This RFI is for planning purposes only. The information provided in the RFI is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. Issuance of this notice does not constitute any obligation on the part of the Government to procure the supplies, or services, or to issue a solicitation. In addition, the Government will not pay direct or indirect costs or charges that arise as a result of contractor submission of responses to this RFI. The release of this RFI shall not be construed as a commitment or as authorization to incur cost for which reimbursement would be required or sought. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned. Contracting Office Address: USCIS Contracting Office 70 Kimball Avenue South Burlington, Vermont 05403 Place of Performance: If a solicitation is issued, and if a contract is awarded, the Government anticipates the majority of work required will be conducted in the successful offeror’s facility. Government Primary Point of Contact Stephen K. Hill USCIS Contracting Office 70 Kimball Avenue South Burlington, Vermont 05403 802-872-4197, ext. 4421 Stephen.k.hill@dhs.gov
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DHS/BC/ACB/RFI-CSD-MOBILE-APPS/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: If a solicitation is issued, and if a contract is awarded, the Government anticipates the majority of work required will be conducted in the successful offeror’s facility., United States
- Record
- SN02653003-W 20120113/120111235223-220450c599be98e2752b0ba3bdff333a (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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