Revised_RFP_19AQMM18R0311,_Global_Support_Services_2.0,_Rev._10-24-2018.pdf

19AQMM18R0311

(Revised 10-24-2018)

SECTION B – SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES/COSTS

B.1 GENERAL

The Contractor shall provide, in accordance with issued Task Orders (TOs), all management supervision, labor, facilities and materials necessary to perform Department of State (DoS) Bureau of Consular Affairs Global Support Strategy (GSS) for Overseas Consular Support Services 2.0 on an Indefinite Delivery-Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) basis. Task Orders will be Firm Fixed Price (FFP) in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 16.5. The DoS Office of Acquisition Management (A/LM/AQM) will issue TOs in accordance with the procedures set forth in Sections G, H and I and as outlined in notional mapping of service packages in Section J, Attachment B. This contract for support services for consular applicants will be performed outside of the United States, with minor exceptions for certain program management requirements. The source of funding for this contract will be other than appropriated funds.

B.2 CONTRACT TYPE

This is an Indefinite Delivery-Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract with Firm-Fixed prices with Incentives at the Task Order Level.

B.3 MAXIMUM PROGRAM CEILING AND MINIMUM CONTRACT GUARANTEE

Pursuant to FAR 16.504(a), the total maximum quantity of all supplies and services under the Basic Contract (for all awardees combined) shall not exceed $3.3 Billion, including the Options.

The total minimum quantity, guaranteed by the Government, is $5,000 for each awardee.

B.4 CONTRACT LINE ITEM STRUCTURE

Refer to Section J.1, Attachment A-1: Contract Line Item Number (CLIN) Structure and Section J.3, Attachment B, Global Support Strategy (GSS) Notional Mapping of Services Packages. The CLIN Structure shall consist of six (6) general categories: GSS Transition (including both Phase- In and Phase-Out); GSS Services; Adjustment; Other United States Government (USG) Agency Services; GSS Performance Incentives/Disincentives; and Defense Base Act Insurance.

B.5 PRICE SCHEDULE

The Contractor shall use the format provided in Section J.2, Attachment A-2, GSS 2.0 Pricing Tables, to include fully loaded prices as specified in (Unit Price - Ceiling) as ceiling prices inclusive of all labor, material, other direct costs, G&A, profit etc. for the GSS Program.

(END OF SECTION B)

SECTION C – DESCRIPTIONS/SPECIFICATIONS/WORK STATEMENT

C. SCOPE OF SERVICES

The Global Support Strategy (GSS) program provides non-inherently governmental consular support services in 120 countries, supporting 175 consular sections in U.S. embassies and consulates. GSS delivers a globally integrated and fully auditable solution of six distinct, yet critically inter-connected, categories of service: information, appointment scheduling, consular fee collection in a variety of methods to include local currency, and, in certain countries, onsite “greeters” who verify applicants appearing for their appointments and handle crowd management, document delivery, and offsite biometric collection. GSS facilitates 98 percent of worldwide visa processing.

This section outlines the objectives to be fulfilled under the Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract and provides a list of GSS services that are illustrative of anticipated task order activities, details the mandatory program requirements, and provides a list of constraints that may apply to the program. Desired outcomes and constraints, including deliverables, performance requirements, quality assurance standards, incentives/disincentives etc., will be developed for each task order issued by the Department of State.

C.1 OBJECTIVES

C.1.1 OBJECTIVE 1 – Provide business process support services for consular-related operations at U.S. embassies and consulates abroad under a performance-based arrangement, which will effectively and efficiently facilitate processing of all customers in accordance with existing procedures and business requirements. Anticipated services include, but are not limited to, the following activities:

a. Provide customers with accurate, up-to-date information regarding consular services and fees according to the population served by a given post, country, and/or region in the appropriate local language.

b. Provide customers with the ability to schedule appointments for consular services at their local U.S. embassy or consulate, in coordination with local consular management.

c. Collect consular fees from applicants prior to appointment scheduling and subsequently, timely, and accurately deposit these funds into a Government account.

d. Provide customers with the ability to submit required documentation and receive their issued travel documents at distributed points of service outside of their local U.S.

embassy or consulate.

e. Coordinate with local U.S. embassy or consulate staff to facilitate customer entry into and movement through U.S. embassy or consulate facilities.

C.1.2 OBJECTIVE 2 – Provide local, Offsite Facilitation Center (OFC) standalone facilities to offer a range of visa support services, in Government-designated countries, that either require and/or would benefit from the personal appearance of the visa applicant. In addition to potentially providing any or all of the services above, anticipated services include, but are not limited to, the following activities:

a. Capture visa applicants’ biometrics and facilitating secure transmission of captured data to the Government.

b. Provide visa applicants with the ability to schedule appointments at a standalone facility.

c. Deliver the physical documentation provided by a visa applicant to their local U.S.

embassy or consulate in advance of the applicant’s interview.

d. Provide visa applicants with the ability to receive their issued travel documents at standalone facilities.

