FY24 Forms Management Software RFI - May 2024.pdf

U.S. General Services Administration

Request for Information (RFI)

General Services Administration (GSA) Office of Administrative Services (OAS)

Office of Executive Secretariat and Presidential & Congressional Agency Liaison Services

Forms Management Program Office

This is a Request for Information (RFI) for market research and planning purposes only.

This RFI is not a Request for Quotes (RFQ), Request for Proposals (RFP), Invitation for Bids (IFB) or an obligation on the part of the Government to acquire any services.

Responses to this RFI are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract.

Respondents are advised that the U.S. Government will not pay for any information or administrative costs incurred in response to this RFI; all costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the interested party’s expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP or RFQ, if any is issued.

All information provided will be given consideration and may influence the development of future solicitation requests. The Government reserves the right to determine how it should proceed as a result of this notice.

1.0 Introduction and Background

The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA), Office of Administrative Services (OAS), the Office of Executive Secretariat and Presidential & Congressional Agency Liaison Services Forms Management Program Office (PMO) is issuing this RFI to gather information on service providers that offer innovative forms creation and management solutions. GSA’s Forms Management Program oversees GSA's forms services and exercises overall control of the analysis, design, composition, specification, development, inventory management, supply, and procurement of GSA agency forms and government-wide Standard and Optional Forms.

The General Services Administration (GSA) Forms Management Program Office (PMO) is located within the Office of Executive Secretariat and Presidential & Congressional Agency Liaison Services in the Office of Administrative Services (OAS). The office consists of 1 full time FTE program manager with another employee providing part-time assistance. The program develops, revises, and maintains both internal GSA and governmentwide forms. GSA maintains and manages the GSA Forms Library to provide for public access and use of these forms. There are currently 850+ actively managed forms within the library.

Responsibilities for the governmentwide Standard and Optional Forms program were assigned by the Office of Management and Budget and are defined in 41 CFR Part 102-194 of the FMR, which defines the program as, “a Governmentwide program that promotes economies and efficiencies through the development, maintenance and use of common forms. GSA provides additional guidance on the Standard and Optional Forms Management Program through an external handbook called “Standard and Optional Forms Procedural Handbook.” In GSA’s delegations of authority, the Administrator has delegated responsibility to the Office of Administrative Services for developing and recommending to the Administrator policies and procedures for managing the Governmentwide Standard and Optional Forms program and Internal GSA Forms program. The Forms Management PMO is responsible for the creation and revision of GSA agency forms, GSA sponsored Standard Forms (SF) and Optional Forms (OF), and acts as a clearing house in its role of maintaining the inventory of all SFs and OFs government-wide. Other agencies create and revise their own SFs and OFs and are required to have the Forms PMO review and approve before they are authorized for use. Proposed forms vary from a fully functional, 508 compliant form to a set of data elements for a new form or a list of changes to an existing form. Production of new forms and revision of existing forms is an iterative, manual process where changes are made, sent to the programs for review, and are either agreed to or have additional changes for the Forms PMO to make. The type of features requested vary from routine to exceptionally complex (e.g. adding rows to the form as the user fills out) and the existing software has the ability to make it happen, however, making it happen is a very technical and sometimes code-writing process. These processes require a substantial amount of production time which may impact and delay the ability for program offices to get the forms they need to collect the info they need when they need it.

https://www.gsa.gov/forms https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-41/subtitle-C/chapter-102/subchapter-G/part-102-194 https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-41/subtitle-C/chapter-102/subchapter-G/part-102-194

2.0 Scope and Objectives

2.1 Problem

The current software is time consuming and requires a high level of effort between the Forms Program Office (PMO) and customers. In addition, trying to make forms accessible with the current software is difficult without impacting the overall integrity of the form. Currently, users who do not have the appropriate software installed on their machines have difficulty viewing and using the forms, or it creates more burden in the process.

2.2 Product Vision

Make it easier for the public to access, complete, and submit Federal forms in the manner they prefer (i.e. paper, email, digitally) to complete their tasks; and make it easier for the Forms PMO, and its customers, to create intuitive, dynamic, and accessible forms.

2.3 Scope

The project seeks to acquire contractor forms software and services with technical, functional, and innovative expertise to support GSA’s forms management.

2.4 Objectives

The goal of this software is to optimize, modernize and simplify the forms design process to improve the user’s ability to create, edit, share, and complete online government forms. The software should be easy to use and provide processes for non-technical users to develop and convert traditionally paper-based forms to digital as well as build and manage digital dynamic forms. In addition, the ability to offer multilingual forms services is important, which will allow GSA to create forms in and its designated offices/agencies to receive responses in its audiences preferred language.

The software must be user-centered, intuitive, easy to navigate, with streamlined validation processes and practical functionality for creating, editing, managing, and filling out various form types for use across multiple end-user devices. As a result, the software should enhance the user and customer’s experience by allowing faster access to, manipulation of, and accurate completion of their forms. This in turn impacts the customer’s experience by reducing errors, improving completion rates and reducing timeframes.

