HSBP1017R0029_-_Attachment_1_SOO.pdf

HSBP1017R0029 Attachment 1 - Statement of Objectives (SOO)

STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES

For

OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

FRONTLINE RECRUITMENT AND HIRING SERVICES

PURPOSE

An Executive Order issued on January 25, 2017, Titled: “Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements,” directed that all appropriate action be taken for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to hire 5,000 Border Patrol Agents (BPAs). Due to the current recruitment challenges CBP faces, and the associated uncertainties, it is imperative that an aggressive focus be placed on educating the public on CBP’s mission and the process to becoming a CBP BPA. This will be accomplished by incorporating a hard-hitting, targeted recruitment campaign consisting of promoting the CBP law enforcement careers and opportunities while educating and guiding the potential candidates through the hiring process.

This procurement will assist the CBP Hiring Center (HC) in meeting the demands required to achieve the aforementioned hiring goals.

BACKGROUND:

The CBP Office of Human Resources Management (HRM) Talent Management Directorate is responsible for administering the Agency’s recruitment and outreach plan, and provides a centrally coordinated system of advance planning and recruitment in order to establish a pipeline of highly qualified and diverse candidates to fill its mission-critical law enforcement positions (Customs and Border Protection Officer, Border Patrol Agent, Air and Marine Interdiction Agents). Employment practices include the use of web-based application systems and a centrally managed nationwide recruitment network.

There is intense competition for a shrinking pool of candidates, and a need for a large volume of interested and well qualified applicants to maintain Congressionally-mandated staffing levels.

These requirements have created the need for CBP to seek the services and expertise of industry to assist with its recruitment and hiring mission to protect America’s borders. CBP needs all requisite recruitment, market research, data analytics, advertising and marketing services to be performed by a contractor with the experience and capability to execute a recruiting and hiring campaign to meet Customs and Border Protection staffing requirements on expedited timelines.

SCOPE

The Contractor shall provide expert market research, data analytics, recruitment and advertising expertise aimed at applicants for law enforcement opportunities within the Customs and Border Protection Agency, and possess knowledge of the CBP law enforcement applicant processing path, systems integration skills, and demonstrated experience necessary to perform the full range of law enforcement talent acquisition processes.

The Government wishes to emphasize the importance of delivering results rather than merely performing tasks. The Government intends to design a contract, therefore, that makes payments based on performance. Ultimately, the goal is to produce the required number of employees who actually enter on duty—which means individuals who have completed the application, who have successfully passed the entrance exam, who meet physical requirements, who are suitable for employment at Customs and Border Protection (i.e., who can pass a very demanding background investigation, who can pass a polygraph examination, and who have the highest integrity), and who are compatible with the rigors of Border Patrol training and operational environments. Currently more than 133 initial applicants must be recruited in order to successfully hire and place one BPA. This recruiting processing requirement may be expanded during the contract period to include other CBP or DHS requirements.

The contractor will recruit enough highly qualified Frontline candidates to successfully satisfy the Executive Order over the course of the contract. This contract shall be one base year with 4 option years to hire 7,500 fully qualified applicants. These qualified applicants should include 5,000 Border Patrol Agents (BPAs), 2,000 Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) Officers, and 500 Air and Marine Interdiction Agents.

Ultimately, remuneration to the contractor will be based primarily on the delivery of qualified applicants, as demonstrated by successful completion of ALL elements of the hiring process. The Government is interested in suggestions from industry about how best to design such a payment structure in the resulting contract.

The contractor shall understand and comply with Title 5 U.S.C. policies and procedures applicable to Federal employees; including the provisions of the civil service Interchange Agreements approved by the Secretary, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Director, Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and Executive Order 13197.

Computer systems must be compatible with existing CBP-, DHS- and Government-wide enterprise architectures required to satisfy CBP objectives.

All Contractor employees shall be US citizens.

This recruiting processing requirement may be expanded during the contract period to include other CBP or DHS requirements.

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE:

Most work shall be performed primarily at the Contractor’s site(s).

Per multiple objectives, some activities are performed at locations throughout the U.S. and its territories.

Work may also be performed at CBP Headquarters in Washington, DC or the CBP Hiring Center in Bloomington, MN.

OBJECTIVES

Objective 1 - Recruiting

The vendor will determine appropriate applicant pools for law enforcement positions through the use of prevailing commercial industry practices.

Objective 2 - Coordinate with the CBP Hiring Center on the posting of Vacancy Announcements in accordance with OPM rules and regulations

Objective 3 – Applicant Support/Care

Utilize a tracking system to provide applicant assistance through the entire hiring process.

Objective 4 - Application Intake and Applicant Processing

This function entails managing the full life cycle of the hiring process from job posting to processing new entry-level BPA hires. The CBP hiring process currently consists of a 12 step pre-employment process, along with the processing of new hires as outlined in Attachment 1.

