A0005_Question Responses.pdf

Question

No.

Reference (RFQ Section and Page #)

Question

Category

(Contract or

Technical)

Question / Comments Response

1 M5 Pg. 65 Contract

As a start-up company with no prior contracts, will companies be graded netural (Some Confidence) for the Factor 1 - Prior Experience or will this eliminate them entirely?

The government will assess the offeror's prior experience when determining the confidence rating in accordance with Section M.5.

2 M5 Pg. 65 Contract

As a start-up company with no prior contracts, our first contract bid was for the

DHS Skip Tracing contract but we were not selected. Can DHS help us understand how we can improve this bid to increase our competitivenss for this contract?

After award of the contract(s), unsuccessful offeror letters will be submitted to the offerors who were not selected for award. At that time, an offeror may request a debrief in accordance with FAR

Overhaul 15.301.

Providing any vendors with this type of information would afford that vendor a competitive advantage, therefore it is not possible to provide the help that is being requested.

3 L.5. Factor 2 & 3 Pg. 61 Technical

For the Technical Approach and Scenarios, should we address BOTH the UAMs and the former UAMs within the same 1 page requirement?

Proposals shall be compliant with the directions provided within

Section L. The government will not provide additional direction as to the content of each offeror's submission.

L.5. Factor 5 Scenario 3 Pg.

Technical

With DHS background checks be required for police officers, child protective services, and/or social workers who will accompany our 1099 contractors while conducting UAM well-checks, as this will affect the time required for rapidly scale our operations.

Contractors can not begin work until the interim background investigation is complete. In accordance with the terms of the

PWS, the background investigation requirements apply to all individuals who require access to sensitive DHS information in performance of the contract.

Section C, PWS Task 3.3 -

Observe Overall Wellness, Technical

For CLIN 0003/1003 (Observe UAC Wellness), what level of school enrollment verification is required? Is sponsor attestation with supporting documentation

(e.g., report card, enrollment letter) sufficient, or must investigators independently verify enrollment directly with schools?

Verbal confirmation by the parent, sponsor, or the UAC is acceptable.

Section B - Contract Line

Items, Page 1-2 Contract

What is the anticipated volume split between UAC (under 18) and FUAC (ages

18-21) cases per task order or during contract period

There is no anticipated volume split between UAC (under 18) and

FUAC (ages 18-21) cases per task order or during the contract period. You may receive cases consisting entirely of UAC, entirely of FUAC, or a mix of both.

Section C, PWS Task 3.2 -

Conduct Site Visit for FUAC

(CLINs 0006/1006), Page 3

Technical

For Former UAC (ages 18-21) site visits under CLINs 0006/1006, should investigators conduct site visits at the FUAC's residential address, workplace, or either location? Is there a preference for one over the other

ICE prefers that all site visits for Former UACs (ages 18-21) under

CLINs 0006/1006 occur at the FUAC’s residential address. If service providers are unable to locate FUACs at their residential address, they may make contact at the workplace, but only to establish a location where a full site visit can be conducted. The primary goal of the program is to conduct wellness checks and ensure that

FUACs receive the information necessary to comply with their immigration obligations. Service providers should be mindful of their methods of contact and ensure their actions align with the program’s intent.

Section L.5, Factor 1 - Prior

Experience, Page 4-5;

Section M.5, Page 7

Technical

The solicitation requires "direct experience with child welfare" and experience

"working with unaccompanied alien children or similar foreign-national child populations." If an offeror has substantial experience performing similar work

(locating individuals, conducting wellness/safety checks, identifying abuse or neglect indicators, multi-jurisdictional field operations) but primarily with adult populations rather than children, can this experience be used to demonstrate competence and capability for Prior Experience evaluation? Would such experience receive consideration, or is direct child welfare experience with minors mandatory for a favorable confidence rating?

The government will assess the offeror's prior experience when determining the confidence rating in accordance with Section M.5 of the solicitation. However, the government will not make a determination on the rating as part of the Questions and Answers.

9 PWS 3.3 – Tasks - Page 2 Technical What ICE system(s) of record will contractors be required to use for case documentation and reporting?

Offeror's receiving an award will be provided access to a portal to share cases and collect case data.

10 PWS 3.3 – Tasks - Page 2 Technical

Will contractors be granted direct access to ICE systems of record, or will reporting be submitted through ICE personnel?

Offeror's receiving an award will be provided access to a portal to share cases and collect case data. No other ICE systems will be provided.

11 PWS 3.3 – Tasks - Page 2 Technical What are the required data elements, format, and structure for Safety

Verification Reports?

The required data elements, format and structure of reports will be contained within the portal.

12 PWS 3.3 – Tasks - Page 2 Contract Does ICE require real-time case updates, batch reporting, or a combination of both?

Both forms are acceptable. However, reporting needs to be documented within 24 hours of an update.