C.1.3 OBJECTIVE 3 – Provide skilled oversight and management of worldwide operations for all contract customer support services. Anticipated services include, but are not limited to, the following activities:

a. Implement a comprehensive program, quality and risk management approach and methodology that are flexible and adaptable to allow for the implementation of GSS services in different regions around the world.

b. Obtain and maintain all local licenses, permits, certifications, and other documentation to operate in foreign environments.

c. Ensure all services are provided in a manner that is consistent with U.S. foreign policy.

d. Provide service and performance related data to the Government to allow monitoring, auditing, oversight, and performance measurement of support services.

e. Provide the ability to transition services to/from another provider efficiently and with little or no impact to ongoing operations.

f. Provide a designated single point of contact who oversees contract customer operations for one or more posts and maintain designated on-site management personnel in all locations, as required by the Government.

g. Ensure that all Contractor personnel involved in providing or supporting services under the GSS program meet vetting requirements established by the Government.

h. Implement appropriate controls to prevent and detect cases of fraud, malfeasance, misfeasance, or other criminal or negligent activity and for notification to appropriate Government personnel.

i. Provide a robust capability to diagnose and correct the root causes for systemic and situational circumstances that result in substandard service delivery, while maintaining open and frequent communications and full transparency with the Government.

j. Conduct continuous improvement activities to realize improved service delivery capabilities and performance.

k. Implement appropriate security controls to protect employees, information, and physical assets (e.g., facilities, computers, etc.).

C.1.4 OBJECTIVE 4 – Provide customers with a positive experience by treating them professionally and with courtesy at all times, in an efficient manner. Anticipated services include, but are not limited to, the following activities:

a. Provide customer services (including standalone facility operation) at agreed upon times and in accordance with Government expectations for an appropriate customer experience.

b. Provide service accessibility to applicants who possess physical disabilities.

c. Provide customers with the ability to review accurate, real-time information on the status of in-transit documents, pending inquiries, and any service outage or degradation.

d. Provide a dedicated service support function to log and report on customer complaints and suggestions.

e. Provide customers with tailored notifications throughout a service lifecycle to maintain customer engagement and deliver timely information and reminders.

f. Implement a comprehensive quality control approach and methodology for all operational and customer-focused services provided, including a robust customer satisfaction assessment program.

C.1.5 OBJECTIVE 5 – Provide seamless delivery and integration of all contract support services via a robust and dynamic suite of underlying technologies that will be capable of enabling all objectives under this IDIQ, of interacting with consular technologies, and of adapting to changes as services and technologies evolve. Anticipated services include, but are not limited to, the following activities:

a. Maintain physical and logical security controls to ensure data security, integrity and availability for customers, consular staff, and other Government staff.

b. Maintain compliance with minimum specifications as detailed in, but not limited to, Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) and Series 800 Special Publications (SPs) published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), U.S.

Department of Commerce.

c. Provide a dynamic, customizable, management dashboard solution and reports for consular and contract managers.

d. Develop and continuously improve tools and techniques that will enhance the quality, efficiency, and overall performance of contract support processes and, to the extent possible, consular processes as well.

f. Enable continuous, up to and including real-time, interactions between consular and Contractor technologies for data transfer, integration, and program support.

g. Maintain robust role-based access to separate permissions, at a minimum, by location and type of individual (e.g., Locally Employed Staff vs. Foreign Service Officer, etc.).

C.2 MANDATORY PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Unless expressly stated elsewhere, the following Mandatory Program Requirements shall apply to the GSS Program (including the IDIQ and Task Orders issued thereunder).

C.2.1 OVERALL CONTRACT PERFORMANCE

a. The Contractor shall be able to operate in multiple countries, languages, and regions.

b. The Contractor shall ensure that all services reflect the realities of the foreign locales in which GSS operations are conducted, including the infrastructure of the host country.

c. The Contractor shall perform all services using methods and constructs appropriate for the population served by a given consular section.

d. The Contractor shall maintain full and open communications with the Department of

State Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and/or Government Technical Monitors (GTM) on all applicable matters, including security.

e. The Contractor shall tailor its management and technology solutions to local variances in business processes and technical demands.

f. The Contractor shall do everything practicable to ensure no interruption in services due to staffing shortages, including having more than one available person with the appropriate clearance to perform any one task within one business day.

g. The Contractor shall designate Key Personnel as detailed in Section H.3.

h. The Contractor shall designate a Task Order Manager (TOM) for each Task Order. The

TOM shall provide direct oversight, to include but not limited to scheduled meetings with the serviced posts and site visits of service providers, for the designated Task Orders as detailed in Section H.3.2.1. The TOM shall be a direct hire of the prime contractor and be available to the Government at all times. Note that exceptions to this requirement will not be granted.

