HRIT RFI 8.13.25.pdf

Request for Information (RFI) Human Resources Information Technology (HRIT)

Purpose: The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is issuing this request for information (RFI) for market research purposes to identify Human Resources Information Technology (HRIT) strategies, implementation approaches, and capabilities for a modernization of our HRIT application portfolio and to meet emerging mission needs Issuance of this RFI also serves to identify parties with an interest in informing the USCG’s future capabilities, the resources required to deliver those capabilities, and industry best practices and offerings.

Goals: Using the information gathered through this RFI, the USCG will assess its management, implementation, and modernization approaches for its HRIT application portfolio to achieve the People and Technology goals outlined in the Force Design 2028 Executive Report. The USCG aims to:

1. Understand current industry and other government agency approaches to holistic HRIT implementation

2. Understand current industry or government products, solutions, and services that can meet all or some USCG requirements for HRIT applications

3. Develop a holistic approach to the USCG HRIT application portfolio that optimizes HRIT capabilities for user experience and speed of delivery while meeting all cybersecurity requirements listed in Technical Constraints

Current State:

The USCG civilian workforce is governed by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Policy. The USCG Military workforce is governed by Department of Defense (DoD) Policy. There is a concurrent and related effort to optimize USCG HR business processes.

USCG HRIT is siloed based on employee types of civilian, officer, enlisted, reserve, retiree, and auxiliary, limiting our ability to perform total workforce management in an integrated, holistic manner. The USCG currently has 66 HRIT systems that deliver siloed aspects of HR service management to enable HR capabilities and support business process for recruiting, training, and retaining civilians, military (officer, reserve and enlisted), retirees and dependents.

Scope of this RFI:

Since 2022, the USCG has undertaken efforts to transform our talent and workforce management capabilities. The graphic below shows the USCG’s personnel-focused approach to talent management, called the Personnel Readiness System (detailed below). Focusing on the lifecycle of an individual’s time with the USCG, from initial interaction to post-retirement, the USCG can find opportunities for consolidation, integration, and automation that will improve the experience of the USCG workforce and their dependents.

https://media.defense.gov/2025/May/27/2003724531/-1/-1/0/REPORT%20-%20FD28%20EXECUTIVE%20REPORT%20_1166_V14.PDF

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The scope of this RFI includes all IT capabilities required to implement the personnel readiness system, detailed in the phases below. Where applicable, the Coast Guard has provided the highest priority capability areas and solution gaps to help direct interested parties' response efforts.

Design the Force We Need: To deliver Service preparedness and responsiveness, this phase can involve reorganizing personnel, assets, training, and developing new operational concepts to meet changing mission needs. Accessible analytics distributed among the workforce, and integrated into operations and mission support, are hallmarks of the future data-driven USCG. As other federal agencies and large corporations advance their use of data to drive operational and business decisions, the USCG must similarly advance its own capabilities to improve the personnel readiness domain.

Capability Focus Areas:

- Analyze Force

- Force Design Feedback

- Workforce Modeling

- Manpower Requirements Determination

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IT Solution Gaps:

- Future Force Modeling

Attract the Right Talent: The initial stage of talent acquisition and a most critical aspect of an effective personnel readiness system if the organization wants long-term sustainability. This phase includes Recruiting, Hiring, and Accessions (RHA) activities that must accurately predict the current and future needs of the Service and be agile enough to achieve those changing goals.

Capability Focus Areas:

- Assessments

- Onboarding

- Recruiting

- Civilian Hiring

- Onboarding process optimization for all employee types (civilian, military)

Generate Performance from Talent: Once an employee is onboarded and acculturated, the USCG supports continuous improvement of job performance through a balance of personal and professional development, technical training, and education essential to mission success.