13 PWS 3.3 – Tasks - Page 2 Contract

What criteria define a case as "unresolved" or "unable to locate"? When the vendor has exhausted all efforts to locate the person, the COR has been notified, and the designation has been accepted by the government.

All the efforts that were used to locate the individual shall be documented and provided to the government.

14 PWS 3.3 – Tasks - Page 2 Contract What is ICE's expectation for frequency and format of status updates throughout the case lifecycle?

See response to question 12.

PWS 13.0 - Quality

Assurance - Page 9 Contract

Can ICE provide the full QASP, including defined Acceptable Quality Levels

(AQLs) for each performance metric?

The full QASP was provided as part of Amendment 0001.

PWS 13.0 - Quality

Assurance - Page 9 Contract

What criteria will ICE use to evaluate accuracy and completeness of case documentation?

Please see the QASP for this information.

PWS 13.0 - Quality

Assurance - Page 9 Contract

What corrective actions or remedies apply if performance falls below QASP thresholds?

This is dependent on the degree of failure to meet contract requirements, including, but not limited to, the severity and longevity of the deficiency.

Performance remediation may range from direct government intervention to documenting deficiencies in CPARs to full

18 General Contract What is the anticipated minimum and maximum case volume per task order?

Please see the questions and answers posted under Amendment

0001.

19 General Contract Will task orders be issued geographically, by population segment, or as a mixed distribution?

Please see the questions and answers posted under Amendment

0001.

20 General Contract Will multiple task orders be issued concurrently, and are contractors expected to perform across them simultaneously?

Please see the questions and answers posted under Amendment

0001.

21 General Contract Is there a maximum value or ceiling for the initial task order?

Please see the questions and answers posted under Amendment

0001.

22 PWS 7.3 - Staffing - Page 4 Contract What level of background investigation is required for contractor personnel?

(e.g., Tier 2 Public Trust)?

Background investigations are based on the person's role on the contract.

23 PWS 7.2 - Staffing - Page 4 Contract Will ICE accept reciprocity for personnel with existing ORR or DHS clearances?

Reciprocity will be granted as appropriate in accordance with the

ICE Office of Personal Security Division's policies and procedures.

24 PWS 7.0 - Staffing - Page 4 Contract Are there minimum staffing ratios or geographic coverage expectations?

No. It is up to the offeror to provide their proposed staffing structure

25 PWS 3.2 - Tasks - Page 2 Contract Are there designated high-risk areas requiring additional coordination or approval prior to field visits?

Any known areas of high risk will be shared by JFMD when the case is assigned.

26 PWS 3.2 - Tasks - Page 2 Contract What is the expected number of contact or visit attempts before a case is considered unresolved?

See response to question 13.

27 PWS 3.2 - Tasks - Page 2 Contract Are site visits permitted outside standard business hours when necessary to complete verification?

Hours are listed in the PWS.

28 General Technical What DHS/ICE security requirements apply (e.g., FISMA level, encryption standards)?

The performance work statement (PWS) contains all security requirements.

29 Pricing Pricing Will pricing be evaluated on a per-case, per-task-order, or hybrid basis?

Pricing will be evaluated in accordance with Section M.8 of the solicitation.

30 Pricing Pricing Will ICE define thresholds for local versus long-distance travel? No. This is defined by the federal travel regulations (FTR).

31 Pricing Pricing Are surge or escalation pricing provisions anticipated under increased workload conditions?

No.

32 PWS 3.2 - Tasks - Page 2 Contract

Attachment 03 appears to price services on a per-address basis; please clarify whether the quoted pricing is intended to include all required follow-up site visits for that address, or whether multiple visits to the same address may be billed separately.

Please see the questions and answers posted under Amendment

0001.

33 PWS 3.3 – Tasks - Page 2 Contract

Task completion and Case closed. How are these being linked to invoicing and

CLIN? Should a task be considered billable when the task is defined as

"COMPLETE" in the PWS, or only when the overall case is designated as

"CLOSED" in ICE systems?

Tasks should be billed monthly as they are completed within the provided CLIN structure.

34 PWS 1 - Purpose - Page 1 Technical

Given that Amednment A0004 expands the requirement to include both UAC and former UAC (ages 18-21), should offerors address both populations throughout Factors 1-3, even where Sections L and the scenario prompts still refer specifically to "children" or "UAC"?

All offeror's should be compliant with sections L and M of the solicitation. The government will not provide additional direction for proposal submission.

Section L.5 - Factor 2

(monthly case volume capability)

Technical

For Factor 2(c), should offerors provide one combined monthly case-capacity number for both UAC and former UAC, or separate monthly capacity assumptions for each population?

Separate capacity assumptions for each population.