i. The Contractor shall provide a Single Point of Contact (SPOC) at the Task Order level in designated Task Orders as key personnel, when required. The SPOC shall provide direct oversight for the designated post as detailed in Section H.3.2.2. Note that exceptions to this requirement will not be granted.

j. The Contractor shall hire, train, and manage qualified and reliable personnel responsible for providing GSS services. At the Task Order level, the Contractor shall develop and deliver a Monthly Staffing and Key Personnel Report, as detailed in Section F.6.1.5.

k. Contractor personnel shall understand their role in providing services, and specifically understand that they may not provide any information, advice, or guidance to visa applicants other than basic public information about the visa process that has been cleared by the Government. Contractor personnel may not give the impression that they are involved in any way in the decision-making process and must avoid any appearance of impropriety.

l. Contractor personnel shall not engage in other activities directly related to visa services that result in a conflict of interest or the appearance of a conflict of interest. For instance, an employee working at an OFC shall not establish his/her own U.S. visa application preparation service and promote that service based on their connection to the U.S.

consulate through GSS services.

m. The Contractor’s automated video and, where applicable, audio recording systems shall provide full coverage of the GSS process, integrating recordings of telephone conversations with customers, CCTV recordings (including audio, if feasible and when permitted by local law) of the applicant’s interactions with OFC employees, and the actual case records created in its systems.

n. The Contractor shall provide a dynamic, customizable dashboard solution (as detailed in Section C.2.4.d.) for reporting and metrics which shall be accessible on-demand to the Government at the supported embassy or consulate, as well as at Department of State headquarters.

o. The Contractor shall provide training on the technology aspects of its overall solution, as detailed in Section H.3.1.4.1.

p. At the Task Order level, the Contractor shall provide transition-related services (Phase-In and Phase-Out), as detailed in Section F.6.1.18 and as outlined at the Task Order level.

q. The Contactor shall provide an Annual Accomplishments and Efficiencies Report to the Government, as detailed in Section F.5.1.4.

C.2.2 SECURITY

a. The Contractor shall develop, provide, implement, and maintain an Information Technology (IT) Security Plan, as detailed in Section F.5.1.1.

b. Included in the IT Security Plan and in accordance with Department standards set out in 5 FAH-11 H-400 and 5 FAM 1066.1-1(F), the Contractor shall develop a NIST 800-53 baseline system security plan for any systems used to process State Department information that are not Department owned (non-Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) systems) and submit the plan, as detailed in Section F.5.1.1.

c. In accordance with the global standards, detailed in Section F.5.1.1, the Contractor shall conduct all required Assessment and Authorization analysis (A&A), as outlined in 5

FAM 1066.

d. The Contractor shall implement network monitoring tools to ensure network security.

e. All proposed uses of Cloud technology that will include the processing of Controlled

Unclassified Information / Sensitive But Unclassified (CUI/SBU) shall be cleared by the Government in advance. Only FedRAMP-approved Cloud Service Providers (CSP) shall be used. Selection of an appropriate CSP shall be based on the level of a Government approved FIPS 199-derived data impact categorization.

f. The Contractor shall develop and implement a suitability vetting process plan, included in its proposal, for all Contractor personnel as required by the Government, as specified in Section H.8.4 The Contractor shall provide the Government on a monthly basis or upon request, applicable information regarding its Contractor personnel and the results of all required vetting, as detailed in Section F.6.1.5.

g. All subcontractors proposed by the Contractor shall be subject to review and approval by the Department, as specified in Section H.8.4, prior to engaging in any GSS activities.

h. The Contractor shall develop a fraud prevention approach that will prevent and detect cases of fraud, malfeasance, misfeasance, or other criminal or negligent activity. At the task order level, the Contractor shall develop, deliver, implement and maintain a robust, written Fraud Prevention Plan, as detailed in Section F.6.1.2.

i. The Contractor shall ensure all Contractor personnel are fully briefed and trained on fraud prevention and, where applicable, the contents of the appropriate Fraud Prevention Plan. Contractor personnel shall sign an attestation to their understanding of the Plan and agreement to adhere to the Plan. The Contractor shall provide compliance reports of fraud prevention training to the Government, as detailed in Section F.6.1.3.

j. The Contractor shall, upon suspicion of any Contractor personnel’s possible involvement in inappropriate, unethical, or illegal activities, and/or any other suspected or actual malfeasance or misfeasance, to include but not be limited to criminal, unauthorized, or negligent activity, notify the Government, including the Regional Security Office, within two (2) hours. The Contractor shall take appropriate investigatory action, with preliminary follow-up reporting to the Government within one (1) business day, as detailed in Section F.6.1.4.

k. Upon receiving a Government request to investigate any inappropriate, unethical, or illegal activities, and/or suspected or actual malfeasance or misfeasance, to include but not be limited to criminal, unauthorized, or negligent activity, on the part of Contractor personnel, the Contractor shall report its findings in writing within one (1) business day, as detailed in Section F.6.1.4.