Capability Focus Areas:

- Training

- Education

- Reskilling

- Talent Assessment

- Training Center Management

- Enlisted and Officer Training Center Curriculum and student management

- Performance Qualification Standard Tracking

- Personnel Digital Twin/Talent Attribute Framework Development and Tracking

Support Our Talent for Unit and Organizational Performance: Captured under the construct of force management, activities in this phase include forecasting personnel needs, analyzing skill sets and experience levels, and monitoring and evaluating performance. While managing the current workforce, force management influences recruiting, hiring, and accessions as well as providing support to former members.

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Capability Focus Areas:

- Assignments / Assignment Market Bidding

- Boards/Panels

- Evaluations

- Military and Civilian Pay, Entitlements, Benefits, and Leave Management

- Military Talent Marketplace and Talent Match Optimization

- Personnel Digital Twin/Talent Attribute Development and Tracking

Build Individual and Family Readiness and Resilience: USCG programs have been a foundational element in supporting the men and women who courageously serve the nation. While much work has been done in housing, relocation, dependent care, family advocacy, medical and dental care, and quality of services, the USCG has struggled to keep pace with the complexity and speed of change required to attract and retain a highly qualified workforce by improving these services.

Ensure Lifelong Affiliation: To take full advantage of the talent ecosystem, the USCG must establish a "Coast Guard for life" mentality with life-long affiliation, and much greater agility and authority to find, engage, and employ former military and civil service Sentinels.

Core HR Capabilities: Enlisted, Officer and Reserve This RFI also focuses on core HR capabilities that may not be specifically called out in the phases and capability areas above. Please see below for descriptions of Core HR capabilities.

Recruiting:

This phase covers a prospective military member’s enlistment, including security checks, aptitude and knowledge testing, medical examinations, and processing of incentives and waivers and culminates in the prospective member signing the enlistment agreement if deemed qualified for entrance into the USCG. Capabilities unique to the recruiting mission are also included in this phase.

Accession:

This phase covers a new member’s onboarding into the USCG from civilian life or from another military service. Initial accession most often begins at Training Center Cape May for new enlistees, the USCG Academy for cadets or the Leadership Development Center for Reserve Officer Candidate Instruction (ROCI), direct-commission officer indoctrination or Officer Candidate School (OCS). This phase covers initial training at boot camp, OCS or direct-commission officer training and ends with the members first assignment, including subtasks linked to maintaining accession capability.

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Workforce Support:

This extensive phase covers the member’s career, including specialty training, assignments, pay and benefits, professional development, qualifications, performance evaluations, discipline, career progression, advancements and promotions. This phase ends with the member’s processing for separation (retirement or discharge). The phase includes numerous subtasks linked to managing the workforce and workforce systems.

(Note: career transitions such as appointment as Chief Warrant Officer, selection of current USCG members for OCS and other in-service career milestones are covered in this phase, vice initial accession.)

Separation:

This phase covers a member’s voluntary separation from the service and involuntary separation for reasons such as administrative separation or physical disability, failure of selection, maximum time in service, or maximum age. This phase includes pre-separation counseling, physical disability evaluation, medical examinations on separation, and characterization of service and determination of highest grade satisfactorily held.

Retirement:

This phase covers service members who qualify for retirement benefits from the USCG.

Retirement includes issuance of appropriate Uniformed Services ID cards; transition support and counseling; legal services provided to retirees; retired pay based on rank / years of service, and Veterans Affairs (VA) physical disability rating; retiree and decedent services. Some of these services are also provided to family members, annuitants, and survivors.

Core HR Capabilities: Civilians Core HRIT Capabilities for Civilians are governed by DHS and OPM. In many cases, the USCG does not control the systems it is required to use for Civilian Core HR capabilities, and lacks automation and integration with Coast Guard-owned capabilities to standardize and improve its Civilian employees’ experience with Coast Guard Civilian HR.

