IDIQ_ED-FSA-14-D-0004_Senture_final_suggested_redactions_redacted.pdf

RFQ IFB RFP

ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED

WOMEN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS

(EDWOSB)

WOMEN OWNED SMALL

BUSINESS (WOSB)

SOLICITATION/CONTRACT/ORDER FOR COMMERCIAL ITEMS

OFFEROR TO COMPLETE BLOCKS 12, 17, 23, 24, & 30

1. REQUISITION NUMBER PAGE OF

2. CONTRACT NO. 3. AWARD/EFFECTIVE

DATE

4. ORDER NUMBER 5. SOLICITATION NUMBER 6. SOLICITATION ISSUE

DATE

7. FOR SOLICITATION

INFORMATION CALL:

a. NAME b. TELEPHONE NUMBER (No collect calls)

8. OFFER DUE DATE/

LOCAL TIME

9. ISSUED BY

13b. RATING

14. METHOD OF SOLICITATION

CODE

15. DELIVER TO 16. ADMINISTERED BY CODE

18a. PAYMENT WILL BE MADE BY CODEFACILITY

CODE

CODE

TELEPHONE NO.

17b. CHECK IF REMITTANCE IS DIFFERENT AND PUT SUCH ADDRESS IN

OFFER

18b. SUBMIT INVOICES TO ADDRESS SHOWN IN BLOCK 18a UNLESS BLOCK

BELOW IS CHECKED

SEE ADDENDUM

19.

ITEM NO.

20.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

21.

QUANTITY

22.

UNIT

23.

UNIT PRICE

24.

AMOUNT

(Use Reverse and/or Attach Additional Sheets as Necessary)

25. ACCOUNTING AND APPROPRIATION DATA 26. TOTAL AWARD AMOUNT (For Govt. Use Only)

28. CONTRACTOR IS REQUIRED TO SIGN THIS DOCUMENT AND RETURN

DELIVER ALL ITEMS SET FORTH OR OTHERWISE IDENTIFIED ABOVE AND ON ANY

ADDITIONAL SHEETS SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS SPECIFIED

29. AWARD OF CONTRACT: REF.

DATED . YOUR OFFER ON SOLICITATION

(BLOCK 5), INCLUDING ANY ADDITIONS OR CHANGES WHICH ARE

SET FORTH HEREIN, IS ACCEPTED AS TO ITEMS:

30a. SIGNATURE OF OFFEROR/CONTRACTOR

30b. NAME AND TITLE OF SIGNER (Type or print) 30c. DATE SIGNED

31a. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (SIGNATURE OF CONTRACTING OFFICER)

31b. NAME OF CONTRACTING OFFICER (Type or print) 31c. DATE SIGNED

AUTHORIZED FOR LOCAL REPRODUCTION

PREVIOUS EDITION IS NOT USABLE

STANDARD FORM 1449 (REV. 3/2011)

Prescribed by GSA - FAR (48 CFR) 53.212

COPIES TO ISSUING OFFICE. CONTRACTOR AGREES TO FURNISH AND

OFFER

13a. THIS CONTRACT IS A

RATED ORDER UNDER

DPAS (15 CFR 700)

11. DELIVERY FOR FOB DESTINA-

TION UNLESS BLOCK IS

MARKED

SEE SCHEDULE

12. DISCOUNT TERMS

ARE ARE NOT ATTACHED

ARE ARE NOT ATTACHED

27a. SOLICITATION INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-1, 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-3 AND 52.212-5 ARE ATTACHED. ADDENDA

27b. CONTRACT/PURCHASE ORDER INCORPORATES BY REFERENCE FAR 52.212-4. FAR 52.212-5 IS ATTACHED. ADDENDA

17a CONTRACTOR/

OFFEROR.

CODE

8 (A)

SIZE STANDARD:

NAICS:

% FOR:SET ASIDE:UNRESTRICTED OR

SERVICE DISABLED

VETERAN OWNED

SMALL BUSINESS

HUBZONE SMALL

BUSINESS

SMALL BUSINESS

10. THIS ACQUISITION IS

JUL 31, 2014

FSA-ACQ

US Department of Education FSA - Acquisitions, 830 First St NE - Suite 91F3 Washington DC 20202

FSA-ACQ

US Department of Education FSA - Acquisitions, 830 First St NE - Suite 91F3 Washington DC 20202

FSA-ACQ

US Department of Education FSA - Acquisitions, 830 First St NE - Suite 91F3 Washington DC 20202

00035039

SENTURE, LLC

460 INDUSTRIAL BOULEVARD

LONDON KY 407417285

FSA-BUD

Budget Group/Invoice Admin US Department of Education/FSA/CFO/BG/FSAA 830 First Street, NE, Suite 54B1 Washington DC 20202-0001 see continuation page for line item details.

See Schedule

Patricia A. Gwaltney 202-377-3786 Patricia.Gwaltney@ed.gov JUL 31, 2014

Net 30

ED-FSA-14-D-0004

Please

611449030TIN: DUNS:

CAGE:

146265173 3W2E5

STANDARD FORM 1449 (REV. 3/2011) BACK

19.

ITEM NO.

20.

SCHEDULE OF SUPPLIES/SERVICES

21.

QUANTITY

22.

UNIT

23.

UNIT PRICE

24.