l. Should any GSS Contractor employee become involved in any inappropriate, unethical, or illegal activities, the contractor shall notify the Government prior to releasing the contractor employee from employment, so as to allow the Department the opportunity to interview the Contractor employee.

m. The Contractor shall provide a detailed monthly Information Technology, Physical Security, and Offsite Biometric Facilitation Center (OFC) Incident Report, as detailed in Section F.6.1.1.

n. The Contractor shall protect the privacy of all applicant information and Contractor personnel shall not disclose applicant data to any person outside of his/her respective supervisory chain or the Government. The Contractor shall not use applicant data for any purpose other than that specified by the Government, including sharing or selling that data for other uses (including commercial uses).

o. Any Government furnished materials, data, or property shall remain the property of the Government and shall be returned upon completion of the support services. Government furnished equipment shall be tracked through applicable procedures that will be provided by the Contracting Officer in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Bureau requirements.

C.2.3 SERVICE PERFORMANCE AND QUALITY

a. At the Task Order level, the Contractor shall assess customer (both applicants and overseas posts) satisfaction and provide the results of those surveys, along with a vendor-managed feedback register, to the Government within the determined timeframe and format, as detailed in Section F.6.1.17.

b. The Contractor shall have a corrective action approach for addressing operational issues, including root cause analysis, and implementation of corrective action that is time bound and trackable. At the Task Order level, the Contractor shall provide a Monthly Operational, Quality, and Risk Report (OQR) as detailed in Section F.6.1.13.

c. For each Task Order, the Contractor shall provide a Quality Control Plan as a part of its proposal and then report its performance to the Government according to defined Service Level Agreements (SLAs), as detailed in Sections F.6.1.14 and F.6.1.15.

d. At the Task Order level, the Contractor shall develop and deliver, an accurate, complete, and timely GSS Quick Reference Guide (one guide per country) that provides a detailed explanation of all provided GSS services and Contractor contact information, as detailed in Section F.6.1.12.

e. The Contractor shall develop and deliver timely, complete and accurate quarterly Service Inventory to Government-designated points of contact, as detailed in Section F.6.1.16.

C.2.4 MANAGEMENT INFORMATION

a. The Contractor shall capture, store, and provide a person-centric record of dealings with the applicant. At a minimum, records shall provide specific data fields as described in

Section J, Listing of Attachments, Attachment D, Global Support Strategy (GSS) Notional Data Definition for Management Information and Data Fields.

b. The Contractor shall link or shall reference related applications, such as multiple applicants from the same household.

c. The Contractor shall make information about the applicant available to the Government from the first encounter, be it through information, appointment, or fee payment service, such as payment tied to the applicant's record upon fee payment. Bulk payments must be associated with an individual applicant.

d. The Contractor shall provide an on-demand, automated, customizable dashboard solution for reporting and metrics available to local consular managers, COR/GTM, and other Government-designated domestic users of GSS information. The dashboard shall, at a minimum, include the following functionality:

i. Capability to access the required auditable data, at a minimum as listed in

Attachment J.5 – Attachment D Notional Data Definition for Management Information and Data Fields, and all information collected as part of the person-centric record;

ii. Capability to generate dynamic, customizable reports that extract worldwide, task order, country, post, and applicant specific GSS data in order to provide visibility into the program at all levels, from global to granular;

iii. Capability to view a complete audit trail of applicants, to include, but not limited to, information services, fee collection, appointment services to document delivery, as they move through the process;

iv. Capability to incorporate additional customizable data fields as needed;

v. Capability to provide full reconciliation of each person-centric transaction from payment date and amount to sweep date and amount to appointment dates and associated changes, including biometric appointment date and document delivery, if applicable;

vi. Capability to provide on-demand auditability of all consular fee receipts, including those for which an appointment has not been scheduled, and the capability to create multi-dimensional reporting of applicants, fees (collections and deposits), all appointment actions, backlogs, document delivery services, and more as detailed in Section F.6.1.6 and F.6.1.9-10;

vii. Capability for workloads to be projected using a forecasting tool; and

viii. Capability to generate and export reports in a mutually agreed upon format.

e. The Contractor shall provide a searchable online systems training guide for the information technology (IT) component of its overall solution that shall include but not be limited to:

i. A searchable online systems training guide for the IT component of its solution, but not for printing and/or able to audit those system users who print out the copies without expressed consent of the Government or the Contractor;

ii. Clear and understandable guidance and help features for the Government’s use of the Contractor’s on demand, automated, customizable tool to include, but not be limited to, screen shots;

iii. Guidance and instructions to the Government user to generate reports to include, but not be limited to, any combination of the required auditable data listed in Section C

Scope of Services, Section D Notional Data Definition for Management Information and Data Fields, and other data fields the Contractor has collected;

iv. Incorporated Government feedback, as applicable; and

v. Updates as necessary.

f. The Contractor shall, upon Government request, support analysis of a complete audit trail of applicants as they move through the process.

