DHS OCIO Template CAS II Industry Day Final.pptx
PPTX presentation 1 MB Posted
- Attached to
- Communication Access Service II Recompete
- Solicitation number
- 70FA4026I00000009
- Issued by
-
Federal Emergency Management Agency
About this file
This file is a presentation template for the DHS Communication Access Services II (CAS II) Industry Day virtual event scheduled for August 13, 2026, from 1:00–3:00 PM EST. The industry day serves as market research and requirement clarity for the DHS-wide Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) recompete, involving eight DHS components: USCIS, CISA, FEMA, CBP, USCG, TSA, USSS, and ICE. The presentation outlines the contracting process, program overview, performance requirements, solicitation structure, and vendor expectations without constituting a formal solicitation amendment. Vendors are instructed to submit official questions by August 27, 2026, at 10:00 AM EST to the Contracting Officer, Isaac Chapple (Isaac.chapple@fema.dhs.gov), with consolidated and anonymized responses to be issued through official channels only.
The BPA requires vendors to provide five primary service categories: interpretation services (ASL, VRI, CDI, tactile, ProTactile, DeafBlind support); realtime captioning and communication access (CART, captioning, remote access); accessible communication support (Braille, audio description, reader services, document accessibility); Section 508 and desktop publishing support; and surge/mission support for emergencies, disasters, continuity, and NSSE operations. Critical operational capability requirements include acknowledging onsite interpretation requests within two hours and deploying qualified local interpreters within 48 hours. Evaluation will focus on technical approach and operational capability (Factor 1), staffing management and quality control (Factor 2), past performance (Factor 3), and fair pricing (Factor 4). Vendors must provide realistic geographic service area declarations supported by staffing and experience, demonstrate surge capacity and continuity risk mitigation, and maintain strict pricing and billing controls requiring express CO authorization for all charges. The government emphasizes that unsupported capability claims, inadequate staffing documentation, or inconsistent geographic coverage may reduce evaluation confidence and increase performance risk.
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DHS Communication Access Services II (CAS II) Industry Day Industry Day | August 13, 2026 | 1:00-3:00 PM
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)-wide communication access services for accessible mission operations
U.S. Citizenship Immigration Services (USCIS) U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) U.S Coast Guard (USCG) U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) U.S. Secret Service (USSS) U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Industry Day Lineup
| 1:00PM | Vendor check-in | Opening logistics and Industry Liaison / acquisition ground rules. |
| 1:10PM | Welcome and panel | Introduce program, contracting, Contracting Officer Representative (COR), and support team roles. |
| 1:20PM | Program overview | Why DHS needs CAS II and where it supports component operations. |
| 1:30PM | Requirement overview | Performance Work Statement (PWS) scope, Contract Line-Item Numbers (CLINs), operational expectations, quality, and controls. |
| 1:45PM | Solicitation overview | Section L, Section M, Attachment X, Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan / Performance Requirements Summary (QASP/PRS), pricing schedule, and ordering guide. |
| 2:00PM | Industry Q&A | Questions accepted through official channel; answers issued by Contracting Officer (CO) if applicable. |
| 2:55PM | Close | Next steps, reminders, and solicitation-response expectations. |
Purpose and boundaries This session supports market research and requirement clarity. It is not a solicitation amendment.
Information Exchange Improve Government understanding of:
Industry capability Market constraints Pricing drivers Implementation risk
Actionable Feedback Focus feedback on:
Requirement clarity Performance metrics Pricing structure Evaluation criteria Contract administration.
Industry Engagement Model Provide consistent information to industry and avoid vendor-specific direction, preferential treatment, or unequal access.
Fairness
Attendance does not guarantee award, ordering priority, or future work.
Only the Contracting Officer may issue official direction, amendments, Q&A responses, or contractual changes.
Verbal discussion does not change the PWS, Section L, Section M, pricing schedule, QASP, or ordering guide.
Questions should be submitted through the official acquisition channel; DHS may consolidate and anonymize responses.
Vendors should avoid proprietary disclosures unless specifically requested through the formal process.
Ground Rules
Mission Impact Supports Deaf, Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind, Blind, and other communication access needs.
Applies to routine, surge, emergency, disaster, continuity, and public-facing operations.
Vendor Reality DHS needs credible:
Staffing Geographic coverage Response times Service recovery Quality controls Unsupported capability claims may increase evaluation risk.
Importance of CAS II DHS Components need consistent access to qualified resources.
The BPA supports:
Standard ordering Performance monitoring Pricing discipline
Enterprise Need
CAS II Service Categories
| Area | Services vendors should be prepared to address |
| Interpretation | |
| American Sign Language (ASL), other sign language systems, onsite interpretation, Video-Remote Interpretation (VRI), Certified Deaf Interpreter (CDI), tactile, ProTactile, and DeafBlind support. |
| Realtime / Captioning |
| Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART), captioning, remote access services, and related communication access support. |
| Accessible Communication |
| Braille transliteration, audio description, reader services, accessible documents, and public-facing accessibility support. |
| Section 508 / DTP |
| Desktop publishing (DTP), accessibility remediation, Section 508 support, and technical accessibility support when authorized. |
| Surge / Mission Support |
| Emergency, disaster, continuity, territorial, OCONUS, travel, and other mission support when funded and authorized. |
Routine Support Recurring meetings Employee accommodations Trainings Conferences Stakeholder events Public-facing activities
Service Recovery When service is disrupted:
Replacement personnel Virtual conversion Reassignment controls Escalation Documented mitigation
Operational Capability: Core Discriminator Time-sensitive support requiring fast coordination for:
Emergencies Disasters Continuity National Special Security Event (NSSE) Incident Response
Surge Support
Acknowledge onsite interpretation requests within two hours unless a shorter call-order requirement applies.