AMOUNT

32a. QUANTITY IN COLUMN 21 HAS BEEN

RECEIVED INSPECTED ACCEPTED, AND CONFORMS TO THE CONTRACT, EXCEPT AS NOTED:

41a. I CERTIFY THIS ACCOUNT IS CORRECT AND PROPER FOR PAYMENT

32b. SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT

REPRESENTATIVE

32c. DATE

41b. SIGNATURE AND TITLE OF CERTIFYING OFFICER 41c. DATE

42a. RECEIVED BY (Print)

42b. RECEIVED AT (Location)

42c. DATE REC'D (YY/MM/DD) 42d. TOTAL CONTAINERS

40. PAID BY

32d. PRINTED NAME AND TITLE OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT

REPRESENTATIVE

32e. MAILING ADDRESS OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE 32f. TELPHONE NUMBER OF AUTHORZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

32g. E-MAIL OF AUTHORIZED GOVERNMENT REPRESENTATIVE

33. SHIP NUMBER 34. VOUCHER NUMBER 35. AMOUNT VERIFIED

CORRECT FOR

PARTIAL FINAL

37. CHECK NUMBER

38. S/R ACCOUNT NO. 39. S/R VOUCHER NUMBER

36. PAYMENT

COMPLETE PARTIAL FINAL

ED-FSA-14-D-0004

Attachment Page

PAGE 3 OF 55 ED-FSA-14-D-0004

SCOPE OF SERVICES

The primary objective of this IDIQ is to:

• To provide call intake, case work, and customer response/survey services for new and existing Title IV Aid Delivery contacts.

• To provide operation/maintenance (O&M) and web development service to support the Ombudsman Group on its existing Ombudsman Case Tracking System (OCTS) application (with enhancements as needed), as well as the Coalition of Federal Ombudsman website. The current case tracking system (OCTS) is a Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) Oracle/ Siebel Service application (underpinning the OCTS) and enabled through the FSA Virtual Data Center hosting application server and system structure; and

• To provide a Software as a Service (SaaS) Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution. The Department will determine when and if the system(s) is transitioned.

Remainder of page is blank.

PAGE 4 OF 55 ED-FSA-14-D-0004

SEE 52.216-18 for Ordering Period of Performance of the IDIQ

SECTION B: SUPPLIES OR SERVICES AND PRICES

Ordering Period I (August 1, 2014 - July 31, 2015)

Activity U it P i Estimated Quantity U/I Estimated Price

CLIN 0001 Case Transi ion (transition in) 1 SE CLIN 0002 Total Cases Estimated Price (Tier 4) 1 SE CLIN 0003 Estimated OCTS O&M Price 1 SE CLIN 0004 SaaS Transition FSAIC Profile 1 SE CLIN 0005 Estimated SaaS Price (Tier 10M) FSAIC Profile 1 SE CLIN 0006 SaaS Transition OCTS Profile 1 SE CLIN 0007 Estimated SaaS Price (Tier 50K) Ombudsman Profile 1 SE CLIN 0008 SaaS and Web Development O&M 1 SE CLIN 0009 FSAIC - Call Center Support Services (NTE) 1 SE CLIN 0010 New Development/Enhancements (NTE) 5 SE CLIN 0011 Travel (NTE) 1 SE Total

Ordering Period II (August 1, 2015 - July 31, 2016)

Activity Unit Price Estimated Quantity U/I Estimated Price

CLIN 1001 Case Transition (transition out) 1 SE CLIN 1002 Total Cases Estimated Price (Tier 6) 1 SE CLIN 1003 Estimated OCTS O&M Price 1 SE CLIN 1004 SaaS Transition FSAIC Profile 1 SE CLIN 1005 Estimated SaaS Price (Tier 10M) FSAIC Profile 1 SE CLIN 1006 SaaS Transition OCTS Profile 1 SE CLIN 1007 Estimated SaaS Price (Tier 50K) Ombudsman Profile 1 SE CLIN 1008 SaaS and Web Development O&M 1 SE CLIN 1009 FSAIC - Call Center Support Services (NTE) 1 SE CLIN 1010 New Development/Enhancements (NTE) 5 SE CLIN 1011 Travel (NTE) 1 SE Total

PAGE 5 OF 55 ED-FSA-14-D-0004

Ordering Period III (August 1, 2016 - July 31, 2017)

Activity Unit Price Estimated Quantity U/I E ti t Price

CLIN 2001 Case Transition (transition out) 1 SE CLIN 2002 Total Cases Estimated Price (Tier 6) 1 SE CLIN 2003 Estimated OCTS O&M Price 1 SE CLIN 2004 SaaS Transition FSAIC Profile 1 SE CLIN 2005 Estimated SaaS Price (Tier 10M) FSAIC Profile 1 SE CLIN 2006 SaaS Transition OCTS Profile 1 SE CLIN 2007 Estimated SaaS Price (Tier 50K) Ombudsman Profile 1 SE CLIN 2008 SaaS and Web Development O&M 1 SE CLIN 2009 FSAIC - Call Center Support Services (NTE) 1 SE CLIN 2010 New Development/Enhancements (NTE) 5 SE CLIN 2011 Travel (NTE) 1 SE

Ordering Period IV (August 1, 2017 - July 31, 2018)

Activity Unit Price Estimated Quantity U/I Estimated Price

CLIN 3001 Case Transition (transition out) 1 SE CLIN 3002 Total Cases Estimated Price (Tier 8) 1 SE CLIN 3003 Estimated OCTS O&M Price 1 SE CLIN 3004 SaaS Transition FSAIC Profile 1 SE CLIN 3005 Estimated SaaS Price (Tier 10M) FSAIC Profile 1 SE CLIN 3006 SaaS Transition OCTS Profile 1 SE CLIN 3007 Estimated SaaS Price (Tier 50K) Ombudsman Profile 1 SE CLIN 3008 SaaS and Web Development O&M 1 SE CLIN 3009 FSAIC - Call Center Support Services (NTE) 1 SE CLIN 3010 New Development/Enhancements (NTE) 5 SE CLIN 3011 Travel (NTE) 1 SE

PAGE 6 OF 55 ED-FSA-14-D-0004

Ordering Period V (August 1, 2018 - July 31, 2019)