3.1 Form Software Tool

Provide a digital dynamic forms creation and management tool that creates and revises digital and physical fillable forms with the ability to be printed, saved, signed, and incorporated into the program office’s electronic workflows. Tool will allow for development of forms directly in a forms creation and management software - outside of complete reliance on Adobe PDF. Regardless of the end-users device, the software should be operating system agnostic (PC, Mac, tablet, smartphone, etc.), and the end-user experience shall be similar in functionality.

The tool should also produce a PDF version of completed forms filled out by the end user and be able to convert existing PDF forms to the vendor's forms format. Provide a rough order of magnitude (ROM), estimation of transition time and level of effort to convert 850+ currently active forms.

The software will reduce the production time for creating and revising forms and meet the requirements of creating a digital first experience for program office’s forms and the users who fill them out, especially the public. The application will have the capability to capture, validate, submit and process structured information digitally and in an automated manner.

The software will provide an option for and help expedite the conversion of existing forms to a digital format, keep focus on a digital-first forms design, allow adaptability and resiliency into existing and newly created digital forms, and keep the forms digital from end-to-end from the user filling out the form to the program office processing the info.

Please denote if the software tool is Fedramp certified.

3.2 Installation and IT Security Documentation

Completion of and compliance with IT security documents and the installation of the forms tool on GSA issued government furnished equipment (GFE) and its cloud environment.

4.0 Requirements

This notice is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a solicitation or Request for Quote. The government (GSA) anticipates services in the following functional areas:

4.1 Forms Software Based Licenses

Provide Forms software based licenses (900) for the software (unlimited client and one server, depending on configuration requirements for the forms tool).

4.2 Form Software Tool Installation

Install the forms tool on Forms Management Program staff GFE and GSA Cloud environment. Server installed components of the forms tool shall be accessible and connected to GSA’s Forms Management Program staff Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) through a Secured Socket Layer (SSL) connection (https://) using a valid certificate generated by a trusted certificate authority.

4.3 Form Software Tool Training

Provide training in forms design, software tool use, and any software changes and/or updates to the Forms Management Program staff or up to 12 users.

4.4 Forms Software Tool Fixes and/or Patches

Provide and install fixes to the forms tool resulting from changes to the operating system where the forms tool resides and resulting from IT security reviews/audits.

4.5 Forms Software Tool IT Security Compliance and Documentation

In accordance with GSA and NIST security controls, the contractor shall complete and provide the following documentation for the forms tool:

4.5.1 System Security Plan

Reference: NIST 800-53 control PL-2

Contractor shall create a System Security Plan and review and update annually to ensure the plan is current and accurately described implemented system controls and reflects changes to the contractor system and its environment of operation. The System Security Plan must be in accordance with NIST 800-18, Revision 1, Guide for Developing Security Plans.

4.5.2 User Certification/Authorization Review Documents

Reference: NIST 800-53 control AC-2

Contractor shall provide the results of the annual review and validation of system users’ accounts to ensure the continued need for system access. The user certification and authorization documents will illustrate how the organization establishes, activates, modifies, reviews, disables, and removes information system accounts in accordance with documented account management procedures.

4.5.3 Information Security Awareness and Training Records

Reference: NIST 800-53 control AT-4

Contractor shall provide the results of security awareness (AT-2) and role-based information security technical training (AT-3). AT-2 requires basic security awareness training for employees and contractors that support the operation of the contractor system. AT-3 requires information security technical training for information system security roles. Training shall be consistent with the requirements contained in Subpart C of 5 CFR 930.301 and conducted at least annually.

4.5.4 Incident Response Test Report

Reference: NIST 800-53 control IR-3

Contractor shall provide an incident response plan test report documenting results of incident reporting process per GSA IT Security Procedural Guide 01-02, “Incident Handling.”

4.5.5 Rules of Behavior

Reference: NIST 800-53 control PL-4

Contractor shall define and establish Rules of Behavior for information system users.

Rules of Behavior shall be submitted as an appendix to the System Security Plan.

4.6 Accessibility

In accordance with Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion (DEIA) standards, the software must include attributes that allow accessibility to those with disabilities.

At minimum, the software should incorporate best practices to meet requirements outlined in Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. 794d). See: Technology Accessibility Playbook. In addition, the ability to offer multilingual forms services which will allow GSA to create forms in and its designated offices/agencies to receive responses in its audiences preferred language.

4.7 Reporting

The tool must contain robust reporting capabilities through customizable reports and/or dashboards which will help analyze ebbs and flows of forms, potentially in the areas of trend analysis and predictive planning for yearly time periods.

4.8 Digital Service Delivery Forms

OMB’s M-23-22, Delivering a digital-first public experience, Section III.B.1 focuses on the digitization of forms and the importance of moving away from paper-based processes and forms to web-based and digital forms, specifically:

● Provide a digital option for forms: Agencies should make forms available to the https://www.section508.gov/manage/playbooks/technology-accessibility-playbook-intro/#:~:text=Section%20508%20of%20the%20Rehabilitation,be%20imposed%20on%20the%20agency.

https://www.section508.gov/manage/playbooks/technology-accessibility-playbook-intro/#:~:text=Section%20508%20of%20the%20Rehabilitation,be%20imposed%20on%20the%20agency.

https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/M-23-22-Delivering-a-Digital-First-Public-Experience.pdf public in a digital format to the greatest extent practicable. The design and development of digital forms should be prioritized over the creation of paper forms or electronic forms, whenever feasible. With limited resources, agencies should prioritize providing digital options for those forms that directly support the delivery of those services or benefits that have the greatest impact on the public.

