24-31-A-PMO-OITA SaaS and ATO Support Services RFI-V3.docx

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) eDiscovery Software as a Service (SaaS) and ATO Support Services Sources Sought Notice (SSN)

24-31-A-PMO-OITA

June 25, 2024 eDiscovery SaaS Solution and Litigation Support Services Sources Sought Notice (SSN) 24-31-A-PMO-OITA | ii Introduction This is a Sources Sought Notice (SSN) -- hereinafter referred to as, “Notice”. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, request for bids or quotations, nor a promise to issue a solicitation in the future. The purpose of this Notice is for the Government to obtain knowledge and information for project planning purposes only.

No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in responses to this Notice, unless otherwise appropriately marked by the Respondent. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information received in response to this Notice in any resultant solicitation(s). Do Not Submit any Proposals / Offers / Quotes in response to this Notice.

At a summary level, the Government has interest in and is seeking information regarding the capability of companies who can provide a Microsoft Azure cloud-based eDiscovery software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution to meet the agency’s needs for an e-discovery, tax and general litigation support processing and review tool(s), together with associated support services. This solution allows the IRS to effectively handle the Electronically Stored Information (ESI) following the Electronically Discovery Reference Model (EDRM) process. The Government is seeking to gain knowledge of interest, capabilities and qualifications of qualified vendors and various members of the Small Business Community to include Section 8(a), Historically Underutilized Business Zones (HUB-Zone), and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB), as well as the company’s existing contractual vehicles.

Request for Information Number: 24-31-A-PMO-OITA Project Title / Short Description: eDiscovery SaaS and ATO Support Services

· Product Service Code: DA10 - IT AND TELECOM - BUSINESS APPLICATION/APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT SOFTWARE AS A SERVICE

· NAICS Code: 541519 - Other Computer Related Services

Release Date: June 25, 2024 Final Date for Questions: July 1, 2024 at 4:00p.m, ET Response Date: July 10, 2024 at 4:00p.m, ET

Point of Contact:

Name: Cherie Hunter Email: proc.apmo.mr@irs.gov

The Requirement

Overview The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is seeking a FedRamp Moderate Microsoft Aszure cloud-based Software-as-a-Solution (SaaS) eDiscovery platform. The platform shall be capable of eDiscovery processing, including litigation hold and forensic collections, early case assessment, review, analysis, and production to meet the agency’s needs for tax- and general-litigation and associated support services. This solution will allow the IRS to effectively handle the Electronically Stored Information (ESI) generated by the business processes and following the Electronic Discovery Reference Model (“EDRM”) process. The e-discovery platform must be capable of integration with existing e-discovery and litigation tools, must be capable of reviewing ESI in a wide variety of formats (including chat communications, such as Slack, iMessage, SMS, and Teams), and must be able to facilitate collection of documents from MSOffice 365 and related repositories.

1. Proposed SaaS Solution:

Chief Counsel’s Office requires a unified platform for eDiscovery document review and access to advanced review tools.

The SaaS must be able to provide the minimum below:

· Unified platform for document review and access to advanced review tools

· Hosted storage capacity minimum:

· Review 54TB

· Cold Storage 27TB

· Staging 9TB

· Vendor-hosted cloud-based instance that runs on the Microsoft Azure Government Cloud

· FedRamp Moderate Authorized solution

· 24/7 access to data in active review with a method acceptable to the IRS

· Ability to restore data in cold storage to active review within 5 business days.

· Provide tools to collect, preserve, process, ingest, and produce data in a wide variety of data formats including, but not limited to: Adobe files, Apple files, CAD files, Compressed files, Container files, Database files, Email, EnCase, Excel, Google Workspace, Hangul, HTML, iCalendar, Image Files, Lotus, JungUm Global, OneNote, OpenOffice, PowerPoint, Publisher, Project, Short message, Slack, Text, Vector, Visio, Word, and WordPerfect

· Provide end-users within the IRS with the necessary tools to analyze and review data utilizing an array of Technology-Assisted-Review or other analytical tools to produce data out in accordance with the agency’s requirements

· Capacity to auto-redact information quickly and effectively

· Be capable of migration of existing workspaces from a server-hosted version of Relatively.