Activity U it P i Estimated Quantity U/I E ti t Price

CLIN 4001 Case Transition (transition out) (NTE) 1 SE CLIN 4002 Total Cases Estimated Price (Tier 8) 1 SE CLIN 4003 Estimated OCTS O&M Price 1 SE CLIN 4004 SaaS Transition FSAIC Profile 1 SE CLIN 4005 Estimated SaaS Price (Tier 10M) FSAIC Profile 1 SE CLIN 4006 SaaS Transition OCTS Profile 1 SE CLIN 4007 Estimated SaaS Price (Tier 50K) Ombudsman Profile 1 SE CLIN 4008 SaaS and Web Development O&M 1 SE CLIN 4009 FSAIC - Call Center Support Services (NTE) 1 SE CLIN 4010 New Development/Enhancements (NTE) 5 SE CLIN 4011 Travel (NTE) 1 SE

TBD Amount for All FSAIC Call Center Support Services Will Not Exceed

IDIQ Maximum Amount (Sum of Estimated Price for all Ordering Periods)

PAGE 7 OF 55 ED-FSA-14-D-0004

Pricing for CLINs x004 through x009 are Not to Exceed the amounts based in the IDIQ. The actual dollar amount will be negotaitate at the Task Order level.

Pricing for services under x009 and x0010 will be requested at the Task Order level or though contract modification via request for proposals and shall be priced based on the labor categories and rates contain herin.

For CLIN x011(Travel), the Government will reimburse the cost of travel required in the performance of a given Task Order. Each Task Order shall specify if travel costs are allowable and shall be billed in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulations (www.gsa.gov). All costs require supporting documentation to accompany all invoices.

Local travel is not subject to reimbursement.

CLIN 0001 - Case Management Support services for new and existing Title IV Aid Delivery contacts.

Firm Fixed Price (FFP) Tiers are based on total case volume by contract year and on the following conditions:

A selected tier will be fully funded. The contractor shall notify the government when total volumes reach 75% of the funded tier to determine if the next tier should be fully funded. If it is determined that the next tier will not be fully funded, it will be funded as a not to exceed amount and the implied unit price will apply.

• Each tier should be priced assuming 25% of tier maximum will be dedicated to Ombudsman Research Cases.

For task orders that do not include options, the Department will issue a new task order with the selected tier.

PAGE 8 OF 55 ED-FSA-14-D-0004

Case Management Support Pricing

Table 1: CLIN x001 - Case Transition

Table 2: CLIN x002 - Case Tiers

Recruit, Hire & Onboard Training Equipment and Technology Configuration and Verification Knowledge Exchange Wip Transition Coordination and Communication Management Total

Category 7/1/2014 Re

Option Period 1

Option Period 2

Option Period 3

Option Period 4

FFP FFP FFP FFP

CLIN 0001 CLIN 1001 CLIN 2001 CLIN 3001 CLIN 4001

1 1 - 10,000 2 10,001 - 20,000 3 20,001 - 25,000 4 25,001 - 30,000 5 30,001 - 35,000 6 35,001 - 40,000 7 40,001 - 45,000 8 45,001 - 50,000 9 50,001 - 60,000

10 60,001 - 70,000 11 70,001 - 80,000 12 80,001 - 90,000 13 90,001 -100,000

Tiers Total Ombudsman Cases

Base Period

FFP

Research Case Unit

Price

Research Case Unit

Price

Research Case Unit

Price

Research Case Unit

Price

Research Case Unit

Price

PAGE 9 OF 55 ED-FSA-14-D-0004

Table 3: CLIN x003 - OCTS Operation/Maintenance and Web Development Estimated Pricing

Base Ordering Period

Optional Ordering P i d 1

Optional Ordering P i d 2

Optional Ordering P i d 3

Optional Ordering P i d 4

Estimated Annual Price

Software as a Service Estimated Pricing

**** CLIN x004-x009: Future Task Order requirements will state if the TO is Firm Fixed Price (FFP) or Time and Materials (T&M). Specific tasks, objectives, performance measurements, and performance targets will be detailed in the Task Order Work Statement****

Table 4: CLIN x004 and x005 - Ombudsman - SaaS Transition and Solution Pricing

Ombudsman Profile

Tier Volumne Base

Ordering Period

Optional Ordering Period 1

Optional Ordering Period 2

Optional Ordering Period 3

Optional Ordering Period 4

1 1 - 25,000 2 25,001 - 50,000 3 50,001 - 150,000 4 150,001 - 10,000,000

CLIN: x006 - FSAIC Transition Profile

Estimated Transition Price* $

PAGE 10 OF 55 ED-FSA-14-D-0004

Table 5: CLIN x006 and x007 - FSAIC - SaaS Transition and Solution Estimated Pricing FSAIC Profile

Tier Volumne Base P

Optional

1 1 - 25,000 2 25,001 - 50,000 3 50,001 - 150,000 4 150,001 - 500,000 5 500,001 - 1,000,000 6 1,000,001 - 2,500,000 7 2,500,001 - 5,000,000 8 5,000,001 - 7,500,000 9 7,500,001 - 8,500,000

10 8,500,001 - 10,000,000 CLIN: x004 - FSAIC Transition Profile

Estimated additional Transition Price*

Table 6: CLIN x0008 - SaaS and Web Development Support Estimated Pricing

SaaS and Web Development O&M

Base

Ordering Period

Optional Ordering Period 1

Optional Ordering Period 2

Optional Ordering Period 3

Optional Ordering Period 4

SaaS and Web Development

O&M

CLIN x0009 – FSAIC - Call Center Support

Future Task Order pricing analysis will be done based off the established IDIQ rates with any discounts that may be offered.

Once the requirements are fully defined and the Task Order issued for a request for proposal, the awardee will be given provisions to provide more realistic pricing.