g. The Contractor shall submit management information data in an exchange format, method and frequency, as determined by the Government, to be incorporated into a Government system used by both Washington and post users.

h. The Contractor shall ensure all audio and video data collected shall be accessible to the Government for one year and all other binary and American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) data collected shall be accessible to the Government for the life of the IDIQ.

i. The Contractor's IT component of its overall solution shall provide customizable automatic alerts, to include an “immediate” alert feature, to consular staff based on specific Government-defined parameters appearing in GSS applicant data, including but not limited to, appointment information using particular names, phone numbers, and IP addresses. Alerts shall be provided via email and/or other agreed upon methods and shall be documented for reporting at the post, task order, or system level.

j. The Contractor's IT platform shall include a complete, reportable audit trail, in accordance with established Department guidelines as outlined in 12 FAH-10 H-122.10 and other applicable standards, as well as subsequent revisions of those guidelines and standards, of all instances when any employee, Contractor or Government, accesses, modifies, or otherwise “touches” a record. The system shall include employee ID, action taken, time and date, with the exception of limited, designated user IDs and roles, to be determined by the Government.

k. The Contractor shall, upon request and within twenty-four (24) hours, provide archived phone recordings (for call centers) and CCTV recordings (for Offsite Facilitation Centers) of the applicant’s interactions with contractor personnel that can be referenced and searchable and made available to the Government via feed and upon request.

l. The Contractor shall provide quality data that shall be accurate, reliable, available, compatible, and timely. The Contractor shall participate in data quality reviews as determined by the Government. Data quality issues shall be addressed within thirty (30) calendar days of discovery.

C.2.5 CUSTOMER SERVICE

a. The Contractor shall deliver services at hours and via channels that allow for convenient access for applicants, including evening hours and weekends as local conditions permit and only with prior Government approval. Any changes to support schedules shall be approved by the Government and shared with the interested public no less than 14 calendar days before implementation, unless otherwise directed by the Government.

b. The Contractor shall ensure that all services and facilities can accommodate peak seasonal demand, in coordination with post, without any degradation in service.

c. The Contractor shall be required to provide shuttle service to applicants from an offsite location, where specified in individual task orders.

d. The Contractor may, at the Government’s request and/or with Government approval, provide value-added services to applicants at no additional cost to the Government. The Contractor shall clearly communicate that such services have no impact on the visa adjudication, and shall not be required of applicants. The Contractor shall receive prior authorization from the Government before offering any such services.

e. The Contractor shall ensure that GSS facilities provide access for those with physical disabilities, comply with Department standards for applicant comfort, and provide sufficient waiting space to avoid applicants having to wait outdoors in inclement weather.

f. The Contractor shall provide contact information for written applicant complaints regarding GSS services provided and share in a timely manner with the consular section any complaints received and the Contractor's timely response to the applicant. (For complaints not relevant to the GSS services provided (e.g., regarding consular services outside of GSS, the cost of services, etc.), the Contractor shall ask the customer to redirect their inquiry to the consular section.)

C.2.6 INFORMATION SERVICES

a. Information services shall include, at a minimum, phone, website, interactive email, and new technology platforms. Languages will be designated at the Task Order level.

b. All global scripts and public information published by the Contractor regarding GSS services shall be approved by the Government, and local content by the supported consular section. Proposed changes to the agreed upon information shall be provided to the Government for review and approval no less than seven (7) business days prior to making the change. All Government-provided content, and subsequently translated by the Contractor, shall be returned to the Government as translated at the end of performance.

c. The Contractor shall minimize the time spent on live-operator phone services while still providing necessary information to the customer.

d. The Contractor shall perform call monitoring, including recording of digital audio records, for any services provided via telephone. Archives of these recordings shall be archived and searchable for twelve (12) months, in accordance with U.S. and local law.

e. The Contractor shall not alter Government forms.

f. The Contractor shall maintain a website that complies with Section 508 of the

Rehabilitation Act, adhere to the Plain Writing Act of 2010, use 18f web design standards provided at https://content-guide.18f.gov; and incorporate design elements specified by the Department to provide a coherent consular customer experience.

g. The Contractor shall develop and deliver Annual Website Standard Compliance Statement Report, as detailed in Section F.5.1.3.

h. The Contractor shall publish emergency alert messages on its customer-facing GSS website, in both English and contracted language, as soon as practicable upon notification from the Government.

i. The Contractor shall define and implement procedures for escalating customer inquiries to the consular section.