Border Patrol Agent

• Administer Entrance Exam

• Pre-qualification (Final adjudication performed by the Government)

• Administer Medical Examination (Final adjudication performed by the Government)

• Administer Physical Fitness Test I (Final adjudication performed by the Government)

• Administer Physical Fitness Test II (Assessment only)

• Initiate e-QIP

• Conduct Background Investigation/Reciprocity Requests (Final adjudication performed by the Government)

• Coordination of Structured Interviews

• Administer Polygraph Examination (Final adjudication performed by the Government)

• Administer Drug Test (Final adjudication performed by the Government)

Air and Marine Interdiction Agent

• Pre-qualifications Review (Final adjudication by the Government)

• Conduct Background Investigation/Reciprocity Requests (Final adjudication performed by the Government)

• Administer Physical Fitness Test (Final adjudication performed by Government)

• Administer Drug Test (Final adjudication performed by Government)

• Polygraph Examination (Final adjudication performed by Government)

• Three-part Flight Assessment o Coordination of Oral Evaluation o Conduct and Coordinate Flight Evaluation o Coordination of Structured Interviews

CBP Officer

• Administer Entrance Exam

• Pre-qualification (Final adjudication performed by the Government)

• Administer Medical Examination (Final adjudication performed by the Government)

• Administer Physical Fitness Test I (Final adjudication performed by the Government)

• Administer Physical Fitness Test II (Assessment only)

• Initiate e-QIP

• Conduct Background Investigation/Reciprocity Requests (Final adjudication performed by the Government)

• Coordination of Structured Interviews

• Administer Polygraph Examination (Final adjudication performed by the Government)

• Administer Drug Test (Final adjudication performed by the Government)

Objective 5 - Reporting

Generate recurring and ad-hoc automated data analysis and summary reports to include, but not limited to, depicting, tracking, and analyzing recruitment, assessment, processing, and on-boarding efforts as detailed in the attachments.

Objective 6 – Security and Management of Employment Data

Properly maintain all pre-employment and hiring documents, including medical information, Personally Identifiable Information (PII) by administrative, technical and physical protective measures, including safeguarding of information in hard-copy or on portable electronic devices, in accordance with all Federal, CBP and OPM guidelines.

Objective 7 - System Interfaces

Interface and integrate with multiple CBP information systems. The vendors systems shall interface with current CBP platforms.

Objective 8 – Program Management

Provide senior liaison to work in collaboration with CBP to communicate and resolve issues between CBP and vendor.

Constraints:

This section lists laws, rules, regulations, standards, technology limitations and other constraints that the service and/or service provider shall adhere to or work under.

• CBP is prohibited from advertising two public JOAs for the same position in the same location.

• CBP Hiring Center (HC) will need to approve the removal of any candidate from consideration to ensure the action is in compliance with applicable regulations and laws.

• The contractor and HC will need to develop a process to ensure consistent determinations are made on applicants that re-apply and previously adjudicated.

• Potential overlap with other contracts that perform similar functions (i.e., medical and fitness contracts)

• Applicants for entry-level (GL-5 and 7) BPA positions are required to take an entrance exam per OPM qualification standards. The exam is a proctored exam at a certified testing facility. The Candidate Experience Record portion of the exam can be taken un-proctored at home by the applicant.

• Objective 4 constraints must comply with the following:

• OPM Guidelines

• CBP BPA Frontline Careers

• Border Patrol Agent Application Process

• CBP Suitability Overview

• Prior Drug-Use Guidelines

• CBP follows best practices in our administration of the polygraph, which have been identified by the National Center for Credibility Assessment (NCCA). All CBP polygraph examiners undergo the same NCCA training required of all federal polygraph examiners, and our polygraph program has successfully passed five NCCA inspections https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1800/border-patrol-enforcement-series-1896/ https://www.cbp.gov/careers/frontline-careers/bpa/app-proc https://www.cbp.gov/careers/frontline-careers/bpa/app-proc https://www.cbp.gov/careers/car/suitability https://www.cbp.gov/careers/car/prior-drug-use

Addendum 1:

Reinstatement of former BPA agents:

• Step 1: Applicant submits a memo and resume addressed to the Sector Chief or Chief Patrol Agent (CPA) or Director of Field Operations where you would like to work.

• Step 2: CBP’s Hiring Center conducts a review of the applicant’s qualifications and eligibility and sends a tentative offer of employment.

• Step 3: CBP’s Hiring Center will initiate pre-employment requirements (Background investigation, Polygraph, medical, and drug test. Individuals with a prior polygraph may be granted reciprocity, and individuals who need to attend the Academy will also need to take a fitness test.

• Step 4: Final offer of employment.

Addendum 2 – Process Step Rates Comparison

PROCESS STEPS - BORDER PATROL AGENT

CAPACITY TO

COMPLETE ACTUAL COUNTS

GOALS TO REACH DESIRED

OUTCOMES

Administer Entrance Exams CAPACITY COUNT OF EXAMS ADMINISTERED GOALS Pre-Qualification review* CAPACITY COUNT OF CANDIDATE REVIEWS GOALS Administer Medical Examination* CAPACITY COUNT OF MEDICAL EXAMINATIONS GOALS Administer PFT 1* CAPACITY COUNT OF PHYSICAL FITNESS EXAMS GOALS Administer PFT 2 (Assessment Only) CAPACITY COUNT OF PHYSICAL FITNESS EXAMS GOALS Initiate e-QIP CAPACITY COUNT OF e-QIP INITIATIONS GOALS Initiate BI* CAPACITY COUNT OF BI INITIATIONS GOALS Coordination of Structured Interview CAPACITY COUNT OF COORDINATED INTERVIEWS GOALS Administer Polygraph Examination* CAPACITY COUNT OF ADMINISTERED POLYGRAPHS GOALS Administer Drug Test* CAPACITY COUNT OF ADMINISTERED DRUG TESTS GOALS

*Final adjudication performed by the Government

Addendum 3 – BPA and CBP Hiring Process

Addendum 4 – Air and Marine Interdiction Agent Hiring Process