Section L.5 - Factor 3

Scenarios Technical

Because the scenarios still reference UAC/children, should offerors answer the scenarios strictly from a UAC/minor perspective, or should responses address how the same approach would be adapted for former UAC where applicable?

All offeror's should be compliant with sections L and M of the solicitation. The government will not provide additional direction for proposal submission.

Attachment 03 Pricing

Worksheet; Section M.8 price evaluation

Pricing

If any formula, CLIN labeling, or prepopulated value in Attachment 03 appears incosistent with the solicitation narrative in Sections B and M, should offerors follow the solicitation text as controlling, and does the Government intent to issue a corrected workbook?

If there appears to be an error in the workbook please reach out to the government and provide the pertinent information. If a correction is needed, the workbook will be updated and issued via an amendment to the solicitation.

PWS 3.0 Tasks 3.1-3.3 -

Technical

Does the Government have differing requirements for the activities to be performed and information to be collected for UACs versus former UACs?

No.

39 General PWS Question Technical Are UAC and former-UAC cases segmented operationally, or mixed in the same regional queues/field teams?

UACs and former UACs are not segmented operationally and will be mixed together.

40 General PWS Question Technical What’s the ramp expectation (weekly/monthly throughput targets) and how will ICE measure “timeliness” incentives across both populations?

Performance requirements can be found within the QASP. The incentive timeline begins when the contractor receives the list of cases from ICE and concludes at the completion of the required activity.

41 PWS 3.1, Page 1 Technical Any constraints on data sources/tools for address confirmation (e.g., permissible commercial data sources, documentation standards)?

No.

42 PWS 3.2, Page 2 Technical What exactly qualifies as “ensure the (F)UAC can receive mail” (what evidence is acceptable; mailbox name, sponsor attestation, USPS validation, photo, etc.)?

The offeror may suggest what they recommend as a process.

43 PWS 3.3, Pages 2-3 Technical What is the authoritative “court record” source we must use for the address match (and will contractors have access, or will ICE provide extracts)?

EOIR--https://acis.eoir.justice.gov/en/

44 PWS 3.1, Page 1 Technical Are commercial databases and open-source tools authorized for address verification?

Yes.

45 PWS 3.0, Pages 1-4 Technical What are the minimum data accuracy and completeness requirements? See the QASP.

46 PWS 3.2, Page 2 Technical What is the required contractor response when access to a residence is denied or no contact is made?

Offeror's who receive an award will work with the COR to determine the correct response when access is denied or no contact is made.

47 PWS 3.3, Pages 2-3 Technical Is there a maximum number of allowable site visits per case, or are cases considered open until confirmed?

See response to question 13.

48 PWS 3.0, Pages 1-3 Technical What constitutes a “reasonable effort” threshold before a case may be closed?

See response to question 13.

49 PWS 3.0, Pages 1-3 Technical What coordination is required with local law enforcement in higher-risk environments?

Coordination should be initiated with the ICE COR or delegated government personnel to determine the involvement of local law enforcement.

50 PWS 3.3, Pages 2-3 Technical What level of engagement is expected for wellness assessments (observation

vs. inquiry)?

Both observation and inquiry should be part of a wellness assessment.

51 PWS 3.3, Pages 2-3 Technical What specific indicators trigger mandatory trafficking or abuse reporting?

As business operators with experience providing similar services, it is expected that vendors be well versed in such indicators.

Further, it is expected that the contractors should be able to demonstrate an understanding in the proposal as well as during contract performance.

PWS 13, Page 9 & Part 17, DELIVERABLES, Pages 15-16 Contract Are standardized reporting templates provided by ICE?

Yes, these will be provided along w/ the partner portal.

53 PWS 13, Page 9 Contract Will a Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) be provided prior to award? See the response to question 15.

PWS 13, Page 9 & Part 17, DELIVERABLES, Pages 15-16 Contract

What are the Acceptable Quality Levels (AQLs) for performance metrics? See the QASP.

55 PWS 3.0, Pages 1-4 Technical What guidance is provided for contractor personnel operating in potentially unsafe environments?

All safety concerns will be addressed by the ICE POC assigned.

56 PWS 3.0, Pages 1-3 Technical What conditions allow for suspension of operations due to safety concerns? If a vendor feels an operation is unsafe, they should suspend operations and report the issue to their ICE POC.

57 Section B – Pricing, Page 1 Contract Are CLINs compensated per completed case or per individual visit/activity? Please see the questions and answers posted under Amendment

0001.

58 Section B – Pricing, Page 1 Contract How will repeat visits or extended efforts be compensated? Please see the questions and answers posted under Amendment

0001.

59 Section B – Pricing, Page 1 Contract

How will ICE account for cases requiring significantly greater effort than average?

