A11- Request for Information.pdf

THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION FOR PROPOSALS

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) ONLY

This Request for Information (RFI) is for the purpose of identifying vendors that can meet the following Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Requirements.

The CDC has a requirement for yearly maintenance agreement in order to maintain the adequate functioning of the EPOCH Microplate Reader and the 405 Series Microplate Washer. The CDC will require two regular inspections during the term of the requirement. The inspections will include cleaning, lubricating, adjustments and calibration of the equipment. This requirement is under the NAICS 811210 Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance.

Instrument Information includes the following:

This RFI is not to be considered as a request for proposal or as an obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any products or services. No entitlement to payment of direct or indirect costs or charges by the Government will arise as a result of the contractor submission to this Sources Sought or the Government's use of such information. The Government reserves the right to reject, in whole or in part, any contractor's input resulting from this RFI. No contract will be awarded as a result of this announcement.

Data submitted in response to this RFI will not be returned.

Period of Performance: 09/27/2024 - 09/26/2025

Place of Performance:

CDC, Dengue Branch Laboratory Building 1324 Canada St.

San Juan, PR 00920

**Travel will not be included in award. It is recommended the contractor is local to San Juan, PR and the surrounding areas.

INSTRUCTION FOR SUBMISSION:

After review of the attached documentation, interested parties may submit a response in an electronic format only via email to Ashley Williams at dal3@cdc.gov and Sheena Delaine at kpz5@cdc.gov no later than July 2, 2024, 4:00 EST. Electronic files should be in Microsoft Office Word or PDF format. All information should be UNCLASSIFIED material only.

Respondents should include as part of their submission:

a. Capabilities statement.

b. GSA Number if applicable

c. SAM Unique Entity ID Number

d. Firm Name

e. Firm Address

f. Business size, SDVOSB, HUBZone, or Woman owned status, as validated via the System for Award Management (SAM) website. All offers must be registered in SAM at http://www.SAM.gov

g. Firm’s point of contact, phone and email address.

h. A schedule that shows the ability to meet the provided in the requirements document below.

Any proprietary information must be marked as such, the RFI information should not exceed a total of 10 one-sided 8 1/2x11 pages, with one-inch margins, and font no smaller than 12 point.

PERFORMANCE WORK STATEMENT

White House Fellows Online Application

Timeline

October 15, 2024: Final Approval for Go Live November 1, 2024: Application Opens

January 4, 2025: Application Closes

Overview The White House Fellows Program is exploring new options to manage our annual application intake of about ~500 applications per year. We are interested in understanding the feasibility, timeline, and costs of transitioning to Salesforce or another platform.

Currently, this service is provided by the Office of Personnel Management’s HR Systems (OPM HRS) office. The document below summarizes the current services provided by OPM HRS. We can consider what changes to our process might be needed should we switch platforms.

Fundamentally, we are seeking a platform that can receive applications (including letters of recommendation); maintain compliance with privacy, cybersecurity, and accessibility requirements; and allow us to download application materials to be printed for readers and interviewers.

Our current business process is as follows:

1. In late summer (Aug-Oct), we work with OPM HRS to ensure the application is updated (deadlines, new questions, compliance requirements) ahead of the November 1 application launch.

2. During the application season (Nov-Jan), our office provides general support to candidates about the program and assists over the phone, while OPM HRS provides technical support to our team and readers (including fixing bugs, helping with letters of recommendation, assisting with login issues)

3. After the applications close (Jan), OPM HRS provides us with a PDF of every applicant’s materials, an Excel spreadsheet with all the compiled “Personal Information” details, and anonymized Excel data from a demographic survey that supports our ability to track the impact of our EEO efforts.

4. In February, the WHF office physically mails out the hardcopy PDFs for each applicant to alumni readers across the country (PII other than name is not included on this PDF).

We later use these same PDFs to prepare binders for interviewers.

Requirements

Project Management Provide support, guidance, and to the deployment of the application and compliance requirements including:

o Privacy Threshold Analysis o Privacy Impact Assessment o SORN o OMB Control for Paperwork Reduction Act o Title 1, Chapter IV, Part 425 o 508 Testing

Provide access to the Commission staff (roughly 4 users) to access and download data. At this stage we do not envision using the platform to review application as this is currently done by paper, but would be interested in learning about the feasibility of online review.

Provide the Commission with notice prior to incurring costs that extend beyond the estimated costs. Any additional expenses need to be approved by the Commission Director prior to incurring such costs.

