70 -- CONTRACTOR SERVICES FOR REFERENCE REPOSITORIES

Notice Date

April 19, 2001

Contracting Office

Social Security Administration, Deputy Commissioner for Finance, Assessment and Management, Office of Acquisition and Grants, 1710 Gwynn Oak Avenue, Baltimore, MD, 21207-5279

ZIP Code

21207-5279

Solicitation Number

Reference-Number-MMYREFREPOS501

Response Due

May 11, 2001

Point of Contact

Monica Yankle, Contract Specialist, Phone 410-965-9591, Fax 410-966-5982, Email monica.yankle@ssa.gov

E-Mail Address

Monica Yankle (monica.yankle@ssa.gov)

Description

This is a Request for Information for the purposes of Market Research only. When responding to this announcement, respondents should refer to MMYREFREPOS501. The Social Security Administration (SSA) is seeking a contractor with expertise in providing professional advice and consultation on how best to author, deliver and maintain its reference repositories for internal and external customers. SSA wants to benchmark and adapt the best practices used in the public and private sectors for a similar business process. We envision an on-line, integrated reference system that makes a single presentation individually formatted based upon the specific user_s needs. SSA wants to move from its current document based collection of delivery systems to an integrated system that is content managed. Seeking this professional advice is a step towards this vision. The anticipated period of performance is approximately six (6) months. SSA instructional components must keep on pace with the Agency_s Vision 2010. SSA 2010 presents a changed agency: An agency that will have an integrated service delivery network using redesigned and streamlined processes supported by state-of-the-art technology. Vision 2010 will give customers a choice of options when conducting business with SSA. SSA will consist of traditional local and centralized offices, _virtual offices._ Internet access, and community contact points all interconnected into _one agency_ and all having unique access to reference material requirements. One of the required contractor deliverables will be a final report that includes a baseline of current SSA processes and delivery technologies; a best practices analysis, an idealized process and benchmark; advice on making the business case; and a recommendation for how best to stage implementation. This idealized process should be based on a synthesis of perspectives on problems/solutions gathered from diverse SSA staff involved in the development, delivery, maintenance and application of agency policies and procedures. Following are potential tasks that may be addressed: (1) determining the state of other government agencies and private industry. Identifying best practices by performing a review of at least three different government agencies and at least three members of the commercial sector; (2) analyzing current SSA processes of, and technology supporting, authoring, delivering and maintaining and applying policies and instructions: POMS, MSOMS, TSCOG, HALLEX, AMS, EMS, etc. Exploring the interaction and relationship between them and the possibilities for integration between them, and with evolving online programmatic applications (internal and external); (3) analyzing current processes of training delivery: IVT, tutorials, classroom, etc. and its relationship to existing reference systems; (4) recommending how best to integrate existing reference systems into a single presentation of policy and defining an _ideal" process that addresses authoring, delivery and maintenance consistent with identified best practices and SSA's 2010 vision; (5) recommending how best to integrate training delivery systems and reference system, defining _ideal_ process; and (6) defining steps required to implement new processes for above consistent with 2010 Vision by identifying who needs to do what, when and by whom. The Contractor must read and internalize the SSA 2010 Vision, determine the location of all policies and procedures that will enable our employees to carry out that vision and prepare technology options for our end-users, and authoring customers to work more effectively in this new environment. This environment will include systems_ access via personal computers connected via SSA Local Area Networks, personal computers connected via main frame terminal emulation, Intra/Internet, mobile computing, personal digital assistants (PDAs), cell phones and voice recognition. These environmental changes will occur simultaneously with SSA experiencing a dramatically less experienced workforce due to retirements and new hiring. The future of SSA_s business will rely on experts using all types of technology, with the authority and information at hand to adjudicate claims and effect payment from anywhere. The notion of accessing information not only from instructional databases but from other expert/knowledge systems containing related information, then displayed succinctly on the desired device with the particular audience accommodated must be fully explored and tied together by the contractor. The contractor must take into consideration the four principle customers of the reference systems in all analyses and recommendations. The four are (1) public making claims or PE adjustments via the Internet; (2) front-line SSA "workload-handling" employees; (3) authors of policy and/or procedure; and (4) authors of instructional/training material. Determine how best to present the _why_ of a policy in a process or task driven presentation. Identify the necessary executive decisions and commitments required for successful implementation of a recommended process change. Make executive presentations aimed at obtaining these decisions and commitments. These presentations would typically give options with their associated costs, human resources and money. SSA is not looking for a systems integrator solution at this point. The focus should be on process alternatives not information technology. Interested GSA schedule and non-schedule vendors who feel they can furnish the required services are invited to respond in writing, NO FAXES, complete information to support the stated capabilities, including references. Information provided must be submitted in duplicate and sufficiently detailed to allow for a technical evaluation. Respondents should site specific examples of their recent experience in providing advice and consultation on how to best author, deliver and maintain its reference repositories for internal or external customers or at a minimum their experience that is analogous to advice and consultation. Information provided must include such things as: a list of current customers who are using the same or similar services; if services are available from a GSA Schedule contract, provide a copy of the contract and/or GSA Schedule number. Incomplete responses will not be evaluated. Any questions or clarifications concerning this announcement and the requirements herein may be emailed to Monica Yankle at monica.yankle@ssa.gov. This is not a request for quotation (RFQ), and the Government does not intend to pay for the information solicited or received. THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ONLY and is considered to be MARKET RESEARCH. Respondents will not be notified of the results of any evaluation of the source data received. Requests for copies of a solicitation will not be honored or acknowledged. Interested parties must respond to this notice in writing by the response date posted under GENERAL INFORMATION of this announcement. ALL RESPONSES TO THIS ANNOUNCEMENT MUST REFERENCE MMYREFREPOS501.

Web Link

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Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010423/70SOL009.HTM (D-109 SN50J772)