Pricing for the FSAIC Services are being established with a Not to Exceed (NTE) amount of he NTE amount is intended to cover the FSAIC Transition/Case Support Services for up to period of five (5) years, if the services are ordered.

PAGE 11 OF 55 ED-FSA-14-D-0004

1. Labor Categories / Rates (for future task orders or modifications)

Labor Category Ordering Period 1 Ordering Period 2 Ordering Period 3 Ordering Period 4 Ordering Period 5 31/19)

Information Specialist I Information Specialist II Information Specialist III Research Specialist I Research Specialist II Research Specialist III Customer Service Representative I Customer Service Representative II Customer Service Representative III Customer Service Representative Supervisor Contact Center Site Manager Trainer Training Coordinator Master Trainer Case Management Supervisor Quality Assurance Analyst Quality Assurance Supervisor Workforce Management Analyst Workforce Manager IDIQ Program Manager Ombudsman Support Project Manager Assistant System Engineer System Engineer I System Engineer II System Engineer III System Administrator I System Administrator II Designer I Designer II Technical Writer I Technical Writer II Tester I Tester II Tester III

PAGE 12 OF 55 ED-FSA-14-D-0004

Labor Category Ordering Period 1 Ordering Period 2 Ordering Period 3 Ordering Period 4 Ordering Period 5 31/19)

Data Architect I Data Architect II Assistant Training Developer Training Developer I Training Developer II Assistant Systems Analyst Systems Analyst I Systems Analyst II Systems Analyst III Domain Lead I Domain Lead II Technical Specialist and Delivery Lead Subject Matter Advisor IT Security Specialist Functional Analyst I Functional Analyst II Functional Analyst III Functional Analyst IV

Pricing excludes Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA) for SCA positions for Ordering Periods 2 through 5 based upon the inclusion of FAR clause 52 222-43 (highlighted in blue)

Pricing includes a for non-SCA positions for Ordering Periods 2 through 5

PAGE 13 OF 55 ED-FSA-14-D-0004

2. Labor Categories and Descriptions

Labor Category Description

Information Specialist I

Information Specialist II

Information Specialist III

Research Specialist I

Research Specialist II

Research Specialist III

Customer Service Representative I

Customer Service Representative II

Customer Service Representative III

PAGE 14 OF 55 ED-FSA-14-D-0004

Labor Category Description

Customer Service Representative Supervisor

Contact Center Site Manager

Trainer

Training Coordinator

Master Trainer

Case Management Supervisor

Quality Assurance Analyst

Quality Assurance Supervisor

Workforce Management Analyst

Workforce Manager

PAGE 15 OF 55 ED-FSA-14-D-0004

Labor Category Description

IDIQ Program Manager

Ombudsman Support Project Manager

Assistant System Engineer

System Engineer I

System Engineer II

System Engineer III

System Administrator I

System Administrator II

Designer I

Designer II

Technical Writer I

Technical Writer II

Tester I

Tester II

Tester III

Data Architect I

PAGE 16 OF 55 ED-FSA-14-D-0004

Labor Category Description

Data Architect II

Assistant Training Developer

Training Developer I

Training Developer II

Assistant Systems Analyst

Systems Analyst I

Systems Analyst II

Systems Analyst III

Domain Lead I

Domain Lead II

Technical Specialist and Delivery Lead

Subject Matter Advisor

IT Security Specialist

Functional Analyst I

PAGE 17 OF 55 ED-FSA-14-D-0004

Labor Category Description

Functional Analyst II

Functional Analyst III

Functional Analyst IV

PAGE 18 OF 55 ED-FSA-14-D-0004

SECTION C: DESCRIPTION/SPECIFICATIONS (SOW)

1 Introduction

1.1 Background

Federal Student Aid (FSA) plays a central and essential role in the United States’ system of postsecondary education. As a principal office of the United States Department of Education (the Department), FSA ensures that all eligible Americans can benefit from federal financial assistance for education or training beyond high school and champions the promise of postsecondary education to all citizens and promotes its value to society.

The 1998 Reauthorization of the Higher Education Act (HEA) established FSA as a performance-based organization responsible for implementing and overseeing federal student financial assistance programs, authorized under Title IV of the HEA of 1965, as amended. These programs include grants, loans, and work-study to help students pay for education beyond high school, commonly known as the Title IV programs. Specifically, the HEA authorizes the following programs:

• The Federal Pell Grant

• The William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan)

• The Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL)

• The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

• Federal Work-Study (FWS)

• Federal Perkins Loan

Since FSA’s creation, its core mission has been to deliver financial aid efficiently and effectively as well as ensuring that all eligible individuals can benefit from federal financial assistance for education beyond high school. During fiscal year 2011, FSA disbursed over $150 billion of financial aid to approximately 15 million college students, maintained an $812 billion loan portfolio and has been noted for its customer centric focus with efforts to streamline and simplify various services provided to students and families.

FSA’s focus remains on maintaining or increasing operational efficiency and system integration, both of which are key to FSA’s designation as a Performance Based Organization (PBO). In addition to the core mission, FSA seeks to improve the overall system of funding for postsecondary education by (1) providing better information to students and their families so they can make better decisions about postsecondary education; and (2) actively shaping the behavior of participants in education funding, by using FSA’s knowledge, data, oversight authority, and relationships to improve the coordination of all participants in the system.

FSA has a responsibility to improve service, reduce costs, improve and integrate support systems, and develop delivery and information systems; as well as continuing to focus on the customer experience. The Customer Experience Officer (CEO) leads the primary customer management function within FSA. The CEO is responsible for developing and deepening trust-based relationships with key FSA customer segments. These relationships will position FSA to be more proactive in identifying and resolving potential issues affecting customers.

1.2 Objectives

The primary function of this contract is to acquire services in support of Federal Student Aid’s customer service delivery. Through the services offered under this contract, FSA expects to realize the following objectives:

• Control service delivery costs and increase business capabilities.