Email Notifications to Applicants The WHF web application will send email notifications to applicants upon completion of their application.

Collection and Processing of Letters of Recommendation Once recommendation letters are received, the letters will be linked to the application in the system. Automated email confirmations will be sent to the applicant and to the recommender when a recommender submits a recommendation letter. Up to four recommendation letters will be accepted (one of them as an alternate), and the letters will be limited to two pages in length.

o Essentially, we need candidates to be able to start soliciting their letters of recs before submitting the application itself. I think the WHIP application currently has this functionality.

o Ideally we’d have a manual option to upload these on behalf of recommenders for folks who are less technically savvy.

Metrics and Reporting Access to online reports via the administrative site during the open application period that will include the following:

• Total Applicants Registered (people who start applications)

• Total Applications Submitted (people who finish applications)

• Total Applications Complete with Letters of Rec (people with finished applications and all three letters)

• Mass download of complete Applicant Record Reports (PDFs of each application) – provided after the open period close date

• Applicant responses data file (Excel of non-PII fields) – provided after the open period close date

• Applicant RNO data file (Excel of anonymized demographic data) – provided after the open period close date

Systems Operation & Maintenance While applications are being accepted, system hardware, software, and network communications will be operational and available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, with system availability meeting or exceeding 99.9% excluding scheduled system maintenance.

Security Tasks All required cybersecurity, facility infrastructure, and privacy needs. Backup and disaster recovery capability. Cloud-based infrastructure. Advanced authentication method (2-Factor authentication) resistant to phishing attempts in support of WHEO 14028 compliance.

Accessibility Must be Section 508 compliant

Software and Technical Support

Includes software development, testing, and implementation; technical support; special reports; and user support. Provide an email address for WHF Office or candidates to contact for technical support (login difficulty, difficulty uploading letters of rec, etc).

Functionality that we don’t need:

Vetting management Notifying candidates of their selection through the platform Reviewing applications online (though would be open to discussing this)

Other Notes

The application currently lives at https://fellows.whitehouse.gov/.

Ideally would have an option for candidate to easily download their own data Need clear continuity between administrations Would be interested in learning about options for folks to review them electronically

Application Detail

1) Landing Page

2) Privacy Advisory Statement

3) Applicant Forms

a) Personal Information

b) Recommendations

c) Declarations

d) Resume

e) Essays

f) Certification

4) Confirmation Page

5) Application Closed

6) Demographic Survey

Landing Page Overview for applicants and information about preparing for the application. Contact information for program questions and technical support. “Official Use Only” statement, Terms & Conditions, and link to Privacy Advisory Statement.

Applicant Forms

Personal Information First Name (Required) Middle Name Last Name (Required) Email Address (Required) Will you be a U.S. Citizen by January 5, 2024? (Required) [No—is disqualifying] Do you hold any non-U.S. citizenship? (Required) Where?

Gender (Optional) City of Birth (Required) County (or equivalent) of Birth (Required - Enter 'Not Applicable' if Country of Birth is not USA or 'Unknown' if not known) State of Birth (Required – Select ‘Not Applicable’ if Country of Birth is not USA) Country of Birth. (Required for non-USA, leave blank for USA) Birthdate (MM/DD/YYYY) Social Security Number (Required) Confirm Social Security Number (Required) Home Town (Required) Home State (Required) Occupation/Profession (Required) [Self-described] What is your occupation category? (Required) [From a drop-down list] Will you have your bachelor's degree by January 5, 2024? (Required) [No—is disqualifying] Contact Information o Mailing Address (Required) o City (Required) o State (Required) o ZIP/Postal Code (Required) o Country o Phone Number ( ###-###-#### - Required) o Alternate Phone Number ( ###-###-#### )

Employment Information o Are you currently working for the Federal Government in a role other than active duty military personnel? (Required) [Yes—is disqualifying] o Check box for currently unemployed o Current Employer's Name (Required) o Current Employer's Address 1 (Required) o Current Employer's Address 2 o Employer's City (Required) o Employer's State (Required) o Employer's ZIP/Postal Code (Required) o Your Title and/or Current Military Rank (if applicable) (Required) o Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces? (Required)

How did you first hear about the White House Fellows program?

(Check one) (Required)

Have you ever been a White House Fellows Regional or National Finalist before? (Required) o If you answered YES to the question above, please list the year(s) and Regional

Panel assignment(s).

Recommendations [Candidates should be able to view whether their letters of recommendation have been submitted.]

