VSS 3.0 RFP - Attachment A - Constraints and Mandatory Program Requirements.docx

Solicitation #19AQMM18R0428 Section J, Attachment A

ATTACHMENT A – CONSTRAINTS AND MANDATORY PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

The following constraints and mandatory requirements shall apply to the Visa Support Services (VSS) program:

1. Overall Contract Performance

0. 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.

0. The contractor shall be able to operate in multiple locations throughout the United States.

0. Services and solutions implemented shall be flexible in order to accommodate new requirements, program priorities, and/or volatility in service demand, and as appropriate, make suggestions that result in enhancements to efficiency and security.

0. The contractor shall ensure that all services and facilities can accommodate peak seasonal demand without any degradation in service.

0. The contractor shall follow and demonstrate adherence to sound and generally accepted program/project management practices.

0. The contractor shall abide by all applicable federal laws, regulations, policies, and procedures as they apply to DOS and/or the work being performed, and be understanding and responsive to changes, sometimes sudden, in these laws, regulations, policies, and procedures.

0. The contractor shall maintain full and open communications with the DOS Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) and/or Alternate Contracting Officer’s Representative (ACOR) on all matters including security, which includes sensitive, unclassified, and personally identifiable information, and as warranted and appropriate, any items considered to be of higher than sensitive security levels.

0. The contractor shall provide contract performance and quality data required to assess with all applicable service thresholds.

0. The contractor shall comply with all security, legal, and practical requirements particular to any locale in which VSS operations are conducted.

0. The contractor shall provide full contract oversight and provide 24/7 contact details to the Government.

0. Contract staff shall not give the impression or perception that they are involved in any way in decision-making or benefit-granting processes.

0. The contractor shall not alter any Government forms.

0. All scripts and public information published by the contractor regarding the VSS shall be approved by the Government.

0. Automated systems used by the contractor for auditing shall be accessible to the Government at the supported center as well as at DOS headquarters.

0. The contractor shall, at a minimum, provide support during all general center operating hours, which are currently 07:00 am thru 12:30 am EST, M-F. Additionally, the contractor shall provide biometric validation services 365 days a year. Refer to the PWS in Section C for details on services with unique support requirements.

1. Security

1. All subcontractors proposed by the prime contractor shall be subject to review and approval by Diplomatic Security prior to engaging in any VSS activities.

1. The contractor shall ensure all center facilities employees including subcontractors are aware of the contents of the fraud prevention program and sign a disclaimer saying they understand and shall agree to adhere to the program.

1. The contractor shall report back in writing to the Government within one (1) business day, or appropriate time frame determined by the Center Director, of receiving a Government request to investigate any suspected or actual malfeasance on the part of contract personnel.

1. The contractor shall notify the USG in writing within one (1) business day of discovering any suspected or actual malfeasance on the part of its own personnel.

1. Should any VSS employee become involved in any inappropriate, unethical, or illegal activities, the contracting company shall notify the Government prior to any adverse action being taken against the VSS employee, and shall provide full cooperation in any investigation conducted by the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security.

1. The contractor shall meet minimum security standards to be specified by the Government for the collection of physical and electronic data, for the custody and delivery of that data to and from USG facilities, and for preventing loss and misuse of personal and application data.

1. Services shall comply with all standards and regulations established by the U.S. Government and the Department of State regarding the protection, use and disclosure of Personally Identifiable Information and visa records.

1. Employees shall protect the integrity of all customer-related information and shall not disclose applicant data to any person outside of their supervisory chain, appropriate work unit, or the USG.

1. 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).

1. Staff

0. During all operating hours, the contractor shall have on-site supervisory personnel associated with all VSS functions being performed.

0. All replacement staff for initially proposed key personnel shall be evaluated and approved by the CO and/or COR prior to performing work.

0. Should any employee leave their jobs voluntarily, the contracting company shall notify the Government.

0. The contractor shall provide full cooperation, and exercise appropriate discretion, in any investigation conducted by the State Department's Bureau of Diplomatic Security.

1. Management Information

3. The contractor shall collect transactional data on operations (i.e., regarding appointments, public inquiries, delivery of documents, etc.) as well as a complete audit trail of applicants and applications as they move through the process.

3. All automated systems supplied by the contractor shall capture a complete audit trail of all instances when any employee accesses, modifies, or otherwise “touches” a record. The system shall include employee ID, action taken, time and date.

3. To the extent possible, the contractor shall incorporate and use recordings (i.e., from Government-furnished property) of customer services provided via telephone to support VSS operations.

1. Customer Service

4. Any changes to support schedules shall be approved by the Government no less than fourteen (14) calendar days before implementation.