· Provide integration between IRS systems, including third party systems such as MSOffice 365 (including Outlook, Sharepoint, Teams, OneDrive, etc.), Salesforce and others that may import directly into the e-discovery/ESI review system. Provide mobile tools usable in the Android & IOS environments.

· Ability to restrict data by counsel’s office to only those with a need-to-know

· Machine translation from within an eDiscovery Review tool to ensure OCC attorneys can review, code, redact, and produce foreign language documents within required deadlines

· eDiscovery document review tool process and organize chat ESI

2. Support Obtainment of Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) and Authority to Operate (ATO) The IRS anticipates a transition from a vendor-managed on-premises version of the Relativity server to a cloud-based, FedRAMP Moderate approved eDiscovery solution. As such, there is a need for a vendor to facilitate the implementation of the e-Discovery solution in the Testing and Production environment, the Contractor shall create the Security and Privacy Authorization/FedRAMP Package.

Optional Litigation Support Services In addition to the above, the IRS would like to understand the market for ancillary litigation support services that wrap-around the proposed SaaS solution. The market insights for these services may support future requirements.

1. SaaS Support and Ancillary Services Accommodate any data generated for electronic discovery, tax litigation, and other needs.

Provide support services as requested by the IRS, including processing/ingestion, end-user training, and consulting related to the e-discovery/ESI review process. These services would also include advising on advanced and complex use of tools, applications, or processes.

· Collect, process, ingest, and support analysis of said data in alignment with the EDRM process.

· Provide support services (e.g., processing/loading, help desk, training, workflow analysis, etc.) to assist the IRS with its use of tools and the E-discovery process.

· Provide and maintain documentation to support IRS’s use of contractor’s tools, including but not limited to process manuals and user guides.

· Provide litigation support activities which may fall in one or more of the following categories:

· Document acquisition including social media collections

· Database creation, including document processing and database implementation

· Database utilization

· Electronic data acquisition and processing

· Pre-trial and trial support, including courtroom presentation services

· Resource planning, implementation, and administration

· Specialized professional services in support of litigation, investigations, and case related administration, including language translation, auditing and accounting services, statistical analysis, and forensic litigation services

· Contract and project management

· Special Projects

Draft PWS The Department of Treasury, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is posting the DRAFT E-Discovery and Litigation Processing and Review Tool Performance Work Statement (PWS) for the Internal Revenue Service, Office of Chief Counsel for technical comments, feedback, or questions.

The DRAFT PWS and information is provided for information and planning purposes only and shall not be considered as a solicitation or as an obligation. No award will be made as a result of this posting of the Draft PWS. This notice does not commit the U.S. Government to contract for any supply or service. Further, the U.S. Government is not seeking quotes, bids or proposals at this time and will not accept unsolicited proposals in response to this Request for Information notice. The Government will not pay for information and materials received in response to this Draft PWS. All responses to this request become the property of the Government and will not be returned to the submitter.

Notice Instructions Responses to this Notice are requested as follows:

Interested vendors should include as a part of their submission, the completed document titled, “24-31: eDiscovery Software as a Service (SaaS) and ATO Support Services Notice Response Matrix” hereafter referred to as, “Response Matrix”. The Response Matrix includes two (2) parts and must be submitted as one document with specific and separate responses to each question on the Response Matrix.

Part I Company Profile Information - IRS seeks company profile information about the companies that provide services positioned to address the requirements discussed above.

Part II Capability - IRS seeks Industry responses to specific questions. This is an analysis of your company’s abilities.

Responses shall not exceed 500 words per question and shall not contain any brochures, advertising or any other type of generic, extraneous, graphic literature or documents that have not been requested and are not relevant or essential in demonstrating the company’s ability to provide the required services. Vendors may provide links to relevant websites, as appropriate.

All responses shall be timely and submitted via email to the point of contact identified herein with the title/subject of the email identified as such, “24-31-A-PMO-OITA SSN Response: eDiscovery SaaS and Ancillary Litigation Services – [Company Name]”.

** THE GOVERNMENT WILL NOT RESPOND TO PHONE CALLS REGARDING THIS NOTICE **

Part I: Company Profile Information Responses are due by July 10, 2024, at 4:00 PM Eastern Time (ET).