You must submit three references, but can provide four names if desired. Only the first three letters received will be reviewed. If a fourth recommender's letter is received, it will not be included in your application; however, it may be considered if a recommender fails to submit a letter by the deadline, and it is needed to complete your application. You are responsible for ensuring that three letters are submitted by the deadline. These letters are extremely important, and they should reveal information about you that is not mentioned in your application. It is best to have recommendations from individuals who know you well. A recommendation from a prominent person is not helpful if that individual does not personally know you. Please note that current members of the President’s Commission on White House Fellowships are not permitted to provide letters of recommendation. It is suggested that one recommendation be from an individual who can speak to your professional competence and accomplishments in your field and that at least one recommendation be from someone with knowledge of your community and civic activities.

The last recommendation should be from your current supervisor if applicable. A recommendation from a prior supervisor is acceptable, but a current supervisor is preferred. Letters should not exceed two pages. Applicants will not be able to view letters. Please note that the letters of recommendation must be on official letterhead and signed to be accepted. If your recommender is unable to access official letterhead, they may use personal letterhead if they clearly state their credentials and relation to you. Please contact the White House Fellows Office at WhiteHouseFellows@who.eop.gov or call 202-395-4522 if you have additional questions about letterhead. Once you enter and save the recommenders' names and e-mail addresses, an e-mail invitation will be sent to your recommenders.

A confirmation email will be sent directly to you after each of your recommenders’ letters is submitted.

[Format is:]

Recommender 1

First Name Last Name

Email

[The application collects up to 4 letters of recommendation (1, 2, 3, and Optional). An application is only complete if it has three letters attached. The optional one will be used only if one of the other three does not come through. If all four letters are provided, the WHF team will manually remove extra one).]

[Once this section is complete, recommenders will be notified by email and can upload their letter directly to the portal. Candidates should be able to view whether their letters of recommendation have been submitted (and ideally notified by email).]

Declarations [Questions that relate to program eligibility and federal hiring]

1. (Required For Active Duty Military Personnel Only) I acknowledge that my commanding officer and those who make my assignments have granted me permission to apply for the year-long White House Fellowship. I understand that my participation in the White House Fellowship is contingent upon approval from my military service branch.

2. Have you ever been discharged from the armed forces for reasons other than honorable conditions? (Required)

3. Are you currently a registered lobbyist? (Required)

4. With the exception of military personnel are you currently working for the Federal government and/or being paid by Federal Funds? (Required)

If you answered Yes to any questions above, provide an explanation of the details and resolution.

Include the question number with your responses.

Resume

[In lieu of an uploaded resume, we collect education, employment, and volunteer experience through pre- set fields and have them populate in the final application. Text boxes for activities, awards, nature of work and accomplishments, etc. should include visible word counts and cut-offs. The app will format these in a report for consistency of the resume]

A. EDUCATION HISTORY

Please provide a chronological listing of all schools attended including high school, beginning with the most recent. Use the following format:

List degree or diploma earned, name of school, location, and dates attended (provide the approximate start date and end date in month/year format)

If applicable, list extracurricular activities and level of participation including any offices held List major awards or recognitions received

B. EMPLOYMENT HISTORY

Please provide a chronological list of every job you have had since graduating from college, beginning with the most recent. Account for all periods of unemployment. Use the following format:

Dates of employment (provide the approximate start date and end date in month/year format) Exact job title

Employer Employer’s address and phone number (for jobs held in last 7 years) Nature of business Number of workers you supervised For each professional experience, you may describe nature of work and accomplishments, not to exceed 100 words

C. VOLUNTARY AND CIVIC ACTIVITIES

Please provide a chronological list of major voluntary, civic and professional activities you have participated in, beginning with the most recent, going back no more than ten years. Use the following format:

Name of Organization City and State Purpose or objective of organization Size of Organization Your level of participation Dates of participation (provide the approximate start date and end date in month/year format) Awards or recognition you received

Essays

[Text boxes should include visible word counts and cut-offs.]

You will be judged on the clarity and quality of your writing as well as the substance of your narratives.

Please remember to save your work often to prevent loss of information.

A. Current Employment

Provide a brief description of the work you currently perform. This should expand on, not repeat, the information provided in the resume section of the application. Please limit your narrative to 200 words. (Required)

B. Most Significant Achievement - Professional

Describe in 200 words or fewer what you consider to be your most significant professional contribution. If you exceed 200 words, your application will be disqualified. (Required)

C. Most Significant Achievement - Community Service

Describe in 200 words or fewer what you consider to be your most significant voluntary contribution to your community. If you exceed 200 words, your application will be disqualified.

