CBPHRM_COACA_RFI.docx

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) U.S. Customs and Border Protection CBP Online Applicant Competency Assessment Service (COACA)

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI)

Release Date: October 15, 2019 Response Date: October 30, 2019

Purpose:

U. S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is conducting market research to gain a greater understanding of the full range of available options for automated delivery of proctored and unproctored assessment of applicant Entrance Examinations for law enforcement and other positions. This is an RFI released pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10 – Market Research and Part 15.201(e). This RFI’s purpose is to obtain market information on viable sources of supply, industry practices, answers to specific questions, and industry comments relating to the attached draft Statement of Work (SOW).

Background:

CBP, Office of Human Resources Management (HRM), Planning, Program Analysis, and Evaluation Directorate (PPAE), Personnel Research and Assessment Division (PRAD), is responsible for the development and implementation of assessments for entry-level selection of its mission-critical occupations, including Border Patrol Agents (BPA) and Customs and Border Protection Officers (CBPO). Applicants to entry-level BPA and CBPO positions apply to a vacancy announcement through USA Jobs. Following self-certification of minimum qualifications, applicants complete the written entrance examination. Applicants passing the entrance examination, following verification of minimum qualifications, are referred to additional steps in the hiring process, including physical ability, medical, drug, and suitability screening.

Objective:

CBP is seeking industry feedback regarding a secure, cloud-based methodology to accomplish the tasks outlined in the SOW. CBP is also interested in suggestions and rationale concerning the appropriate National American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) code to assign for the predominate work described.

Opportunity:

Provide a computer-based test administration system that shall provide secure, web-based administration of Government provided tests which may be adaptive or non-adaptive, applicant self-scheduling of testing appointments, integration with CBP systems, and reporting. Manage communications with applicants to schedule and complete testing and shall provide applicant support to complete testing. Provide physically proctored test administration, remote/technologically proctored test administration, and unproctored test administration. Monitor for unauthorized test exposure and ensure system security through compliance with all relevant regulations including system monitoring.

Schedule:

CBP anticipates achieving full operating capability of a new CBP Online Applicant Competency Assessment Service (COACA) third quarter 2020. This schedule is notional and is subject to change.

Responses Requested:

In an effort to assist CBP in developing and further refining our requirements, please provide responses to the following questions and requirements. CBP understands that some responses may be conceptual, while others are limited to the type(s) of technologies being considered. Responses should include the following information: See Appendix A

Instructions and Response Guidelines:

RFI responses are due by 3:00 pm on Wednesday October 30, 2019 and shall be limited to a total of 15 pages not including foldouts and full size page charts. Page size is limited to 8.5 x 11 inches, 12-point font, with 1-inch margins in Microsoft Word format. Both sides of the paper may be used but each side shall be included in the page count unless intentionally left blank.

Please provide the information you deem relevant in order to respond to the specific inquiries of the RFI. To support budget and planning purposes you may also include rough cost estimates based upon the objectives outlined in the RFI. Information provided will be used solely by CBP as market research and will not be released outside of the CBP COACA requirements Team. This RFI does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP), Invitation for Bid, or Request for Quotation, and it is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to enter into a contract, nor will the Government pay for the information submitted in response to this request. All information contained in this RFI is preliminary as well as subject to modification and is in no way binding on the Government. Responses shall be submitted electronically via email to the Contracting Officer richard.m.kirby@cbp.dhs.gov. The subject line shall read: CBP COACA. NO SOLICITATION EXISTS AT THIS TIME.

Contact Information:

Contracting Officer, Richard Kirby Email address: RICHARD.M.KIRBY@CBP.DHS.GOV

The Government is not required to respond to any information provided in response to this RFI. It is the responsibility of the interested parties to monitor Fedbizopps.gov for additional information pertaining to this RFI.

LIST OF ATTACHMENTS:

1. Draft Statement of Work (SOW)

Appendix A: Interested Vendor Overview Questions

Interested Vendors are requested to submit brief answers to the following:

· Company Name and DUNS Number

· Business Size – Is your company a small or large business based on the suggested NAICS?

· NAICS Code Recommendation – Provide a suggestion and brief explanation of which NAICS code you propose for the predominate requirements outlined in the SOW.

· Product/Solution Description

· Contract Vehicles – Is your solution available on GSA IT70 or on a GWAC? Please provide the identifiers of any such contract vehicles on which your solution is available on.

· Solution Utilization – Provide a brief description of the number of organizations that have employed the precise solution you propose to use to meet CBP requirements, the annual (proctored) assessment volumes for each organizational customer and the number of users at each organization (if known), along with the specific application for which your solution is used by each organizational customer and the date when your solution began operations with each organizational customer. Does your company have a current DHS ATO? Do you currently host Personally Identifiable information (PII)?

· Feedback/Reporting – Describe how your testing platform provides for government-configurable feedback reports that might include such things as charts/graphs/tables populated from individual and aggregate assessment response data (for example, tables indicating the difficulty level of particular items, charts/graphs displaying the distribution of scores on an assessment).

· Methodologies – Describe the methodology currently employed by your company to provide proctored, unproctored, and remote proctored, customized pre-employment selection tests via a cloud-based platform, in secure U.S. and international testing facilities. Can you provide a single score report for multiple assessment tests to each candidate’s online account and to Human Resources? Describe current capabilities and experience in programing customized algorithms to support computer adaptive testing (CAT). Which aspects of a CAT algorithm are built-in to your system versus which aspects can be configured for test-specific and/or client-specific needs?

· Costs – Based on experience and on the descriptions below, provide estimated base and O&M costs using a chart similar to below:

− Labor – Identify labor costs to support the proposed system and cost to warehouse and administer assessment-related outcomes and other PII − Hosting Costs – The costs incurred with standing up, transitioning, and annual hosting of a cloud-based environment. Identify any additional hardware costs that may be incurred.

− Other costs – Identify any other costs associated with supporting the system, to include updating/reconfiguring test material as requested by CBP.

· Implementation Model – Outline what is involved in implementing your solution and what is the “normal” stand-up time for an organization the size of CBP. For example, is your company the sole implementer or are other companies also able to implement your product?

· Employee Support – Provide a brief explanation of how your firm currently schedules and conducts non-educational personnel selection testing. Discuss your process for sending electronic notifications (e.g., mass texts and batch e-mails) informing candidates of testing requirements and self-scheduling/ rescheduling instructions. Finally, describe how your company would provide 24/7 technical support to CBP (or other agency) employees to assist in scheduling tests, accessing online accounts, etc.?

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Official Response Form to Request for Information Pre-Solicitation Number: TBD

I. Company Profile (Limit to 2 pages)

Company Name:

Company Address:

Company Website:

Address:

Email:

Phone:

Address:

Email:

Phone:

DUNS#:

__ Small Disadvantaged Business __ 8(a) Business __ HUB Zone Business __ Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business __ Veteran-Owned Small Business __ Women-Owned Small Business __ Small Business Subcontracting Program __ Large Business

Management Systems Certifications:

(limit 500 characters)

__ CMMI

__ ISO

__ Others (Please list)

II. Summary of Relevant Computer Adaptive Testing History Table (Limit 1 Page)