• Position the FSA customer service delivery on par with or exceeding private industry standards by providing customers with easily accessible, accurate, timely, and professional responses to their inquiries via their preferred method of communication.

• Provide increased capability to measure and control the delivery of information services to meet the evolving needs of FSA customers.

• Provide solutions that comply with federal information systems security requirements.

• Gain and sustain access to commercial off-the-shelf, state-of-the-art technology that is secure and scalable to meet current and future requirements.

The performance objectives for the contract are as follows:

• Customer service delivery shall be cost effective.

• Customer service delivery shall provide highly qualified workforce capable of supporting varying operational areas.

• Contact centers shall maintain effective and efficient operations while providing quality customer service and case management services, focusing on the accuracy of information provided, the completeness of information, overall knowledge of FSA programs and services, adherence to Privacy Act requirements, and overall professional customer service.

• Technology utilized shall be able meet the evolving needs of the Government and adhere to business processes that conform to industry best practices.

PAGE 19 OF 55 ED-FSA-14-D-0004

1.3 Program Requirements (Scope of Work)

The acquisition will be an indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract. Task orders, fixed-price or time-and-materials, will be issued under the contract to provide services. Specific task requirements will be specified in individual task orders.

The program requirements describes the representative efforts required under this contract, and provides a baseline of requirements that the Contractor will be expected to accomplish to meet the needs of FSA. These requirements apply to all Customer Experience Office operations unless otherwise specified. In general, the customer service delivery to be provided includes qualified customer service operations, related technical solutions (e.g. customer record management solution) and technical support for any technical solutions related to the customer service delivery.

Customer service operations include enabling multi-channel access by offering the same range of services and quality across multiple contact channels (e.g., telephone, mail, email, TDD/TTY, fax, and web chat, etc.). In addition, the Contractor shall provide and support technologies for use in the customer service delivery. Technologies used may be designated by FSA and will be detailed in task orders issued by FSA.

1.4 Customer Service/Contact Center Operations

1.4.1 Place of Performance

All work shall be performed at Contractor managed facilities within the United States unless specifically authorized by the FSA.

1.4.2 Hours of Operation

The Contractor must have the capability to provide attended (live) service for Normal Business Hours as defined below for attended services.

• Normal Business Hours are defined as the period between 8:00 am to 8:00 pm local time, Monday through Friday, except designated federal holidays.

Specific operating hours, including coverage for normal business hours, and holidays, and emergency notification requirements, if any, will be determined on a case-by-case basis and be included in task orders issued by FSA.

Operations will not be required on Federal Holidays in accordance with EDAR Clause 3452.237-71, Observance of Administrative Closures (MAR 2011).

An automated service (e.g., Interactive Voice Response [IVR] or equivalent) shall be used to provide unattended service 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

1.4.3 Work Types

The Contractor must have the operational and technical capability to support a wide range of customer support and case management work types for all communications channels utilized (e.g. telephone, e-mail, facsimile, postal mail, web chat, mobile), including but not limited to the types of activities listed below. Specific work types will be identified in task orders issued by FSA.

The Contractor shall respond to and perform functions related to the following customer service activities, including, but not limited to:

• General information inquiries

• Inquiries on specific programs, applications and services

• Case Management – This work type refers to instances where an immediate response is not available or appropriate, where information or research is needed, or where resolution may require business protocol defined in the individual task order.

• Information delivery via outbound service

• Complaint inquiries

• Congressional inquiries

• Public comments

• Customer feedback

• Referrals

• Fulfillment requests

• Customer screening inquiries

1.4.4 Response Protocols

The Contractor shall respond to various works types described and be responsible for capturing and tracking information related to inbound inquiries and outbound interactions (e.g., date and time of receipt, nature of inquiry, source of inquiry, customer identity when appropriate, information requested, notes, etc.).

When responding to inquiries, the Contractor shall analyze the inquiry, assess the appropriate response modes, gather available information from all pertinent sources, analyze and confirm the accuracy of the information, and provide the requested information

PAGE 20 OF 55 ED-FSA-14-D-0004

and/or assistance in the manner most efficient to satisfy the inquirer's needs and inquirer’s preferred communication method.

Whenever possible, immediate responses shall be given.

Inquiries involving more complex subjects or case management services that may require further research or actions, the Contractor shall mange the response in accordance with FSA guidelines and provide the appropriate information within the timeframe specified within the task order.

The Contractor shall respond to information requests generally by using one or a combination of the following methods:

1) Automated Response – automated tools (e.g., IVR) to provide unattended service responded to frequently asked questions.

2) Telephone response – responses via contact center assistance.

3) Electronic response – responses or written documentation via an electronic format (e.g. email, short message service (SMS), instant messaging).

4) Postal mail response – responses or written documentation via postal mail.

5) Facsimile response – responses or written documentation via facsimile.

6) Form letter response – The Contractor may develop and prepare form letters for dissemination in response to telephone, electronic, and written inquiries. The Government shall approve all such form letters before they are used to fulfill information requests.

7) Interim response - In cases where the Contractor cannot provide an immediate response because further research is necessary, the Contractor shall provide the requestor with an interim response within the timeframe specified by the Government. The interim response shall indicate when the inquirer will receive a complete response.

8) Coordinated response - Any inquiry, especially one involving legal matters, policy interpretation, and/or a highly technical response that cannot be answered readily from approved materials in the knowledge database shall be referred to the appropriate authority for direct response.

9) Referral – Some inquiries may be misdirected and/or not within the scope of the specific issued task order. The Contractor shall differentiate these inquiries, re-direct, and refer inquiries that are misdirected and/or not within the scope of the programs, to individuals or organizations that may be able to provide answers to questions or otherwise offer assistance.

