RFI

RFI-ITOPSS

Notice Type:

Presolicitation

Synopsis:

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI), NOT A SOLICITATION

CDC International Technical, Operational, and Professional Support Services (ITOPSS) Contract

Request for Information (RFI) 22 Dec 2010

Introduction - The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is seeking industry feedback on a range of issues as it formulates its sourcing strategy and request for proposals for the next generation contract supporting CDC's Global Health programs.

ITOPSS Scope

The services acquired under this contract provide a mechanism for various operational, technical and professional tasks, studies, and projects to be performed for CDC in various countries. The CDC currently supports activities in 77 countries (Argentina, Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, Central African Republic, China, Colombia, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, South Korea, Laos, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Mexico, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Panama, Papa New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Republic of Georgia, Russia, Rwanda, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Suriname, St. Lucia, Swaziland, Tanzania, Thailand, Trinidad, Uganda, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. )

The Contractor shall provide short-term and long-term technical, operational, and professional services in various locations throughout the world in support of the CDC. The list of services in this section is not all inclusive of the activities that are supported by CDC. As the requirement for additional support of global health initiatives increases, this contract will be used to meet that need. The Contractor shall design, manage, participate in and implement programs for global health activities including, but not limited to, HIV/AIDS, Infectious Diseases, Global Disease Detection (GDD), conducting staff training and training programs for indigenous populations, including some basic education activities. The contractor must be capable of providing travel management services and assistance to their employees, including, but not limited to: airline e-tickets, immunizations, passports, visas, local work permits, and emergency evacuations. In addition, the contractor must have the means to provide support in the following areas for their employees: background checks, housing, medical and evacuation insurance, foreign government taxation, filing income tax returns with country of origin, compliance with international and local laws, emergency medical care and other details necessary to successfully place personnel to perform the services required. The Contractor shall perform tasks that fall into three categories: technical, operational and professional support services. Most of the tasks will take place on long-term assignments (up to 5 years) in non-U.S. locations.

Technical Support Services Provide technical advice and assistance to CDC staff and other public health, medical and scientific professionals in both laboratory and office activities. One characteristic of the services in this category is the requirement for knowledge of scientific research techniques and analyzing data. This category may also include services that require technical expertise in providing solutions with regards to security compliance, training, operational support, technical and development support, international or global experience and technical knowledge in a myriad of international activities. Characteristic of the services in this category are the requirements for knowledge of information technology principles and techniques and public health program management experience that is less than full professional knowledge, but which nevertheless enables the technician to understand how and why a specific device, skill, or system operates. Tasks include, but are not limited to public health, laboratory coordination and management, training, demographics, counseling, database development and management, data management, technical writing, building and design coordination, communications, Informatics, human capacity development, emergency operations, research and science and Information technology.

Operational Support Services:

Provide operational assistance and support to technical, professional, medical, and scientific personnel. Such as preparing, transcribing, transferring, systematizing, and preserving written communications and records; gathering and distributing information; operating office machines; storing, distributing, and accounting for storage of material; operating office equipment; originating and distributing correspondence in both written and electronic formats, and performing other administrative duties. Tasks include, but are not limited to secretarial services, program coordination, financial consulting, facilities projects, project analysis, interviewing, extramural resource management, public affairs, real estate maintenance, study coordination, program operations, administrative support services, office automation services and other related fields.

Professional Support Services Provide professional expertise include, but are not limited to, microbiology services, pharmaceutical services, nursing, medical and surgical services, epidemiology and research, science (behavioral and health), occupational therapy, health economy, virology, laboratory quality assurance, behavior modification services and other related services.

Historical/Relative Frequency of Services The following services (and tasks) have historically been requested most frequently (from most frequent to less frequent): Operation/Management Services, Epidemiology Services, Laboratory Services, HIV Care/treatment counseling and testing Services, HIV/TB Monitoring and Evaluation Services, Transmission, Surveillance Services, Data Research Informatics Services (Communications, PR, Study, etc.), Avian and Human Influenza Services, Capacity Building Services, Behavioral Health Services, Information Technology Support, and Malaria, Plague, Polio Support.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

As part of providing services under this contract, the Contractor shall meet the following requirements:

Management The Contractor shall employ management practices that ensure all requirements are fulfilled in a technically compliant and timely manner and manage services on a global basis. This includes both day-to-day contract requirements and individual task order requirements and objectives.

Management of Contractor Employee Benefits The Contractor shall consistently apply all company practices, processes, and methodologies utilized in determining contractor employee benefits (e.g. if applicable: benefits concerning housing, health/life insurance, relocation/repatriation, leave, travel, etc.). Such determinations and methodologies shall be explicitly stated in the Contractor’s proposal for the overall contract and in response to subsequent task orders.

Recruitment, Replacement, and Retention The Contractor shall employ hiring, replacement, and retention practices that ensure the Contractor is able to identify, screen, place, monitor, train, practice good management and payment practices to retain qualified candidates to fulfill service requirements under this contract. The Contractor shall maintain a database of applications for appropriate candidates, accessible by education, field of expertise, work experiences, certifications, languages and other skills.