C.2.7 APPOINTMENT SERVICES

a. The Contractor shall collect all person-centric data required for the appointment and performance of GSS services, such as delivery location for issued travel documents.

b. The Contractor’s solution shall have the capability to allow applicants to schedule an initial appointment, and follow-up interview appointments, at any post within a mission, at Government direction.

c. The Contractor shall require that each applicant provide his/her DS-160 or DS-260 barcode number prior to being able to schedule an appointment, and shall use a Government-furnished interface to verify the barcode number, if and when it is provided.

d. Each individual consular applicant shall have an appointment. (For instance, a family of four would need four appointment slots, not one, even if two of the applicants were minors.)

e. The Contractor shall coordinate with consular sections regarding details of scheduling applicant interviews (e.g., grouping by visa category, setting aside certain numbers of appointments for particular categories, enabling group scheduling with the flexibility to split group appointments across multiple time slots and allow for single applicants to be dropped/expedited if needed, etc.).

f. The Contractor shall collect the appropriate offsite consular fee in its entirety and the fee receipt must be associated with the applicant’s profile before a nonimmigrant visa (NIV) appointment is scheduled and/or consular services provided.

g. The Contractor shall re-schedule NIV appointments and/or cancel appointments when requested by the Government.

h. The Contractor shall provide a solution for scheduling and rescheduling immigrant visa (IV) appointments, in coordination with the Government and post.

i. The contractor shall limit all numerically controlled IV applicants to rescheduling their appointments per the following parameters:

i. If the new appointment request is submitted between the 1st and 20th of the current month, the appointment may not occur before the second month after the current month (e.g., if the applicant submits a request on or before January 20, the new appointment may not occur before March 1).

ii. If the new appointment request is submitted between the 21st and last day of the current month, the new appointment may not occur before the third month after the current month (e.g., if the applicant submits a request on January 21, the appointment may not occur before April 1).

j. The Contractor shall provide IV and NIV applicants with a dual email and SMS notification reminder of an appointment, and include a reference to the initial or rescheduled appointment confirmation as applicable. This notification history shall be tied to the applicant’s profile.

k. The Contractor shall provide on-demand auditability reports of canceled and rescheduled appointments of applicants to the Government, as detailed in Section F.6.1.10 for NIV and F.6.1.11 for IV operations.

l. The Contractor shall include a mechanism for limited classes of applicants to request priority or emergency appointments, per Government operational guidelines and approval requirements, and have such appointment reschedules fully auditable.

m. Appointment services shall provide for a solution to schedule no-fee applicants, per Government operational guidelines and approval requirements, and ensure such appointments are fully auditable.

n. The Contractor shall provide appointments on a first-come, first-serve basis (within any categories designated by the Government), and appointment systems shall be designed and managed in such a way that prevents private parties from booking and reselling appointments.

o. The Contractor shall implement controls designed to prevent appointment fraud.

p. The Contractor shall make NIV canceled slots available for re-booking within twenty-four (24) hours, unless directed otherwise by post managers. However, canceled NIV appointments shall not be released immediately for rebooking for a minimum of three (3) hours in order to prevent reselling of appointments.

q. The Contractor shall deliver to post managers via a mutually agreed upon format, and make available through the dashboard a daily report detailing the number of appointments booked each day, and the number of open appointment slots remaining, as detailed in Section F.6.1.9. Such reports shall be dynamic to show all applicant details available and a high-level summation.

r. The Contractor shall ensure that it is clear to both post managers and customers what date the next available appointment is at an individual post and all posts within a country mission.

s. The Contractor shall identify, track, and report on applicants who do not appear for their scheduled interview at posts receiving greeter services.

C.2.8 FEE COLLECTION SERVICES

a. The Contractor shall collect the entire fee, and no more than that fee, at an exchange rate designated by the Government, in one transaction (i.e. no partial payments shall be collected). In other words, the Contractor shall not collect the fee at an exchange rate advantageous to the Contractor and keep the remainder, nor could the Contractor accept less than the full fee.

b. The Contractor shall post to its customer-facing GSS website a current schedule of fees collected by the Contractor.

c. When the exchange rate designated by the Government for consular fees is changed by the Government, the Contractor shall apply this new rate at all applicable collection sites within three (3) business days.

d. Fees shall be matched to the applicant, one-to-one, including for group appointments.

Fees are non-transferable (either to another person or for use in another country) after being associated with an applicant. Fees are non-refundable, except in limited cases per attached refund guidance in Section J, Attachment N, and the Contractor shall develop a Fee Collection, Refund, Usage, and Aging Report, as detailed in Section F.6.1.7.

e. The Contractor shall deposit all fees collected from applicants into a Government account within one (1) business day of acceptance, unless the Contractor receives prior approval from the Government.

f. The Contractor shall provide an accurate and timely Daily Fee Receipt Collection and Sweep Report detailing each transaction that makes up the daily sweep within twenty-four (24) hours of deposit into the U.S. Disbursing Officer's account, as detailed in Section F.6.1.6.

g. The Contractor shall be Payment Card Industry (PCI) and/or Visa International’s Account Information Security (AIS) compliant, and, at the Task Order level where applicable, provide to the Department an Annual Credit/Debit Card Financial Compliance Statement Report, as detailed in Section F.6.1.8. If a change in services causes the Contractor to be non-compliant after an annual report’s submission, the Contractor shall notify the Government immediately and provide monthly updates to the Government until any deficiencies are resolved.