Company Name, UEI, and Address Company technical and administrative Point of Contact (POC) information to include name, title, telephone number, and email address.

Company DUNS number, NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) Code List active governmentwide contracts that your company has been awarded (GWACs, IDIQs, and BPAs – include applicable SIN) Business Classification / Socio-Economic Status (e.g., large, small, 8(a), women owned, hub-zone, SDB, Service-Disabled Veteran Owned)

Part II: Capability Responses to this Notice must include the following:

A. Company Experience

1. Does your company have experience working with the IRS?

2. Do you have pre-cleared individuals?

B. eDiscovery SaaS Solution

1. Are you an approved reseller of eDiscovery SaaS solutions?

2. Does your company have the ability to provide a vendor-hosted cloud-based instance of an eDiscovery SaaS platform?

3. Can you identify and provide eDiscovery SaaS solutions that meet the requirements of the PWS?

4. Is the proposed solution FedRAMP moderate?

5. Is the solution built in Microsoft Azure Government?

6. Does the solution have integrated AI tools to assist with document review? If yes, please describe.

7. Please describe how your eDiscovery SaaS solution handles all aspects of the EDRM model from litigation holds to production.

8. Does your SaaS solution have the ability to integrate with other tools such as Microsoft 365 or Salesforce? If yes, please describe how and what the integration does in relation to the EDRM model of the litigation lifecycle.

9. Do you have the capability to support a migration from an on-premises Relativity Server instance to a cloud-based eDiscovery solution with ease and minimal disruption?

10. Is the solution 508 compliant?

11. The above data storage is for a minimum of 90TBs. Please explain the ability to respond to an increase in storage requirements?

12. What pricing options or structures would you recommend based on the minimum data storage requirements?

C. ATO Service

1. Does your company offer an eDiscovery review platform in a cloud instance?

2. Does your company have experience in supporting obtainment of an ATO?

3. If yes, what agencies have you worked with on ATO obtainment?

4. If yes, how long did the ATO process take?

5. Does your company have experience assisting federal agencies with Privacy Impact Assessments?

6. Does your company have employees pre-cleared for the IRS?

D. SaaS Litigation Wrap-Around Support Services

1. Given the above information, how long would the transition and data migration take from the current vendor-hosted Relativity-service instance to the new, contracted instance?

2. Do you have the capability to provide managed services support for the SaaS solution?

3. Do you have the capability to provide the below?

a. Document acquisition

b. Database creation, including document processing and database implementation

c. Database utilization

d. Electronic data acquisition and processing

e. Pre-trial and trial support, including courtroom presentation services

f. Resource planning, implementation, and administration

g. Specialized professional services in support of litigation, investigations, and case related administration, including language translation, auditing and accounting services, statistical analysis, and forensic litigation services

h. Contract and project management

4. Given the above required services, what labor and staffing resources do you recommend?

Terms and Conditions regarding this Notice This Notice does not obligate the Government to award a contract or otherwise pay for the information provided in response. All costs associated with responding to this Notice are solely at the responding party's expense. The Government reserves the right to use information provided by respondents for any purpose deemed necessary and legally appropriate. Further, the Government may contact the vendor for additional information regarding the information submitted as part of this market research effort. Any organization responding to this notice should ensure that its response is complete and sufficiently detailed to allow the Government to determine the organization’s qualifications to perform the work. Respondents are advised that the Government is under no obligation to acknowledge receipt of the information received or provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted. After a review of the responses received, a pre-solicitation synopsis and solicitation may be published in Government Point of Entry or other similar source (e.g., GSA E-buy). However, responses to this notice will not be considered adequate responses to a solicitation.

Responses to this Notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract or agreement. The Government will not be obligated to pursue any particular acquisition alternative as a result of this notice. Responses to the notice will not be returned. Not responding to this Notice does not preclude participation in any future solicitation if one is issued.

No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in responses to this Notice, unless otherwise appropriately marked by the Respondent. The Government reserves the right to use any non-proprietary technical information received in response to this Notice in any resultant solicitation(s).

Do Not Submit any Proposals/Offers in response to this Notice.

Thank you for your response to this Request for Information.

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