Recruiting:

This phase begins with the vacancy of an existing position or creation of a new position, when a hiring manager works with Coast Guard HR to develop all of the data necessary to announce the vacancy to the public for hiring. It continues through the application process, including both the applicant’s experience and the experience of the HR specialist and hiring manager through all activities required to select a candidate – application review, scoring, interviews, and tentative offer. Once a candidate has accepted a tentative offer, the recruiting process continues through security checks, aptitude and knowledge testing, medical examinations, and processing of incentives and waivers as applicable. This phase ends with a selected candidate accepting a final job

USCG RFI – HRIT Page 6 offer and selecting a start date.

Onboarding:

The onboarding phase begins when a selected candidate accepts their final job offer and selects a start date. This phase covers the creation and processing of all data required to onboard the candidate as a civilian employee of the federal government and the United States Coast Guard, including pay and benefits. It includes: the creation or modification of all required core HR accounts in OPM, DHS, DOD, and Coast Guard systems; the delivery of all Coast Guard IT hardware, software, and mission systems access required for the civilian employee to complete their job; and the completion of all mandatory training required by OPM, DOD, DHS, and the Coast Guard. Onboarding will continue past the civilian employee’s start date and will end once all activities listed above have been completed. There will be overlap between the performance and development phase as the employee begins performance of their normal duties.

Performance and Development This extensive phase covers the civilian’s career with the Coast Guard, including specialty training, assignments, professional development, qualifications, performance evaluations, discipline, and career progression. This phase ends with the civilian’s processing for separation (to include retirement). The phase includes numerous subtasks linked to managing the workforce and workforce systems. (Note: promotions included in a ladder position, or temporary details to other positions or agencies, can be shared between this phase and recruitment and onboarding.)

Offboarding This phase covers a civilian’s separation from the Coast Guard for any reason, including retirement and termination. This phase includes all activities required for separation or retirement, including the transference of data to other government agencies should the civilian have accepted another position within a different federal government agency.

The USCG is a component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Being a military organization, we operate on our own portion of the Department of Defense Information Network (DoDIN) we call the Enterprise Mission Platform (EMP) Due to our unique nature we operate under a distinct set of directives and governance frameworks.

To address the complexities of this dual alignment, the USCG has established a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with both DoD and DHS. This MOA codifies the USCG's cybersecurity readiness requirements, ensuring adherence to DoD directives and governance as the primary standard. For financial information systems, the USCG supplements DoD requirements with DHS-specific directives, creating a comprehensive framework that meets the operational and compliance needs of both departments.

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Key Technical Requirements:

We are seeking information on innovative solutions to modernize and optimize Human Resources (HR) functions while consolidating legacy information systems into a unified, scalable, and efficient experience for all user types. Solutions must meet the following requirements:

1. Cloud Environment:

o Solutions must reside in a Department of Defense (DoD) Provisional

Authorization (PA) cloud environment compliant with the DoD Could Security Requirements Guide (Cloud SRD).

o Provide details on your solution’s current DoD PA status and the cloud service provider (CSP) utilized.

2. System Consolidation and Integration:

o Describe your approach to consolidating multiple legacy systems into a modernized, right-size integrated solutions.

o Address how your solution(s) ensures seamless migration and integration with existing DoD systems.

3. Scalability and Flexibility:

o Detail how your solution(s) can be scaled to accommodate future growth and adapt to evolving HR requirements.

o Explain how your platform supports modular functionality to meet diverse organizational needs.

4. Automation and Process Improvement:

o Outline how your solution leverages automation to streamline HR processes, reduce manual workloads, and improve efficiency.

o Provide examples of specific HR functions (e.g., recruitment, payroll, performance management) that can be enhanced through automation.

5. Integration with Data Lake/Data Warehouse Solutions:

o Solutions must integrate seamlessly with existing Data Lake and Data Warehouse architecture.

o Provide details on your solution’s compatibility with data aggregation, analytics, and reporting tools.