h. The Contractor shall provide a Fee Reporting Controls Compliance Statement and Review Results Report, as detailed in Section F.5.1.2, prior to being permitted to support fee collection services; and

i. Provide a satisfactory SSAE-18 SOC -1 Type 1 and/or Type 2 report and/or ad hoc information on Fee Reporting Controls and Compliance, as detailed in Section F.5.12, upon Government request.

j. Collected consular fees shall not be comingled with other monies. The Contractor shall establish a dedicated bank account per fee collection type (e.g. separate accounts for cash and credit cards) where only consular fees are deposited and is used for the sole purpose of consular fee collection. Any fees associated with the account shall be paid from a different bank account, unless the Contractor receives prior approval from the Government. At the request of the Government, the Contractor shall provide a detailed bank statement with all debits and credits for the account(s).

k. The Contractor shall maintain a centralized database of all bank accounts used for consular fee collections, which shall be available to the Government. This database shall list the bank names, account numbers, and those individuals who are signatories on the accounts.

C.2.9 DOCUMENT DELIVERY SERVICES

a. The Contractor shall provide a service that allows both the Government and applicants using courier passback for returning documents and/or OFC services to check on the Contractor's customer-facing GSS website directly (not through a sub-vendor website) to check the status of their documents.

b. The Contractor shall provide multi-way service for select consular cases, such as revalidation cases, when the consular section specifically requests an applicant send additional paperwork needed for adjudicatory purposes (such as Immigration and Nationality Act Section 221(g) cases), and/or document passback. The courier shall deliver the documents to the consular section, and the consular section will return the documents by courier along with the applicant's passport/visa. Under limited circumstances, the Contractor shall be required to provide more than one (1) delivery service of travel documents per customer. (For instance, a customer discovers an error in their visa after the Contractor delivers it; the customer will be able to send the visa back for correction and have it delivered again.)

c. The Contractor shall transfer all documents to and from the consular section according to a mutually agreed upon schedule and in a secure manner.

d. The Contractor shall be responsible for and able to track passports and listed supporting documents from the moment received from the applicant until delivery to the consular section, within a timeframe determined at the Task Order level.

e. The Contractor shall be responsible for verifying that all documents and passports are in the package at the time it is returned by the consular section and assumes its responsibility from that moment until evidence of document delivery.

f. Document delivery is considered complete at such time as the Contractor obtains 1) the in-person signature of the applicant or the applicant’s designated recipient presenting an authorizing document to allow for pickup (whether such authorizing documents will be allowed and requirements for such documents will be specified at the task order level), or

2) a retrievable signed receipt confirmation, within a timeframe determined at the Task Order level. Such authorization shall be included in the applicant's record.

g. The Contractor shall document as proof of acceptance the applicant’s receipt of travel documents and have the records retrievable for auditability online through the Contractor’s platform.

h. The Contractor shall report to the Government any delayed delivery as defined at the Task Order level and as detailed in Section F.6.1.14.

i. The Contractor shall notify the Government immediately, by email, of any documents lost, misplaced, or otherwise unaccounted for while in the custody of any GSS service provider.

j. Packaging used for delivery of issued travel documents shall not be marked as such or visibly identifiable as a U.S. visa, in order to prevent theft.

k. Packaging used for delivery of issued travel documents shall not reflect or contain any contractor, subcontractor, or private party advertisements.

l. The Contractor shall provide dual notification (via email, SMS or another mechanism) of the time at which a travel document is ready for pick up or delivery. This notification shall be reflected in the applicant’s profile and any subsequent notifications.

m. Applicant passports and issued visas shall be safeguarded prior to delivery by the Contractor as specified: combination safes at point of service locations and combination safes or Government-approved bar lock cabinets at Contractor-run document service locations, to include OFCs. Combinations for safes and bar lock cabinets shall be changed annually or when Contractor employees with access to those combinations leave employment; key locks for bar lock cabinets should be replaced if used in lieu of combination locks.

n. The Contractor shall use CCTV to record operations at all delivery service facilities, where feasible. Document delivery service facility CCTV feeds shall be available for at least 30 days.

o. Contractor personnel may open and arrange incoming GSS mail only in document delivery service facilities that have CCTV recording GSS operations.

p. The Contractor shall provide a premium service option for international document delivery of issued visas, regardless of place of interview, where legal and practical, and at the discretion and direction of the Department.

