2026.08.11_PR15819016_SOW_V2.pdf

STATEMENT OF WORK

Contracting of certification services for 17 Polygraph Examiners and the Establishment and

Accreditation of a Vetting Training Center under American Polygraph Association (APA) Standards

Police Integrity 360° Project

1. Introduction.

The United States Department of State (DoS), Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement

Affairs (INL), implements the Police Integrity 360° Project in Ecuador in coordination with the General

Inspectorate of the Ecuadorian National Police (IGPN).

The project aims to strengthen institutional integrity, internal control, accountability, and professionalism within the National Police through sustainable vetting and credibility assessment mechanisms aligned with internationally recognized standards.

As part of this initiative, INL supports:

• The certification of seventeen (17) National Police officers as polygraph examiners in accordance with the standards of the American Polygraph Association (APA);

• The establishment, operationalization, and accreditation of a permanent Vetting Training Center

(Polygraph School) within the Credibility Section of the Trust Control Department of the IGPN.

2. Purpose and Objectives

2.1. Purpose: To contract a qualified and experienced vendor to implement a comprehensive polygraph capacity-building program that strengthens the Ecuadorian National Police’s institutional vetting capability under APA standards.

2.2. Objectives

2.2.1 Certify seventeen (17) National Police officers as polygraph examiners in accordance with APA standards, enabling the sustainable application of vetting procedures within the Trust Centers.

2.2.2 Design, develop, operationalize, and support the accreditation of a Vetting Training Center as an

APA-compliant polygraph training school, including the development of institutional capacity through the training of up to ten (15) Primary Polygraph Instructors.

3. Scope of work

The vendor shall perform the following:

3.1. Certification of seventeen (17) Polygraph Examiners in accordance with American Polygraph

Association (APA) standards

The vendor shall:

• Deliver a minimum of 400 in-person academic hours over ten (10) consecutive weeks.

• Ensure the curriculum is compliant with APA standards, including the following subjects:

o Law and Constitutional Rights o APA Ethics and Professional Standards o Psychology o Physiology o Instrumentation and Mechanics o Polygraph Testing Techniques o Pre-Test and Post-Test Interviews o Test Question Construction o Data and Chart Analysis o Countermeasures o Reporting o Supervised Practical Application (minimum 80 hours)

• Provide qualified instructors to meet APA standards.

• Provide all instructional materials in Spanish.

• Provide APA-compliant polygraph instrumentation systems (Lafayette, Limestone, or equivalent).

• Conduct written and practical evaluations.

• Issue formal certification documentation for participants who successfully complete the program in accordance with APA standards.

3.2 Establishment and Accreditation of the Vetting Training Center – APA Standards

The vendor shall establish, develop, and support the accreditation of a Vetting Training Center in accordance with APA standards, including the following components:

A. Primary Instructor Development ( Up to 15 officers)

The vendor shall:

• Deliver a structured Primary Polygraph Instructor development program.

• Provide training in pedagogy, lesson planning, curriculum delivery, evaluation methodology, and supervised instruction.

• Require supervised teaching practicum.

• Provide institutional certification documentation as Primary Polygraph Instructors for school accreditation purposes.

This component does not constitute independent instructor certification by the American Polygraph

Association (APA), but prepares designated personnel to fulfill academic and governance requirements of an APA-accredited training program.

B. Supporting process for the certification of the Vetting Training Center – APA Standards.

The vendor shall develop the institutional and academic framework required for APA accreditation, including:

Delivery of the following documentation in Spanish, in editable digital format:

• Administrative Manual

• Academic Policies and Procedures Manual

• Polygraph Instruction Manual (APA-aligned)

• Instructor Evaluation Manual

• Student Evaluation Manual

• Code of Ethics

• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

• Complaint and Disciplinary Procedures

• Record Retention Policy

• Institutional Academic Catalog

• Quality Assurance Framework

• Any other document required to ensure full compliance with current APA accreditation standards.

C. APA Accreditation Process

The vendor shall:

• Conduct an institutional gap analysis against current APA accreditation standards.

• Complete and document the institutional self-study process.

• Prepare and submit the formal intent-to-seek accreditation documentation.

• Prepare the full accreditation dossier in accordance with APA requirements.

• Coordinate and support the APA inspection process.

If deficiencies, recommendations, or corrective actions are identified during the APA review or inspection process, the vendor shall:

• Develop and implement a corrective action plan;

• Revise documentation, procedures, or institutional structures as required;

• Provide technical support to address all identified findings; and

• Support resubmission or re-application in accordance with APA procedures.

The vendor shall provide documented evidence of submission, inspection, corrective actions, and final accreditation determination issued by the American Polygraph Association.

Accreditation applies to the institution as a whole and not to individual instructors.