(Required)

D. Lifetime Goals

Describe in 300 words or fewer your life's ambition, what you hope to accomplish or achieve in your lifetime, and what position you hope to attain. If you exceed 300 words, your application will be disqualified. (Required)

E. Memorandum for the President

Write a memorandum for the President making a specific policy proposal. Explain why you think it is important, what issues it raises, and why you think the President should support your proposal. Please limit your memo to 500 words. (Required)

F. Motivation for Becoming a White House Fellow

Describe your motivation for applying to the White House Fellows program, what you consider to be your major strengths and qualifications for the program, and what benefits you feel are likely to result for society from your participation. Please limit your narrative to 300 words. (Required)

Certification A. Applicants must certify that the information submitted to the President's Commission on White House Fellowships is valid. Failure to certify will disqualify you from consideration.

B. Applicants are asked to acknowledge that all complete applications will be reviewed by outside readers on behalf of the President's Commission on White House Fellowships. In addition, National Finalists will be subject to investigation and verification by duly accredited investigators of the Federal government. Failure to acknowledge this statement will disqualify you from consideration for the White House Fellows program.

C. I acknowledge that if selected as a White House Fellow, I will serve as a full-time employee of the United States government and am subject to the ethics laws and Standards of Ethical Conduct for employees of the Executive Branch. These standards prohibit Fellows from receiving any salary or any contribution to or supplementation of salary from any source other than the United States government. If outside activity that is uncompensated conflicts with my official duties, then I will not be able to continue that outside activity. White House Fellows are not eligible for the Intergovernmental Personnel Act.

[CERTIFY BUTTON]

When you have completed your application and are ready to submit it for consideration, please press the "Submit My Application" button below. After your application has been submitted, it will be considered final, and no additional changes can be made.

[SUBMIT MY APPLICATION BUTTON]

Confirmation Page [Confirms that the application has been submitted, perhaps send an email as well]

The Application Period is Now Closed Thank you for your interest in the White House Fellows Program.

The application period for the 2023-2024 Fellowship year is now closed.

Please visit this site in November, 2023 for the 2024—2025 White House Fellows application.

We hope that you will consider applying for this remarkable Fellowship.

Demographic Survey This information is used to determine if our equal employment opportunity efforts are reaching all segments of the population, consistent with Federal equal employment opportunity laws. Responses to these questions are voluntary. Your responses will not be shown to the panel rating the applications, to the official selecting an applicant for a position, or to anyone else who can affect your application.

This form will not be placed in your Personnel file nor will it be provided to your supervisors in your employing office should you be hired. The aggregate information collected through this form will be kept private to the extent permitted by law. See the Privacy Act Statement for more information.

Completion of this form is voluntary. No individual personnel selections are made based on this information. There will be no impact on your application if you choose not to answer any of these questions.

Option to decline Sex Ethnicity Race Disability/Serious Health Condition Veteran status Military spouse

Enterprise Non-Functional Requirements

Cyber-security o The Product shall be cloud base hosted in OPM’s Azure environment or a Cloud solution

All cloud solutions (SaaS and PaaS) must be FEDRamped Certified ( if not FEDRamped Cert, a full security assessment is required at the cost of the system owner)

Phishing resistant Multi-Factor Authentication must be offered to the General Public

OPM Staff access must support PIV authentication The solution shall satisfy audit logging as specified in M-21-31 The system security logs must be integrated with Log Analytics All data at rest and in transit must be encrypted The system shall enable role-based access control and management

Accessibility o The system shall support encryption of data in transit and at rest (White House Executive

Order (WHEO)) o The system shall be compatible with MS Entra ID (Azure Active Directory) o The system shall be Multifactor Authentication with Phishing Resistance as specified in

M-22-09 o The system shall be Section 508 compliant o The system shall provide access from online enabled devices (i.e. tablets, mobile devices, etc) o The system shall ensure that data is protected from unauthorized access o The system shall support Single Sign-On/System Cross-Domain Identity Management

(SCIM) account provisioning for all SaaS

Interoperability o The solution shall leverage API’s whenever possible to satisfy OPM requirements o The system shall have the ability for FinOps to track cost

Maintainability o The vendor shall be responsible for all Operations and Maintenance of any cloud solutions