When appropriate FSA will provide the Contractor with a baseline referral list of such individuals and organizations on a program-by-program basis. The Contractor shall maintain, expand, and update this list throughout the contract performance period.

The Contractor shall retain a copy of inquiry (when possible) and response (when possible) for record keeping for a period specified by the Government.

1.4.5 Language Support

The Contractor must have the capability to support at a minimum, both English and Spanish languages in responding to all inquiries under all interaction channels. Specific languages and volumes will be detailed in task orders issued by FSA.

1.4.6 Operational Ramp Up and Ramp Down

The Contractor must have the capability to ramp-up contact center operation to full operational status within 90 days or less after task order award. This means that the Contractor must have the facility, technology, and staffing in place to start taking calls within 90 days of task award. This includes the provision of required equipment and facilities, trained staff, telecommunications and automated response solutions, and management reports on inquiry activities.

The Contractor shall ramp staffing up or down quickly to meet fluctuating forecasted volumes or unexpected changes in demands or inquiry types and provide a plan on how they will handle spike periods.

1.4.7 Dedicated and Shared or Non-Dedicated Service Solutions The Contractor must have the capability to provide dedicated and shared or non-dedicated service solutions in response to specific FSA requirements. A dedicated solution is defined as a solution that utilizes workspace, equipment, and staffing which are dedicated to the project. A shared or non-dedicated solution is defined as a solution that utilizes workspace, equipment, and staffing which are shared with other projects managed by the Contractor or its subcontractors. The Contractor is required to provide dedicated solutions to support all project complexity and skill levels within the timeframe specified in individual task orders. The Contractor is required to provide shared or non-dedicated service solutions to support less complex projects that require short ramp-up time and lower skill levels.

1.4.8 Services To Be Provided

The Contractor shall use their best practices, standards and methodologies to provide individuals with quality service. The Contractor shall provide efficient operations of a contact center that handles all types of designated inquires. Responses to any inquiry across all communications channels shall be accurate, complete and consistent.

The Contractor must ensure that there are processes in place, which are sensitive to, and capable of, addressing the special needs of callers during the performance of activities required by this contract. The Contractor shall address the following special needs populations:

• Hearing Impaired/Speech Impaired

PAGE 21 OF 55 ED-FSA-14-D-0004

• Visually Impaired

• Advanced age (80+ population)

• Limited English Proficiency

• Low Literacy

1.4.8.1 Automated Services

The Contractor shall provide automated services to enable FSA to deliver unattended service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (24 x 7).

The Contractor is responsible for the provision, maintenance, design, implementation, operation, and management of these services.

1.4.8.1.1 Automated Voice Response Service

Automated voice response services are intended to provide unattended service to telephone callers on a 24 x 7 basis. These services include the traditional interactive voice response (IVR) service, which uses the telephone touch-tone pad or simple voice commands to access pre-recorded information. They also include advanced services that make use of speech recognition and text-to-speech technologies to enhance efficiency and customer service.

The Contractor shall provide qualified personnel to develop and regularly maintain call flow and messages for automated voice response services in keeping with the current informational needs of the callers. The Contractor shall ensure timely update of all messages in accordance with the turn-around timeframes established by FSA.

1.4.8.1.2 Voicemail Service

The Contractor shall provide voice mail service to enable callers to leave suggestions, comments, callback information, and messages on specific subjects. The voice mail service shall be accessible from the IVR and/or other automated services and provide sufficient capacity to handle anticipated call volume and call duration as defined on individual Task Orders. The Contractor shall retrieve and act on the recorded information in accordance with task order requirements. When required, the Contractor shall provide a taped copy of voice mail messages recorded.

1.4.8.2 Attended Services

The Contractor shall provide accurate, timely, complete, and courteous responses to all customer inquiries. The Contractor shall provide qualified staff to support the work types defined in section 2.1.3. The Contractor shall provide Attended Services via a dedicated solution or shared or non-dedicated solution, as specified by the FSA in individual task orders.

In instances where these services require escalation to other internal or external entities, the Contractor shall develop operating procedures to ensure seamless and timely escalations.

1.4.8.2.1 Telephone Inquiries

The Contractor shall answer inbound calls and provide complete responses to all telephone and TDD/TTY inquiries. As specified in the individual task order, the contractor shall make outbound calls to support customer service needs. In instances where outbound calls are not normally utilized, the Contractor may recommend times when outbound calls are needed. These times will need prior approval by FSA.

The Contractor shall hire personnel that can answer phones professionally, respond to customer inquiries using available resources, identify and appropriately escalate priority issues and route calls to appropriate resources.

1.4.8.2.2 Written Letters, Electronic Correspondence and Fax

The Contractor shall provide responses to all written letters, electronic correspondence and faxes on a wide range of subject matter.

When requested by the Government, converting the inquiry documents to electronic format to facilitate routing, and response, and records management. The Contractor shall ensure the accuracy, grammar, punctuation, professional appearance, readability and completeness of the responses. The Contractor shall ensure that all written letters and faxes comply with “plain language” requirements.

The Contractor shall provide personnel who have the ability to compose professional correspondence without requiring additional training in writing skills. These personnel must exhibit excellent customer service skills in both written and verbal communication.

1.4.8.2.3 Interactive Web-Based Services

The Contractor shall provide qualified staff, equipment, software and services to support designated online interactive Internet-based services using real-time communication.

Other Support Services

1.4.8.2.4 Fulfillment Services

Fulfillment services refer to instances where the Contractor shall provide printed or electronic brochures, applications, reports, or other financial aid products designated by FSA to the customer. FSA currently utilizes fulfillment services provided under a separate contract to handle the distribution of the majority of FSA materials. However, there will be instances when an FSA may require the

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Contractor to perform the fulfillment service to efficiently resolve a customer service inquiry. FSA will provide the Contractor with printed copies or electronic versions for distribution.