4. Deliverables

The vendor shall provide:

• Examiner Certification Documentation (17 officers)

• Vetting Training Center o Primary Instructor Designation Documentation (up to 15 officers) o Final Implementation and Accreditation Report

5. Vendor Requirements

5.1. Certification and Accreditation:

Prior to contract award, the vendor shall demonstrate that its polygraph training program is delivered exclusively through APA-accredited polygraph schools and qualified instructors trained and authorized under APA standards.

5.2. Mandatory Institutional

The vendor must demonstrate:

1. Minimum five (5) years of experience delivering APA professional polygraph training programs.

2. Prior development, design, or restructuring of at least one (1) polygraph training school within:

o A national law enforcement agency, OR o A military institution, OR o A recognized government security institution.

Verifiable documentation or references.

Failure to demonstrate prior institutional school development experience shall render the proposal technically non-responsive.

5.3. Project Manager

Vendor shall designate a Project Manager as primary point of contact.

6. Place of Performance

The training and certification activities shall be conducted in Quito, Ecuador, at facilities provided by the

National Police.

7. Schedule

Description Timeline Deliverables

Certification of seventeen (17)

Polygraph Examiners in accordance with APA standards

Ten (10) consecutive weeks

(minimum 400 hours).

Final Report

Due within ten (10) calendar days following completion of all activities.

Supporting process for the certification of the Vetting

Training Center

Estimated delivery period of nine (9) months from contract award.

The vendor shall provide a final report of accreditation determination issued by the

American Polygraph

Association.

7.1. Administrative Phase

For the Polygraph Examiner Certification component, an administrative period of up to two (2) months following contract award shall be allocated for candidate designation, internal processing, and required vetting procedures.

For the Vetting Training Center development component, implementation activities shall commence no later than two (2) weeks after contract award.

7.2. Training Phase

The Polygraph Examiner Certification training program shall be delivered over ten (10) consecutive weeks, with a minimum of 400 hours of in-person instruction.

7.3. Accreditation Phase

May extend up to nine (9) months total from contract award.

7.4. Final Report

Due within ten (10) calendar days following completion of all activities.

8. Special Terms and Conditions

• The total amount allocated to the Polygraph Examiner Certification component shall be payable upon successful completion of the certification of seventeen (17) polygraph examiners and submission of the corresponding certification documentation acceptable to INL Ecuador.

• The remaining contract balance shall be payable upon completion of all remaining contractual activities, including Primary Instructor Development, delivery of the full institutional documentation package, and completion of the APA accreditation process support activities, subject to INL acceptance of all required deliverables.

• All activities must comply with APA standards in effect at time of delivery.

• Vendor should maintain strict confidentiality.

• Vendor responsible for all travel costs.

• Failure attributable to vendor non-compliance with APA standards may result in withholding of final payment.

APPENDIX A: TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Item

No.

Item Description QTY

Certification of

17 Polygraph

Examiner –

APA Standards

• 400 in-person academic hours

• 10 consecutive weeks

• Spanish language

• Minimum 80 hours supervised practical application

• Written and practical evaluations

• Minimum 90% attendance

• Certification in accordance with APA standards

• Curriculum includes: Laws & Human Rights (8 hrs);

APA Ethics & Procedures (4 hrs); History of

Psychophysiological Detection of Deception (12 hrs);

Scientific & Mechanical Instrumentation Tests (16 hrs); Polygraph Techniques (40 hrs); Pre-Test

Interview (32 hrs); Post-Test Interview (8 hrs);

Psychology (40 hrs); Physiology (40 hrs); Test

Question Construction (40 hrs); Data Analysis (40 hrs); Countermeasures (8 hrs); Results Reporting (2 hrs); Practical Polygraph Application (80 hrs);

Education & Training (30 hrs)

2. The Establishment and Accreditation of a Vetting Training Center under American Polygraph Association (APA) Standards

2.1

Primary

Instructor

Development

• Structured instructor development program for up to fifteen

(15) designated National Police officers.

• This component prepares personnel to serve as Primary

Polygraph Instructors for institutional and accreditation purposes.

• Program shall include:

• Instructional methodology and pedagogy

• Curriculum development and lesson planning

• Student evaluation methods

• Supervised teaching practicum

• Academic governance and faculty responsibilities

• Instructional quality assurance procedures

• This program does not constitute independent instructor certification by the APA but supports institutional accreditation requirements.

2.2

Establishment and

Accreditation of the Vetting

Training Center

– APA

Standards

The vendor shall:

• Conduct an institutional gap analysis against current APA accreditation standards;

• Complete and document the institutional self-study process;

• Prepare and submit the formal intent-to-seek accreditation documentation;

• Prepare the complete accreditation dossier;

• Coordinate and support the APA inspection process.

If deficiencies, recommendations, or corrective actions are identified during the APA review or inspection process, the vendor shall:

• Develop and implement a corrective action plan;

• Revise documentation, procedures, governance structures, or operational components as required;

• Provide technical assistance to address all identified findings;

• Support resubmission or re-application in accordance with

APA procedures.