Personal versus Non-Personal Services Task Orders Differing task order requirements, as well as the number and types of skills involved, will necessarily result in a variety of different approaches to supervision. This contract will be for both personal and non-personal services.

Workload Management The Contractor shall implement management systems and controls for recording and monitoring workloads for all tasks. This system shall include a means for acquiring signed timecards (by the point of contact on the task order) to be submitted with invoices for firm fixed price and cost reimbursement task orders. The systems shall be capable of providing historical and in-process workload data segregated by task order.

Security Requirements. (Individual contractor employees must pass various background checks; i.e. Third Country Nationals (TCNs) must pass the Regional Service Office (RSO) background investigation and US citizens must be fingerprinted and pass the National Agency Check and Inquiry (NACI). Everyone is subject to Homeland Security Presidential Directive ( HSPD)-12 requirements regarding access to facilities and computer networks.)

a) The highest level of security required under this contract is “Secret”. In order to be eligible for work requiring facility and individual security clearances, the Contractor and its employees shall acquire and maintain security clearances up to and at this level. If a Contractor does not have the appropriate clearances, it will not be eligible to propose on task orders requiring security clearances.

b) This contract may require access to “For Official Use Only” Information. In performing this contract the Contractor may:

i) Have access to classified information at a Government activity.

ii) Receive and generate classified information.

iii) Fabricate, modify or store classified hardware.

Task orders issued under this contract will reflect any security requirements. If the proposed contracted employee already has a security clearance, the acceptability of that clearance will be reviewed at that time by the customer Security requirements should be passed down to any and all subcontractors. If security clearances are required, the Contractor will be responsible for having the individual complete the security clearance form and submit the form in accordance with government procedures (which can vary depending upon the type of security clearance). The clearance process generally takes from two to six months, inclusive of the investigation, depending upon the clearance level required.

Instructions - CDC appreciates industry feedback on any or all of the following questions. Responses should be sent to the following email address: tctucker@cdc.gov no later than 18 January 2011. Responses should be in Microsoft Office product format (e.g. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc). Responses will be kept confidential. Response or non-response to this RFI will have no bearing on the standing of any proposer in subsequent solicitations.

The sole purpose of this RFI is to assist CDC in understanding the service provider landscape, identify good ideas and strategies, and avoids solicitation or contracting parameters which would be detrimental to CDC's mission or industry's ability to provide innovative and cost-effective solutions. CDC does not plan to respond back to companies that submit responses to this RFI except perhaps to ask a clarifying question regarding a response provided by a company.

Industry Questions

1. Sourcing: CDC has a history of using a single award IDIQ contract for obtaining these services and we are considering alternate acquisition approaches for the new procurement. Given the requirement’s size, breadth of geographic coverage, variety of service requirements, and in consideration of the Federal regulatory preference for multiple award IDIQ contracts please comment on the following 4 acquisition strategies. Please describe what you perceive as significant advantages and disadvantages, either for CDC or for the offerors/awardees. CDC’s goal is to obtain the highest quality technical support at a reasonable cost/price. You are also encouraged to suggest other strategies not listed below.

1. Single Award IDIQ contract covering all 77 countries.

1. Single Award of three or four IDIQ contracts with each contract covering a unique region of the world. If this approach is perceived as advantageous, please indicate how you would recommend the different regions should be determined and/or defined.

1. Multiple Award IDIQ contracts covering all 77 countries.

1. Multiple Award IDIQs contracts separated by region.

1. Contract Type: CDC has historically issued Cost Plus Fixed Fee task orders but in consideration of the Government’s preference for Fixed Price awards we are considering how we may be able to utilize that contract type to reduce the overall cost to the Government. In consideration of the unique nature of the costs associated with work performance overseas, please comment on the perceived advantages and disadvantages of awarding fixed price task orders, in either a multiple award or single award environment. If you believe that there are specific types of task orders or specific segments of work that would lend themselves better to fixed price awards please elaborate.

1. Geographic Coverage: Please recommend how CDC can best ensure full coverage in all 77 countries without requiring that every offeror provide support in every country. Requiring support capability in all 77 countries as a pass/fail evaluation criteria is one approach CDC is considering but please suggest other alternative approaches. Also please comment on the best way for CDC to ensure a company is capable of conducting business in any given overseas location.

1. Ability to provide services legally: Please fill out the attached country checklist spreadsheet identify which country that you capable to conduct business legally.

1. OTHER: Please provide any other suggestions or ideas for CDC to consider with regards to this requirement.

Contracting Office Address:

Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Procurement and Grants Office (Atlanta), 2920 Brandywine Road, Room 3000, Atlanta, GA, 30341-4146, UNITED STATES

Point of Contact(s):

Tailee C. Tucker, Contract Specialist, Phone 770-488-2812, Email tctucker@cdc.gov Sheila Dolan, Contracting Officer, Phone 770-488-2635, Email sdolan@cdc.gov