Be capable of deploying qualified local onsite interpreters within 48 hours when local resources and access information are available.
Reassignment or substitution of assigned personnel requires COR approval except emergency circumstances.
For approved reassignments, provide qualified replacement personnel within 24 hours unless the COR approves another timeline.
Cancellation, reassignment, premium, overtime, travel, or standby charges must be expressly authorized by the CO.
Onsite Response, Deployment, and Reassignment Expectations
Documents Vendors Must Read Together
| Document |
| Critical evaluation/compliance purpose |
Performance Work Statement (PWS) Defines services, operational requirements, staffing, continuity, surge, security, quality, reporting, billing limits, and acceptance.
Section L Controls proposal format, page limits, required content, assumptions/exceptions, Attachment X, and price submission.
Section M Explains best-value factors, confidence/risk assessment, past performance, and price evaluation.
Attachment X Substantiates geographic service areas, regional capability, staffing depth, subcontractor resources, and surge coverage.
| Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan/Performance Requirements Summary (QASP / PRS) | Defines surveillance, AQLs, performance standards, deficiencies, corrective action, and documentation. |
| Pricing Schedule / Ordering Guide | |
| Controls Contract Line-Item Numbers (CLIN)/SubCLIN use, ordering procedures, authorized services, and billing support. |
Factor 1 Technical approach and operational capability.
Routine, urgent, surge, disaster, public-facing, field, remote, territorial, and OCONUS support.
Factors 3 & 4 Relevant past performance.
Fair, reasonable, balanced, complete, and consistent pricing.
Section M Evaluation Focus Staffing Management Quality control Recruitment Scheduling Deployment Subcontractor integration Complaints CAPs.
Factor 2
Declare only geographic service areas where capability is supported by staffing, recruiting, subcontracting, or regional experience.
Identify staffing depth without unnecessary personal information; disclose overlap where the same resource supports multiple areas.
Address rural, Tribal, territorial, disaster-affected, hard-to-fill, and geographically dispersed locations.
Explain surge capacity, competing commitments, travel assumptions, continuity risks, and mitigation.
Unsupported, inconsistent, or unverifiable claims may reduce confidence.
Attachment X: Realistic, Not Marketing
Government Surveillance Deliverable review Assignment validation Reporting review Invoice review Customer feedback Performance monitoring.
Performance Risk Deficiencies may lead to:
Corrective action Increased surveillance Invoice review Adverse performance documentation.
Quality and Performance Surveillance Qualification validation Certification tracking Staffing oversight Complaint resolution CAPs Recurring issue prevention.
Contractor QC
The Contractor may perform only services authorized by a BPA call order, pricing schedule, funded CLIN/SubCLIN, or written CO direction.
General PWS language does not authorize work, costs, travel, premium charges, surge fees, or invoicing.
Cancellation, minimum billing, travel, deployment, high-cost location, and emergency/disaster pricing must be expressed and documented as approved and agreed to between the vendor and the CO.
Invoices must be supported by service records, attendance validation, usage logs, travel approvals, and other required documentation.
Pricing and Billing Controls
Automated or AI-enabled tools may not replace qualified personnel, required certifications, human review, or Government-approved delivery methods unless authorized.
Any use of approved automated language/accessibility technology must comply with privacy, security, confidentiality, records, and quality requirements.
The Contractor remains responsible for all subcontractors, staffing partners, personnel conduct, data protection, and deliverable quality.
Security, badging, facility access, system access, and safeguarding requirements will be identified at the BPA or call-order level.
Technology, AI, Privacy, and Security Controls
Tell DHS where the requirement is unclear, unpriceable, or operationally unrealistic.
Identify staffing, geographic, surge, travel, technology, and continuity risks now.
Recommend practical improvements that preserve accessibility, mission readiness, quality control, security, and invoice integrity.
Do not wait until proposal submission to reveal major assumptions or exceptions.
What DHS Needs from CAS Vendors
DHS is interested in practical feedback from prime contractors, subcontractors, local firms, and specialized service providers.
For disaster or emergency support, vendors should explain how they identify local, regional, Tribal, territorial, or hard-to-fill resources when practical and feasible.
Market feedback should identify whether requirements create barriers for small businesses or specialized providers without weakening accessibility, quality, security, or mission controls.
Vendors should be prepared to document how subcontractors and local partners will be vetted, managed, integrated, and quality-controlled.
Small Business, Local and Disaster-Area Capability Matters
Official CAS II Q&A Process
Where do vendors submit official questions?
Will DHS issue consolidated responses?
Can vendors identify CAS staffing, geographic, or surge constraints?
Can vendors recommend pricing or ordering clarifications?
Primary Point of Contact: Isaac Chapple (CO) Isaac.chapple@fema.dhs.gov The Contracting Officer controls official responses.
Verbal discussion does not change the solicitation.
DHS may consolidate and anonymize questions for release to all vendors.
Reminder: only written CO direction is authoritative.
DHS Strategic Sourcing | CAS II Industry Day
Q&A Process and Closeout
| Topic | Instruction |
| Questions | Email all questions to Isaac.Chapple@fema.dhs.gov. All questions regarding this solicitation must be submitted by August 27, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., Eastern Standard Time (EST). |
| Responses | DHS may consolidate, anonymize, and issue official responses through the Contracting Officer. |
| Changes | Only written amendments or CO direction change solicitation requirements. |
| Follow-Up | Review revised documents, pricing schedule, Attachment X, QASP, Section L, and Section M together. |
| Reminder | Attendance and feedback do not guarantee award, order placement, or evaluation preference. |
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