SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- Rate written essays, and provide CBP with the rated and documented results.
- Notice Date
- 3/15/2012
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541612
— Human Resources Consulting Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Homeland Security, Customs and Border Protection, Procurement Directorate - IN, 6650 Telecom Drive, Intech Two, Suite 100, Indianapolis, Indiana, 46278, United States
- ZIP Code
- 46278
- Solicitation Number
- TJH-PR20068170
- Archive Date
- 4/12/2012
- Point of Contact
- Tina J. Hudson, Phone: 3176144772
- E-Mail Address
-
tina.hudson@dhs.gov
(tina.hudson@dhs.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- DESCRIPTION This announcement constitutes a Request for Information (RFI) as well as a Sources Sought Request (SSR). This announcement does not constitute a commitment, implied or otherwise, that a procurement will be issued. This is not a request for proposal (RFP) or an invitation for bids (IFB). The United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is seeking contractors interested in providing experts in English language writing skills to grade essay tests for Criminal Investigator positions. CBP seeks to identify potential contractors with the skills, experience, and knowledge required to successfully complete the requirement. The Government will not reimburse any costs incurred in submitting a response to this RFI. Details of the requirement can be found in the below DRAFT Statement of Work. RESPONSES Interested parties are requested to submit a summary of their capabilities that will allow them to support the CBP essay grading requirement. Please indicate your company's Small Business Administration (SBA) classification for North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 541612, Human Resources Consulting Services. In the body of the email, include a vendor Point of Contact (POC), telephone number, and email address of the person to be contacted regarding any correspondence between the Government and the Vendor. This person should be a primary contact and capable of addressing questions or issues associated with the submission and content of the Capability Statement. Only electronic submissions will be accepted via email. Electronic files larger than 5MB shall be broken down into multiple files with no one file exceeding 5 MB. Each electronic submission shall include: --RFI number and "Capability Statement" in the Subject Line --If the submission includes more than one electronic email, please include the file number and total files being submitted (e.g., File 1 or 4, File 2 of 4, etc...) in the Subject Line. --Include a brief summary of email content, Contractor name and firm's mailing address. The deadline for submitting questions is 12:00PM, Eastern Standard Time (EST) on March 22, 2012. To aid CBP, please segregate and mark proprietary information. Proprietary information, if any, should be minimized and MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED. Please be advised that all submissions become the property of the Federal Government, and will not be returned. STATEMENT OF WORK RATING WRITTEN ESSAY TESTS FOR U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION BACKGROUND U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is responsible for the development and implementation of assessments for entry-level selection, career development, and promotion into its mission-critical occupations. Through its shared-services agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS), CBP is also responsible for the development and implementation of such assessments for mission-critical occupations in these two bureaus. For selection into the GS-5 through GS-12 grade levels of the ICE Criminal Investigator position, the best applicants who qualify for the jobs are required to take a written essay test. CBP requires that these essay tests be evaluated by experts in English language writing skills. SCOPE OF WORK CBP is responsible for providing the Contractor with the applicant essays. In addition, CBP will provide rating criteria to the Contractor and will provide guidance on the CBP rating and documentation processes. The Contractor shall rate the written essays, and provide CBP with the rated and documented results. Task 1. Kick-Off Meeting and In Progress Reviews (IPRs) Subtask 1.1. Kick-Off Meeting. Within 15 days of contract award, the Contractor shall attend the Kick-Off meeting to discuss the contract, and ensure that all parties share the same level of understanding with respect to the goals, requirements, and complexities of the project. The Kick-Off meeting will be held at CBP headquarters, Washington, DC, but may be attended via teleconference or video-conference. Subtask 1.2. Project Reporting Information. The Contractor's Project Manager or representative approved by the CBP Contracting Officer Representative (COR) shall report the status of the project and the contracted dollar balance monthly via an invoice stating the number of essays rated and the total cost during any month that essays are rated. During these time frames, CBP representatives, and the Contractor representative(s) shall convene monthly to review and discuss the status and quality of the completed work. Task 2. Rating Written Essays The Contractor shall rate all of the written essays for one open testing period; the exact dates shall be determined by CBP. CBP will notify the contractor via email two weeks prior to forwarding each batch of essays to the vendor. CBP is responsible for providing the Contractor with the essays and the rating forms. The CBP COR shall have final approval in the review and evaluation process of the scored essay materials. Subtask 2.1. The Contractor shall rate the essays (i.e., a one-page document) using two raters, who, by using the rating and documentation criteria provided by CBP, shall determine the appropriate rating. Each rater shall independently rate each essay and the