191NLE21N0002 SourcesSought.pdf

Request for Information (191NLE21N0002) INL Mexico – Accreditation of Mexico Federal and State Prison Facilities

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED

SOURCES SOUGHT SUBMISSION NOTICE

The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) EX/GAPP, in support of INL/Mexico, is seeking information on how an interested contractor could address the need for Analytical Balance for Forensics Genetics Labs State Laboratories.

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT ONLY. In accordance with FAR 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. This Sources Sought is issued solely for information and planning purposes – it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP)/ Request for Quote (RFQ) or a promise to issue an RFP/RFQ in the future. This request for information does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service whatsoever. Further, the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) is not at this time seeking proposals and will not accept unsolicited proposals.

Respondees are advised that the U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this Sources Sought; all costs associated with responding to this Sources Sought will be solely at the interested party’s expense. Not responding to this Sources Sought does not preclude participation in any future RFP/RFQ, if any is issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on the Beta.Sam.Gov. It is the responsibility of the potential offerors to monitor these sites for additional information pertaining to this requirement.

1.0 BACKGROUND

The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) leads the Department of State’s anticrime and counter-narcotics efforts. INL’s mission is to minimize the impact of international crime and illegal drugs on the United States, its citizens, and partner nations by providing effective foreign assistance and fostering global cooperation. INL supports our partner nations on stabilization and strengthening of security institutions to build a global security capacity for combating drug trafficking and other transnational crimes such as money laundering and criminal gangs. INL also provides assistance to the Government of Mexico (GOM) to improve prisons conditions to more effectively manage its inmate population to prevent transnational criminal organizations from operating inside prisons.

The accreditation project is being sponsored under the Merida Initiative. The Mexican Penitentiary System is continuing with the accreditation process utilizing the International Core Standards. Under the Merida Initiative, the U.S. Department of State (DOS), as well as other agencies, is supporting the professionalization of the Mexican Penitentiary System at the federal, state, and local levels. The Bureau for International Narcotics and law Enforcement Affairs (INL) US Embassy in Mexico City has been designated the lead agency within the DOS to implement the Merida Initiative programs. The Government of the United States and the Government of Mexico (GOM) have agreed to continue a national accreditation program for the Mexican Federal and State Penitentiary system with the objective of assisting the GOM in significantly reducing the levels of violence in the local, state, and federal correctional facilities.

One of the Mexican Penitentiary System’s challenges is to ensure that there is significant control of correctional environments that are free from corruption, providing a safe and secure environment, which allows reinsertion back into their communities. To fulfill this mission, file://washdc.state.sbu/stateshares/inlpublic$/INL-RM-MS/Perez,%20Marisa/Mexico/Internal%20Affairs%20Kit/Sources%20Sought/beta.sam.gov

Mexico needs to correct physical conditions, develop personnel who can do their jobs effectively, apply and standardize appropriate procedures, implement treatment programs, evaluate progress, and generate feedback mechanisms for prison operations.

2.0 PROJECT OVERVIEW

The Contractor shall provide all labor, services, materials, equipment, transportation, supervision, and all requirements necessary to accomplish the efforts described in this Scope.

2.1 Scope

The scope of this project will be to perform audits to evaluate Mexican prisons, and central offices that are in the process of receiving accreditation and re-accreditation by the American Correctional Association. An audit consists in the assessment of a penitentiary facility and it will cover a variety of subjects involving, but not limited to, administration and management, institutional operations and services, the physical state of the facility, as well as the quality of life conditions for staff and inmate population. The acquirement of accreditation or re-accreditation is dependent upon the successful approval of said audit. Audits shall be based on the compliance of accreditation standards developed by the American Correctional Association and the contractor will perform them. The contractor shall provide all required services, logistics and supplies/equipment necessary to accomplish the objectives of this contract.

2.2 Objective

The overall objective of this effort is to enhance prison conditions by achieving compliance of the International Core Standards developed by American Correctional Association (ACA), which is evaluated by an audit performed by experienced auditors from ACA. An audit involves a thorough assessment of every facility in the process of accreditation or re-accreditation, it will determine if the facility is compliant with the series of mandatory standards involving administration and management, physical plant, institutional operations and services, and inmate programs. In this audit, the auditors have the responsibility of raising issues and concerns that may influence the quality of life of inmates and staff. If the penitentiary facility successfully approves said audit, they will be moved to the next phase, which involves a panel hearing that will determine the acquisition of accreditation or reaccreditation for five years for the institution.