C.2.10 GREETER SERVICES

a. The Contractor shall provide greeter services, at staffing levels based on task order volume levels and/or as defined by the Government, that involve coordinating with the consular section, local guard services, and mission security employees to verify applicant's ID and appointment information and facilitate consular applicant entry into and movement through and out of consular section facilities, using electronic check in and contractor-supplied barcode solution, or a post-provided paper list, as approved by post.

b. The Contractor shall provide Greeters a uniform of some type, approved by the Government, that makes them easily identifiable to applicants and employees, and any additional gear, that is appropriate for the local climate.

c. In the interest of cross-training and to mitigate staffing- and fraud-related risks, where there is more than one, greeters shall rotate through the various consular support functions and areas on a regular basis rather than be assigned to a single duty.

d. Greeters shall assist with arranging GSS mail already properly screened by post’s mailroom, in the consular section, under consular supervision during non-interview hours and with appropriate Regional Security Office (RSO) certification.

e. Greeters shall distribute approved consular information/materials onsite at the consular section prior to applicant interview, and execute workflow efficiency studies.

f. The Contractor shall appoint a dedicated Greeter Supervisor from existing greeter resources for immediate interaction with the consular section.

g. The Contractor shall make available technology for greeters to communicate operational issues amongst themselves and with the consular section, with post RSO approval.

C.2.11 OFFSITE FACILITATION CENTER (OFC) DATA COLLECTION SERVICES

2.11.1 Facilities: Offsite Facilitation Centers (OFCs) shall meet requirements detailed in Section H.8.5.

2.11.2 Staff

a. The Contractor shall have designated supervisory personnel, as required by the

Government, cleared in accordance with Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS) requirements found in H.8.4, on location at the OFC during all operating hours.

b. Contractor OFC management personnel, including but not limited to OFC manager, assistant OFC managers, and IT managers, shall possess appropriate security clearances or a favorable Moderate Risk Public Trust (MRPT) determination conducted and favorably adjudicated by DS, as defined in Section H.8.

c. All other Contractor personnel working at OFCs shall be vetted by the Contractor and supported embassy or consulate prior to hire. Personnel must receive the level of vetting noted in Section H.8, which is based on the position and whether access to an embassy/consulate is required in the performance of their duties. Required investigative checks are based on the type of position held and duties to be accomplished by the individual. The Contractor shall retain documentation for the duration of the clearance and/or employment.

d. The Contractor shall provide OFC personnel a uniform of some type, approved by the Government, that makes them easily identifiable to applicants and employees, and any additional gear, that is appropriate for the local climate.

e. The Contractor shall, upon suspicion of any Contractor personnel’s possible involvement in inappropriate, unethical, or illegal activities, and/or any other suspected or actual malfeasance or misfeasance, to include but not be limited to criminal, unauthorized, or negligent activity, notify the Government, including the Regional Security Office, within two (2) hours. The Contractor shall take appropriate investigatory action, with preliminary follow-up reporting to the Government within one (1) business day, as detailed in Section F.6.1.4.

f. Upon receiving a Government request to investigate any inappropriate, unethical, or illegal activities, and/or suspected or actual malfeasance or misfeasance, to include but not be limited to criminal, unauthorized, or negligent activity, on the part of Contractor personnel, the Contractor shall report its findings in writing within one (1) business day, as detailed in Section F.6.1.4.

g. Should any GSS employee become involved in any inappropriate, unethical, or illegal activities, the Contractor shall notify the Government prior to releasing the Contractor employee from employment, so as to allow the Department the opportunity to interview the contractor employee. The Contractor shall provide full cooperation in any related investigation conducted by the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security through the local Regional Security Office.

h. The Contractor shall obtain and return to the Department of State, via the local Regional Security Officer (RSO), all Contractor employee identification (ID) issued by the Department or local RSO office. If Department ID could not be obtained and returned, the Contractor shall notify the RSO by telephone immediately. The Contractor must then follow-up with written notification to the RSO describing the reasons for which the ID could not be recovered and returned.

i. In accordance with Section H.8, the Contractor shall notify the local RSO when any GSS Contractor employee subject to Section H.8.4 voluntarily terminates employment.

j. Contractor OFC personnel interfacing with Government IT support staff shall be proficient in spoken and written English.

2.11.3 Information Security

a. For biometric data collection, the Contractor shall only use hardware and software furnished by the Government.

b. The Contractor shall not permit wireless networks to share a data access point with the Government system.

c. To protect applicant data, the Contractor shall not permit the use of wireless computers or other wireless devices at the OFC.

d. The equipment furnished by the Government shall not be altered from the original configuration, as mandated by DS security configuration guides, unless directed by the Government in writing.

e. No personal smartphones, computers, media, flash drives, USB devices, or other peripherals shall be permitted in OFCs and accessible to Contractor personnel, visitors or applicants, with the exception of OFC manager and Government employees. No peripherals of any sort, including Contractor-owned equipment, shall be attached to the Government-supplied equipment unless authorized by the Government.

f. All computers and electronic equipment, including those belonging to the Contractor, shall be subject to inspection by post personnel at any time.

g. The Contractor shall install Government-provided security software (i.e. anti-virus definitions and security patches) updates on a monthly basis, or as directed by the Government, and report statistics and completion dates on the patching process…