6. Data Retention and Records Management o Solutions must comply with National Archives and Records Administration

(NARA) standards for the retention, management, and disposition of federal records, including proper categorization, storage, retrieval, and disposition processes.

o Solutions must support automated records management workflows and integrate seamlessly with existing DoD records management systems.

7. User Experience and Accessibility:

o Describe how your solution ensures an intuitive user experience for HR

USCG RFI – HRIT Page 8 personnel and CG members and employees.

o Address accessibility features, including compliance with Section 508 of the

Rehabilitation Act.

8. Implementation Timeline and Support:

o Provide an estimated timeline for implementation, including key milestones.

o Describe the level of support and training offered during and after deployment.

Key Cybersecurity and Information Assurance Requirements:

We require solutions that adhere to stringent cybersecurity and information assurance standards to protect sensitive HR data and ensure system resilience. Solutions must meet the following requirements:

1. Cloud Environment Compliance:

o Solutions must reside in a DoD IL4 or IL5 PA’d cloud environment. Responses must include:

▪ Documentation of the solution’s current DoD PA status.

▪ Details on the CSP utilized and its compliance with DoD security requirements.

2. Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA):

o Solutions must be Zero Trust (ZT) compliant or enable Zero Trust principles.

o Provide details on how your solution supports ZT principles, including:

▪ Continuous verification of user and device identities.

▪ Least privilege access enforcement.

▪ Micro-segmentation and secure access to resources.

3. Compliance with Federal Standards:

o Confirm compliance with applicable federal cybersecurity standards, including:

▪ Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA)

▪ National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Publication

800-53

▪ Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) Clause

252.204-7012 (if applicable)

4. Data Protection and Privacy:

o Detail measures to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of HR data.

o Explain how your solution complies with privacy regulations, such as the Privacy Act of 1974.

5. Access Control and Identity Management:

o Describe how your solution implements robust access control mechanisms, including role-based access control (RBAC) and multifactor authentication (MFA).

o Provide information on identity management capabilities, including integration with existing systems (e.g., Active Directory).

6. Threat Detection and Incident Response:

o Outline how your solution incorporates threat detection, monitoring, and

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o Provide details on logging, auditing, and reporting features to support incident response and forensic investigations.

7. Secure System Architecture:

o Describe the security architecture of your solution, including encryption protocols, network segmentation, and secure APIs.

o Address how your solution mitigates risks associated with supply chain vulnerabilities.

8. Continuous Monitoring and Risk Management:

o Explain how your solution supports continuous monitoring and risk management practices.

o Provide information on tools and processes used to identify, assess, and mitigate cybersecurity risks.

9. Third-Party Risk Management:

o Detail how your solution addresses risks associated with third-party vendors and contractors.

o Include information on supply chain risk management practices and compliance with federal requirements.

General The applicable North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code assigned to this procurement may include:

• 518210 - Cloud computing and cloud related IT professional services (PRIMARY)

• 541511 – Custom Computer Programming Services

• 541512 – Computer System Design Services

• 541519 – Other Computer Related Services

• 541611 – Business Process Outsourcing

Disclaimer: There is no solicitation at this time. This RFI is not a request for proposals;

submission of any information in response to this request is purely voluntary; the Government will not pay for any costs incurred nor is obligated to respond. All submissions become Government property and will not be returned.

After reviewing responses to this RFI, and if the USCG still plans to proceed with the acquisition, a solicitation announcement may be published on the Contract Opportunities (formerly FedBizOpps) website or distributed to contract holders if a strategically sourced vehicle is deemed appropriate. It is the responsibility of the interested parties to monitor the Contract Opportunities website.

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Failure to respond or submit sufficiently detailed information may result in a company not being considered a likely offeror when making a decision on whether or how to set aside a solicitation for restricted competition. Regardless of the information submitted, the Government reserves the right to consider any arrangement as determined appropriate for this requirement.

No proprietary, classified, confidential, or sensitive information should be included in your response to this RFI. The Government reserves the right to use any information provided by respondents for any purpose determined necessary and legally appropriate, including using technical information provided by respondents in any resultant solicitation.