1.4.8.2.5 Transcription Services

The Contractor shall provide qualified staff and equipment to transcribe messages recorded on voice mail and other recorded services (e.g. surveys). The Contractor shall perform transcription service on an as needed basis as specified in individual task orders (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly).

1.4.9 Technology Infrastructure To Be Provided

The Contractor shall provide and maintain robust and scalable, state-of-the-art multi-channel contact center system hardware, software, and accessories to meet task order requirements. The Contractor shall provide a solution that meets the Government requirements or shall utilize an FSA-designated solution. Any solution in use shall have the capability of being utilized by Contractor personnel and federal staff. FSA reserves the right to furnish these services at the outset of a project or to implement these services to augment or replace the Contractor-provided services at any time during the effective contract period.

The systems shall be adequately sized and equipped to handle fluctuations in the volume of inquiries received. The systems shall be configured such that they can be easily expanded to accommodate growth in work volume. The systems shall have adequate backup capability to maximize availability and reliability of all services. The system shall meet all requirements specified in the Department’s system security requirements in Section H of the solicitation.

Call processing and correspondence routing and management systems provided by the Contractor shall incorporate automated capabilities to perform periodic checks on the systems to verify operational status of the Contractor systems and alert Contractor’s system maintenance personnel and/or the Government if there is a failure.

Monitoring capabilities shall be configured across all communication channels to allow onsite and remote access for customer support supervisors, managers, and designated Government representatives to perform monitoring functions as specified in the individual task order.

Contact center staff shall be provided desktop workstations, including computers, telephones and headsets, and other equipment, software, and accessories required to sustain contact center operations. Unless specified by the Government, all workstations shall be equipped with telecommunications, e-mail and Internet access.

1.4.9.1 Call Processing Technology and Services

1) Call Routing and Distribution – The system shall provide routing/distribution of incoming calls based on sequence of arrival/origination, inquiry type, representative’s availability and skills, contact center availability, or other predefined routing instructions, as specified by FSA.

2) Call Queuing – The system shall queue incoming calls and provide callers with an estimated wait time in queue and other recorded messages. The system shall provide the caller with an option to stay in queue or leave a message for callback based upon response to prompts. During or upon completion of the callback message, callers shall have the option of returning to the queue without losing his or her place in the queue.

3) Call Transfer – The system shall be capable of transferring calls to a different workgroup within the contact center and/or to a workgroup located in a different contact center via blind or attended transfer, as specified by the Government. The call transfer function may be activated automatically by the caller or manually through the representative. The Contractor shall provide the most efficient and cost effective way of transferring the calls unless otherwise directed by the Government. The system shall be capable of tracking the quantity and duration of calls transferred from one program to another program within the Contractor’s system.

4) Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) – The system shall be capable of displaying caller-relevant information at the IS workstations (e.g., via screen pop technology). The displayed information may be triggered by DNIS, and/or ANI information, and/or through information entered by the caller or representative, and/or through data gathered by the IVR service

5) Dialed Number Identification Service (DNIS) – The system shall be DNIS-enabled, in order to distinguish incoming calls by the called number and route them to the appropriate response system and/or representative. The system shall be capable of providing the appropriate program identification (e.g., via whisper announcement) at the representative’s workstation.

6) Automated Voice Response – The system shall be equipped with innovative and effective automated voice response solutions that enables the callers to obtain answers to frequently asked questions quickly and in a customer friendly manner. The system shall have the ability to quantify (aggregate by menu and message) the selections of callers by business and non-business hours and days for reporting purposes. The system shall accommodate callers with touch-tone and rotary telephones/dial pulse telephones who seek information via self-service and/or assistance. The system shall also have the ability to process customer requests and support transactional functions as defined in the individual task order.

7) TDD/TTY Calls – The system shall be equipped with Telephone Device for the Deaf (TDD) or TTY (ASCII) terminals for responding to inquiries from individuals who are hearing and visually impaired.

8) System Capacity – The Government requires that the Contractor provide sufficient capacity on the system to support projected call volumes, workload estimates, and call routing in accordance with service level goals (e.g., blockage). The Contractor shall provide sufficient expansion capability to accommodate call pattern variations.

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1.4.9.2 Correspondence Routing and Management

The Contractor-provided correspondence routing and management system shall be integrated with the inquiry processing system to ensure efficient staff utilization. At a minimum, the system shall provide the following:

1) Auto-Message Processing – monitors incoming mailboxes for incoming mail; automatically scans, filters, analyzes, sorts, categorizes, prioritizes, routes, queues, and responds to paper and electronic correspondence based on predefined rules; includes spam control, auto-acknowledgement, content-driven auto-response, and external notification capabilities.

2) Automated Response Aids – provides storage and retrieval of customized and preformatted messages, automated response suggestions, spell-check, and auto-text insertion of commonly used words, phrases, and responses to enhance response efficiency.

3) Attachments/Web Links – provides the ability to receive e-mail attachments and send attachments and/or embedded web links with the outgoing e-mail message.

4) Inquiry Tracking – records and tracks all relevant information and disposition of all correspondence inquiries; provides problem-tracking functionality and is capable of recording and generating records of problems reported, tracking the problem through to resolution, and maintaining historical data on problems by the inquirer and by problem category and frequency. Case tracking database information shall be available for inquiry and real-time update as appropriate.

5) Management Reports – provides a full array of scheduled and ad hoc management reports in a commonly used electronic format that track e-mail volume statistics, category and agency breakouts, historical data, trends, case tracking, productivity and performance measurements. Reports shall be accessible via a secure website.

6) Interoperability – The systems shall be able to exchange e-mail with Government e-mail systems.