For the most part, it is expected that the time commitment for the easier cases will be balanced by the time commitment for the harder cases. Any issues will be addressed by the ICE POC and the

COR

Section B; CLIN Structure, Contract

How does ICE define a “case” for pricing and completion purposes when multiple visits and address re-verification efforts are required?

Please see the questions and answers posted under Amendment

0001.

61 Section B, Page 1 Contract Is incentive awarded if initial site visit timeline is met? No. Incentives are only provided for the address verification

Section B – CLIN 0001–0007, Contract

Will ICE differentiate execution requirements between UAC and FUAC cases?

(Ref: Section B – CLIN 0001–0007)

The requirements for the UAC and FUAC are the same.

Section B – CLIN 0009, Page

Contract

What deliverables are required during the transition-in period? (Ref: CLIN 0009) Transition-in requirements can be found within Section 11 of the

PWS and all deliverables can be found in Section 17 of the PWS.

64 Section F, Page 6 Contract Will case assignments begin during transition or after full operational capability is reached? (Ref: Section F)

Case assignments will begin after the transition-in period. The PWS contains the required transition-in activities.

65 Section F, Page 6 Contract Are evening or weekend visits authorized beyond standard hours? (Ref: Section

F)

No.

Section G – Ordering

Procedures, Page 7 Contract

Will cases be issued in bulk, phased batches, or continuous task orders? (Ref:

Section G – Ordering Procedures)

Please see the questions and answers posted under Amendment

0001.

67 Section G, Page 7 Contract Will contractors be assigned geographic exclusivity or operate concurrently in the same regions? (Ref: Section G)

Please see the questions and answers posted under Amendment

0001.

Section G – Fair

Opportunity, Page 7 Contract

Will contractor performance impact allocation of future task orders? (Ref:

Section G – Fair Opportunity)

Please see the questions and answers posted under Amendment

0001.

69 Section G, Page 7 Contract How will performance impact workload distribution and task order allocation?

(Ref: Section G)

Please see the questions and answers posted under Amendment

0001.

70 Section H, Page 8 Contract What Government systems of record will contractors have access to, if any?

(Ref: Section H)

Please see the questions and answers posted under Amendment

0001.

71 Section H, Page 8 Contract What are the expected timelines for background investigations and onboarding? (Ref: Section H)

Please see the questions and answers posted under Amendment

0001.

72 Section H, Page 8 Contract

Will personnel with prior federal clearances be expedited? (Ref: Section H) Reciprocity will be granted as appropriate in accordance with the

ICE Office of Personal Security Division's policies and procedures.

Please see the questions and answers posted under Amendment

0001.

73 Section H, Page 8 Contract To what extent is the contractor responsible for developing and delivering training programs? (Ref: Section H)

Offerors are responsible for training as required by the PWS.

74 PWS Page 1, Section 1 Technical

Amendment 4 expands the program population to include Former

Unaccompanied Alien Children (FUAC) ages 18–21. Can the Government confirm whether all requirements applicable to UAC under 18 apply equally to

FUAC, or whether any tasks are modified or excluded for adults?

The requirements are in the PWS.

75 PWS Page 1, Section 1 Technical

For FUAC who are legal adults, are contractors required to obtain affirmative consent prior to conducting wellness checks and site visits, and if so, what form of consent is required?

Yes, contractors are required to obtain verbal consent from FUACs, who are legal adults, prior to conducting wellness checks and site visits.

76 PWS Page 2, Section 3.3 Technical

For FUAC who are no longer residing with sponsors or guardians, what level of inquiry is required regarding co-habitants or living arrangements?

For FUACs (ages 18-21), since they are adults, there is no requirement to collect information about sponsors or guardians.

However, gathering information about their living arrangements remains important, as an unstable environment may impact their ability to comply with immigration obligations. For example, without a reliable address to receive mail, they may not be receiving court notices.

77 PWS Page 2, Section 3.3 Technical Are there distinct closure criteria for FUAC cases, particularly where an adult is transient, employed, or independently housed?

See response to question 13.

L.4 Page 59 - Special Notes to Offerors Contract

The proposal instructions in the "Page Restrictions" paragraph state that "page margins must be at least one inch on all sides. Can you please confirm that headers and footers are allowed within the 1-inch margins?

Headers and footers are allowed within the 1-inch margins.

Initial Q&A Response -

Question #35 Contract

Question #35 states that "all IDIQ awardess will receive an intial task order for at least the guaranteed minimum of 1000 cases". It also states that it is anticipated that additional batches "will be composed of 1000 random cases".

Given that the planned number of total cases has quadrupled in Amendment 4, is this still the plan for the release of initial and additional cases to IDIQ awardees?

Yes.

DISCLAIMER: Any conflict between the above responses and responses to previous vendor questions, defaults to the most recent response.