final rating shall be determined by a consensus agreement of the two raters. Each rater shall give each essay an overall rating as well as ratings in four factor areas, which will be in the rating criteria provided by CBP. Raters shall provide documentation of the reasons for the given rating in a manner that comports with the rating criteria and documentation format established by CBP. If the two assigned raters do not agree on the final rating, the Contractor shall provide a third rater to break the tie and documentation will be required in the same manner as for any final rating. Subtask 2.2. The Contractor shall keep test materials secure: (1) by ensuring that all hard copies of essays and test booklets be kept in a safe or locked file cabinet except when in use for rating purposes or for mailing. The safe or locked file cabinet should have limited access to only those individuals who are assigned by the Contractor for this work; and (2) by adhering to the specific mailing procedures described below. The Contractor shall agree to return to the CBP COR all copies of the essays, test booklets, and rating materials at the end of each testing period. The Contractor shall describe how they will accomplish keeping the test materials secure. Mailing costs shall be assumed by CBP and the method of mailing shall always be an overnight express, trackable mailing service. Secure Mailing Procedures: • All packages shall be double wrapped. That is, essays or test booklets being shipped will be enclosed in an envelope or box and sealed, with the following written on it "To be opened by addressed only" and "Sensitive." That envelope or box shall then be put into another envelope or box with the mailing label on the outside and a copy of the mailing label on the inside. Above the mailing label write "To be opened by addressee only" but do NOT write "Sensitive" on this exterior box. All box or envelope seals must be reinforced with mailing tape even if the box or envelope has self-seal end flaps. • The tracking number should be emailed to the CBP representative on the day of mailing. • Packages will never be left unattended or put in a drop box but, instead, hand delivered to the express service's representative. 3.0 DELIVERABLES Within two weeks of receipt of a battery of essays, the Contractor shall return to CBP via next-day tracked mail, the essays and associated rating forms along with an electronic score report giving the tester's name, associated unique applicant identifier, the scores on each of the four factors for each rater, and the overall rating for each applicant in the battery. The score report shall be transmitted to the CBP COTR or designee electronically via e-mail in a password protected file. The Contractor shall have the capability to receive materials daily or to receive data batches from the accumulation of several days of testing. 4.0 PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE The performance period of this contract covers a 12-month base period beginning date of award, and four one-year option periods. Option years shall be exercised at the discretion of the Government and if funding is available. 5.0 LEVEL OF EFFORT AND COSTS CBP will administer as many as 3,500 tests during one testing period. The contractor shall be capable of rating the maximum number (3,500) within a two-week period. The Contractor shall provide a firm-fixed price cost estimate for receipt, rating, and return packaging of one essay. 6.0 TRAINING OF CONTRACTOR STAFF CBP shall provide specialized training in the CBP rating and documentation process to the Contractor. All training shall be provided via teleconference. 7.0 STAFFING The Contractor shall possess extensive expertise in rating essay tests. With regard to rating essay tests, the Contractor shall meet the following requirements. The raters of the essay tests shall have professional experience in rating essay examinations that are designed to measure English language writing skills such as professional teaching or editing experience. Such writing skills shall reflect writing composition skills that are appropriate for a formal setting. Specific details regarding the type of writing shall be conveyed in the rater training provided by CBP. The raters shall have acquired at least three years of specialized experience in rating such examinations. The Contractor shall agree to protect all materials by having each rater or person handling the essays or test booklets or assigned to this project in any way sign a Security Agreement Form (attached in Appendix A). The Contractor shall provide these forms to the COR or CBP designee for each of their employees in advance of all work. 8.0 CONTRACTOR QUALIFICATIONS Solicitors must possess and demonstrate thorough knowledge of the principles of writing and have experience in applying and documenting these principles in the evaluation of written essays. Contractors seeking consideration shall provide relevant past performance experience (i.e., list out relevant project work and references, including project number and sponsor via the attached Past Performance Questionnaire form) that supports thorough experience with rating essay tests. 9.0 WORK LOCATION AND TRAVEL The contractor shall provide the facility(s) for the essay ratings. No travel is expected. 10.0 GOVERNMENT FURNISHED EQUIPMENT/INFORMATION (N/A) 11.0 SECURITY The Contractor shall comply with the CBP administrative, physical and technical security controls to ensure that the Federal Government's security requirements are met. Solicitors shall describe their facilities and security procedures in detail.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DHS/USCS/FPSB/TJH-PR20068170/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: Multiple locations across the United States, United States
- Record
- SN02697667-W 20120317/120315234851-334098e469e122d3463a82c2087a9d30 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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