● Digitize paper forms: Agencies should establish internal review processes to routinely identify non-digital forms and expedite the digitization of forms related to serving the public. Agencies should prioritize the digitization of those forms that have the greatest impact on the public. Consistent with section 4(d) of the 21st Century IDEA and as described in OMB Memorandum M-22-10, Improving Access to Public Benefits Program. Through the Paperwork Reduction Act, if a particular form cannot be made available in a digital format, an agency is expected to document through its Paperwork Reduction Act approval process:

(1) the office responsible for receiving the form, (2) the reasons the form cannot be made available in a digital format, and (3) any potential solutions, such as implementing existing technologies or making procedural, regulatory, or legislative changes, that could allow the form to be made available to the public in a digital format.

● Build adaptable and resilient digital forms: In building new or upgraded digital forms, agencies should prioritize designing platforms that allow for efficient future alterations to question sets or response options. Similarly, agencies should prioritize building digital forms that can be scaled or replicated for use in similar information collections or transactions that an agency administers.

● Keep digital forms digital, end-to-end: Agencies should ensure that information collected via a digital form remains digital throughout the information lifecycle.

For example, if information is collected from a digital form, it should not be converted or transformed into a paper or electronic format and then back into a digital format, unless strictly necessary.

5.0 RFI Response Requirements

All interested parties shall furnish the following minimum information:

● Name of company

● Name of company representative and title

● Point of contact (POC) information, including telephone number, address, and e-mail address

● SAM Unique Entity Identification (UEI) number

● Business size and socioeconomic classification(s)

● Recommended North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Codes appropriate to the tools and/or services

● Any applicable contract or multi-agency contract vehicles and contract numbers

(e.g., GSA Schedule, GWACs, BPAs, Open Market) for consideration

● Narrative describing the capability of your firm to provide the requested forms software tool and service support

● Additional documentation as necessary

● Technical Responses

○ Provide a minimum of three (3) examples of projects in similar scope where your software tool is utilized, preferably with the Federal government

○ Respond to each RFI topic outlined in Section 3.0 Requirements (address separately for each significant and distinct product or solution that you offer. Please indicate “N/A” if the question does not apply).

○ Briefly describe the scope of work in relation to “3.0 Requirements” the customer environment (including leveraging any proprietary software requiring users to take actions), software solution used, security requirements, best practice and lessons learned, and relevant metrics (e.g., number of clients, transaction volumes, etc)

● Suggestions on how GSA should seek to meet OMB M-23-22, Delivering a digital first public experience

● Assumptions or exceptions

● Questions

● Pricing model information is requested.

It is recommended that responses should not exceed 20 pages in length with a preferred font size of 12, Arial. Please do not submit generic marketing material, but links to the material may be included.

Large email attachments can be delayed during regular business hours. GSA has an attachment size limit of 20 MB. If this is a problem, submit multiple emails with small attachments to allow enough time to clear any server delays.

Public Records and Request for Confidentiality

● Any document submitted that contains confidential information must be watermarked as containing confidential information, and each page upon which confidential information appears must be marked as containing confidential information. Information that is publically available in marketing materials or webs pages is not considered confidential.

● The confidential information must be clearly identifiable to the reader wherever it appears. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned. All government and consulting personnel reviewing RFI responses will have signed non-disclosure agreements and understand their responsibility for proper use and protection from unauthorized disclosure of proprietary information as described 41 USC 423. The Government shall not be held liable for any damages incurred if proprietary information is not properly identified.

This is an opportunity to provide meaningful feedback in the early stages of the market research and pre-solicitation process for the Forms Management Program’s forms management software. Your thoughtful participation is encouraged.

5.1 Submission of Response Information

Responses to this RFI shall be submitted in electronic format to Carolyn Turner, Contracting Officer at carolyn.turner@gsa.gov and Johnathan Perkins, Contract Specialist at johnathan.perkins@gsa.gov, no later than 12:00 PM EST on May 30, 2024. Responses should be based on the information contained in this RFI and any other relevant information the Vendor considers as appropriate. Respondents will not be notified of the results of this source sought notice, and responses presented will not be returned.

Responses not received by the closing date and time will be considered late, and may not be considered by GSA.

Questions pertaining to this RFI shall be submitted to Carolyn Turner, Contracting Officer at carolyn.turner@gsa.gov and Johnathan Perkins, Contract Specialist at johnathan.perkins@gsa.gov, no later than 5:00 PM EST on May 17, 2024. When submitting questions note the following email subject line: GSA Forms Management Software.

All questions shall be in writing. A response to questions will be provided via email at the Government’s earliest convenience.

mailto:carolyn.turner@gsa.gov mailto:johnathan.perkins@gsa.gov mailto:carolyn.turner@gsa.gov