Specific objectives of this project are to:

• Accredit / reaccredit up to fifty (50) prisons, including central offices, per year (allocated between federal and state facilities)

• Perform three (3) technical assistance visits (TAV) per year

3.0 RESPONSES

3.1 Response Submissions

Interested parties are requested to respond to this Sources Sought. Please do not provide generic capability statements as they shall add no value to this Sources Sought and shall be deemed Non-

Responsive to the Sources Sought. The Government is seeking specific information in conjunction with the specifications of this requirement.

3.2 Deadline and Point of Contact

Responses are due no later than 12 November 2020, 4:59 PM (EST) and shall be limited to 20 pages and submitted via e-mail only to:

Mohan Krishnakumar Contract Specialist KrishnakumarM@State.gov

3.3 Response Layout Section I

Section 1 of responses shall provide administrative information, and shall include the following as a minimum:

3.3.1.

Company Name Address DUNS Number Company Website POC Name Phone Email Socio-Economic Status

3.3.2 Business type (large business, small business, small disadvantaged business, 8(a)-certified small disadvantaged business, HUBZone small business, woman-owned small business, very small business, veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran-owned small business) based upon North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code 611430- Professional and Management Development Training. “Small business concern” means a concern, including its affiliates that is independently owned and operated, not dominant in the field of operation in which it is bidding on Government contracts, and qualified as a small business under the criteria and size standards in 13 CFR part 121. A small business concern for the purposes of this procurement is generally defined as a business, including its affiliates, averaging no more than $11,000,000.00 in size standards. Annual receipts of a concern that has been in business for 3 or more complete fiscal years means the annual average gross revenue of the concern taken for the last 3 fiscal years. Annual receipts of a concern that has been in business for less than 3 complete fiscal years means its total receipts for the period it has been in business, divided by the number of weeks including fractions of a week that it has been in business, and multiplied by 52.

Respondees are cautioned, however, that this is a general description only. Additional standards and conditions apply. Please refer to Federal Acquisition Regulation FAR 19 for additional detailed information on Small Business Size Standards.

mailto:KrishnakumarM@State.gov

The FAR is available at https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far.

3.3.3 The applicable NAICS code the offeror suggests if different from subsection 3.3.2.

3.4 Response Layout Section II

Section II of responses shall provide details on the offerors solutions to the objectives outlined in

2.0 Project Overview, subsection 2.1 and attachment “Technical Specifications.”

Proprietary information, if any, should be minimized and MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED. To aid the Government, please segregate proprietary information. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned.

3.5 Response Layout Section III

Offerors shall submit a full response to “Attachment 1”

4.0 INDUSTRY DISCUSSIONS

INL representatives shall not meet with potential offerors and no phone calls shall be accepted in response to this Sources Sought.

5.0 QUESTIONS

Questions regarding this announcement shall be submitted in writing via e-mail to the Contract Specialist , email address. Verbal questions will NOT be accepted. Questions will be answered by posting answers to the Beta.Sam.gov posting; accordingly, questions shall NOT contain proprietary or classified information. The Government does not guarantee that questions received after 12 November-2020 at 4:59 PM (EST) will be answered

6.0 SAM CONSIDERATIONS

In order to participate in any resulting RFQ and to be eligible for an award, the offeror must have

(i) a current CAGE Code, (ii) a DUNS#, (iii) be registered to do business with the Government of the United States in the System For Award Management (SAM) and not be on the Excluded Parties List: beta.sam.gov

7.0 SUMMARY

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT ONLY to identify sources that can provide the items detailed in the attachment “Technical Specifications.” The information provided in the Sources Sought is subject to change and is not binding on the Government. INL has not made a commitment to procure any of the items discussed, and release of this Sources Sought should not be construed as such 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.

https://www.acquisition.gov/browse/index/far file://washdc.state.sbu/stateshares/inlpublic$/INL-RM-MS/Perez,%20Marisa/Mexico/Clandestine%20Narcotic%20Lab%20Substance%20Removal%20Project/Request%20for%20Information/beta.sam.gov