The USCG requests written capability statements be provided by 0900 EDT, 12 September 2025 to the Contracting Officer, Ms. Brenda Oberholzer, Brenda.E.Oberholzer@uscg.mil and Contract Specialist, Mr. Daniel Larussa, Daniel.R.Larussa@uscg.mil.

The capability statement must be 10 pages or less. The capability statement specifically requests the following information:

Request: If your organization has Human Resources, IT solutions and experience, capable of delivering all or some of the capabilities detailed above, please provide the following information:

1. Organization name

2. Address

3. Website

4. Point of contact name

5. Point of contact email address

6. Point of contact telephone number

7. Socioeconomic status

8. Unique Entity Identifier

9. What information and/or resources would you typically expect to need from the government to perform this effort?

Please answer Questions 10-24 for each recommended solution and limit the responses for each solution to 3 pages or less. For example, if you are recommending three solutions, please submit answers to questions 10-24 in no more than 9 pages.

10. Does your company currently have existing government-wide acquisition contracts (GWAC) (e.g. GSA) or other strategically sourced contracts for these types of requirements that the USCG can order off?

a. If yes, please provide contract numbers, what agency it is with, and agency point of contact information.

mailto:Brenda.E.Oberholzer@uscg.mil mailto:Daniel.R.Larussa@uscg.mil

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b. Please clarify each type of support (strategic, technical, etc.) can be purchased from each contract.

11. What type of contract (e.g. firm fixed price, cost-reimbursement, etc.) have you been issued before for this type of work?

a. Do you recommend one type or perhaps a hybrid (i.e. a contract that allows several types)?

b. Please clarify each type of support (strategic, technical, etc.) can be purchased from each contract.

12. Are there specific strategies, implementation approaches, and HRIT capabilities recommended to tackling the full scope of the RFI objectives and technical constraints?

If yes, please describe.

13. Considering the technical constraints above, what are the minimum number of solutions or products recommended to achieve the objectives of this RFI?

14. What capabilities defined in this RFI are included in your solution?

a. What are the benefits/drawbacks of those solutions?

b. How are solutions licensed?

c. How are these solutions hosted?

d. What criteria (and their priority) will be used to determine which solution(s)/system(s) to implement?

e. How would those solutions integrate with each other to achieve the best user experience?

15. What lifecycle cost impacts would you consider if selecting and implementing solutions for this scope of work?

16. What factors, based on implementing similar solutions, did you use to create a baseline by which to measure the Return on Investment (ROI)?

a. How was the baseline constructed?

b. What was the size of the user population?

17. Describe how your recommended solutions meet the technical constraints listed above.

a. If they do not currently meet technical constraints, describe the process and timeline planned for meeting those technical constraints.

18. What would be your estimated timeline for implementation of your solution?

19. If you have experience delivering similar solutions, what was the timeline to configure and customize the solution(s)/system(s)?

a. What was the timeline for data conversion?

b. What was the timeline for user validation testing?

c. Was a phased or big-bang approach used for go-live?

20. What was/is your approach for staffing?

a. How was/is the staffing model for helpdesk/customer care determined?

b. What is the staffing model to support defect resolution?

c. What is the staffing model to support enhancements and new requirements?

21. Describe the change control process and level of effort for your solution?

22. Is the solution(s)/system(s) considered successful? What criteria were used to

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a. How closely do the delivery capabilities match or align with the requirements?

b. Are the costs for licensing, hosting and sustainment as expected?

c. What are the Lessons Learned?

d. What kinds of subcontracting or teaming arrangements are recommended for this requirement? Please address the logistical, administrative and management structure for such arrangements.

23. Does your current talent pool have the necessary expertise to support the solutions proposed during development and implementation?

24. Provide any general comments, thoughts, and feedback your company would like to share regarding this RFI that are not encompassed by another question.