7) Storage – The system shall have sufficient capacity to store all incoming and outgoing paper and electronic correspondence and supporting documentation, case tracking data, and other relevant information - at a minimum - for the durations required by FSA for recordkeeping and retention.

8) Mass Mailing – provides the ability to transmit information via e-mail to lists of recipients stored within the system in accordance to pre-established schedule and/or as directed in the task orders.

9) Auto Copy of Responses – provides the capability to send a copy of the responses via bcc to up to five e-mail addresses at the time of the response.

10)

1.4.9.3 Voice Mail and Electronic Mail

The contact center system shall be equipped with voice-mail and electronic mail capabilities to support internal and external communications. The Contractor shall provide E-mail accounts, addresses, and Internet access for receiving and responding to customer inquiries at the contact center.

1.4.9.4 Web Chat System

The Contractor shall provide a reliable, scalable, and secure Web Chat solution that the Government can link to from subscribing websites to access real-time web chat service.

The user interface shall be user friendly, be configurable to provide similar look and feel as the subscribing website, be compatible with commonly used browsers and mobile platforms, and be Section 508 compliant. The services shall enable contact center staff to provide near real-time assistance to multiple users at the same time span. At a minimum, the Contractor web chat system shall have the following capabilities:

• Ability to route inquiries to specific queue based on agent skills.

• Ability to push active web pages to end users

• Allows contact center staff to guide end users through a website or application.

• Provides access to knowledgebase and preformatted responses to facilitate inquiry response

• Provides automated greetings and responses

• Provides real-time monitoring capability

• Ability to track response and transaction time for each session and exchange

• Provides real-time and historical management reports on chat sessions and activities

• Ability to send copy of the session transcription via e-mail to the user and/or the Government

• Ability to enable users of the chat service to copy and/or print the content of the entire chat session onto an electronic or print media.

1.4.9.5 Knowledge Management System

The Contractor shall provide an integrated knowledge management system to store, organize, search and retrieve knowledge needed to respond to inquiries received via all communications channels. The service shall incorporate innovative self-learning or equivalent technology to analyze, organize, and present information to enhance the user’s ability to effectively find information.

The knowledge management tool shall include the capability of automatically verifying the validity of internal and external links contained in the knowledgebase on a routine basis and notifying the Contractor of any invalid links. The link verification process shall not disrupt availability of the knowledgebase to end users.

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1.4.9.6 Printing and Literature Fulfillment

The contact center system shall be capable of generating transactions documents or fulfilling information requests (e.g., postal mail, E-mailing or facsimile of forms or information booklets) and relevant communications with customers. Contractor shall also be capable of electronically tracking the request through fulfillment. The contact center shall use laser-quality printers to provide the capability to print letters, product information, or other relevant information in black and white and/or in color.

1.4.9.7 Customer Survey Automation

The Contractor shall provide the capability to survey callers in an automated fashion for purposes of customer satisfaction assessment.

All surveys shall be conducted in accordance with process prescribed by FSA as defined in individual task orders.

1.4.9.8 Compliment and Complaint Management

The Contractor shall provide an automated capability to gather and report on customer complaints, compliments, and other service related comments/suggestions. The system shall provide the means to capture and transcribe the comments for analyses.

1.4.9.9 Service Monitoring and Quality Control

The Contractor shall provide the capability for performance monitoring from a remote location. Supervisory and quality control personnel shall be able to monitor the performance of the personnel without plugging into the telephone sets. The monitoring system shall allow for silent monitoring both with and without tone indication to the customer service representative (CSR) during monitoring and should permit calls recorded in sufficient quantity to allow for random selection of calls for review.

The system shall also be capable of monitoring sessions that can be scheduled and recorded for later review by supervisory and quality control personnel and provide remote access for monitoring by authorized Government personnel. The system should also have the capability of maintaining calls recorded for quality monitoring purposes for a 90-day period, at a minimum.

1.4.9.10 Telephone Number Ownership

The Government may furnish its own toll-free telephone number(s) for use by the Contractor or request the Contractor to provide the toll-free telephone number as part of the solution. The Contractor shall expedite transfer of all toll-free telephone number(s) used to support tasks issued under this contract to the Government at the conclusion of each task.

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1.5 Customer Record Management Solutions

1.5.1 Services To Be Provided

The Contractor must have the operational and technical capability to support operations and maintenance (O&M) activities of specified FSA legacy systems and also be able develop, provide, maintain and operate a Software as a Service solution (SaaS), sometimes referred to as "on-demand software". Task orders issued by FSA will specify the FSA’s desire to utilize these capabilities.

1.5.1.1 Cloud-Based Customer Record Management Solution

The Contractor shall provide a scalable Software as a Service solution (SaaS) Customer Record Management solution. The provided SaaS CRM shall have a minimum of 10,000 total users.

The SaaS CRM shall be maintained by the Contractor as needed to ensure continued operations and periodic updates or improvements will be at no additional cost to FSA.

At a minimum, the solution should provide the following capabilities:

1. Functional and Operational Capabilities

1.1. Multi-Channel Handling - Ability to handle email, fax, chat inquiries, phone texts and phone calls, etc.

1.2. Workflow Management of all Work Types described in 2.1.3 (Work Types)

1.3. Knowledge Management and Contextual Search

1.4. Remote Access

1.5. Integrated Customer Dashboards

1.6. Workforce Management Capability

1.7. Management Dashboards

1.1. Data Warehousing

1.2. Business Intelligence to include data analytics, intelligent reporting and tailored self-service reporting functionality

2. Technical Capabilities and Requirements

2.1. The SaaS CRM shall be hosted by a third party FedRAMP compliant data center or by the Contractor

2.2. The SaaS CRM shall be accessible via web browser over the Internet

2.3. Software shall have CTI/IVR capability either internally or via third party

2.4. The SaaS CRM shall have a Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) Authorization to…