Certification_Training_and_Assessments_SOW.pdf

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

US CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES (USCIS)

STATEMENT OF WORK (SOW)

CERTIFICATION TRAINING AND ASSESSMENTS

1.0 Background:

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), US Citizenship and Immigration Services

(USCIS), Office of Human Capital and Training (HCT), Leadership’s Guided Review of

Weaknesses and Strengths (Leadership GROWS) seeks to procure services to deliver certification training on the instruction and use of a behavioral Assessment Suite of tools.

The USCIS Strategic Plan Goal 6 states: Operate as a high performance organization that promotes a highly talented workforce and a dynamic work culture. Goal 6.3 states: Sustain a culture of continuous learning and development. HCT’s Strategic Goal 1 is to Recruit, hire, retain and develop a highly-qualified and diverse workforce; with the associated objective to

Deliver high-quality leadership and development programs.

USCIS strives to enhance leadership across the organization by helping individuals gain deeper insight into their behavior, what is driving it and its impact on their organization. Assessment tools will enhance leadership capabilities of executives and senior staff through the identification and development of behaviors that strengthen individual leadership abilities; and advance the cohesiveness and effectiveness of the management team.

2.0 Scope of Work:

Contractor to provide certification and use of an assessment suite of tools that will include: an individual personality inventory that is based on the established industry standard Five Factor

Model of Personality, a leadership development assessment that identifies personality-based risks that can derail peoples’ chances of success, a leadership and organizational culture survey that evaluates motives, values and preferences, a 360 tool in support of executive and organizational development, and tools to support hiring and selection.

3.0 Place of Performance:

Certification training will take place at the USCIS Headquarters location:

USCIS – Judiciary Square Federal Building

633 3 rd

Street NW

Washington, DC 20529

*Student and other assessments shall be conducted on-line.

4.0 Tasks:

4.1 Certification training is required for the use of all Assessments.

The contractor will travel to a USCIS on-site location to conduct a private, continuous full 3-day combined workshop covering both Levels I & II. Certification training will be provided for up eight (8) participants. Certification Program will allow individuals to:

Administer the assessments, provide debriefing, and support follow-through coaching for managers and leaders.

Deliver high-impact feedback in a relevant and engaging way.

Provide participants with an understanding of best practices for delivering feedback.

Proper use of the tools within USCIS, knowing when and how to apply appropriate feedback models in different contexts.

Deliver competency-based feedback.

Summarize data using behavioral based themes and competencies as a framework.

Identify and address common challenges associated with certain profiles and coachability issues.

Prepare participants to successfully use reports for individuals, groups, or teams, and inform coaching efforts.

4.1.1 Student Assessments: USCIS students will be given access to the assessment’s administrative platform, which shall be available online, in order to take pertinent assessments as required.

4.1.2 Assessment Development Reports: USCIS certified instructors will be trained at a minimum on the following types of reports:

Team report that integrates assessment scores of teams.

Insight report that provides detailed individual feedback on the three types of assessments.

High Potential Talent Report that provides detailed individual feedback and development and coaching tips on the three types of assessments.

360 assessment report that provides detailed results of the ratings and development and coaching tips.

Judgment report that provides feedback on scores on situational judgment tests.Other reports as needed

4.1.3 The Level 1 Workshop: Course content is required for use of a full assessment suite. This course teaches professionals to interpret and apply core personality-based assessments:

Personality inventory based on the Five Factor Model of Personality.

Leadership development assessment that identifies personality-based risks.

Leadership and organizational culture survey that evaluates motives, values and preferences.

4.1.4 The Level 2 Workshop: Course content is required to deepen and expand the interpretation and feedback delivery skills gained in Level 1.

This course prepares the learner to apply more advanced feedback models, integrate the assessment data with other inputs, create developmental action plans, and understand best practices for delivering assessment feedback.

Skills acquired in this workshop can be used to increase the impact of high-stakes leadership development and executive coaching programs, create more effective individual development plans, and deepen assessment interpretation expertise for applied use in coaching, leadership, high potential, and other key talent programs.

As a prerequisite, participants must have successfully completed the Level 1

Certification.

4.2 Assessment Suite of Tools:

4.2.1 Personality inventory based on the Five Factor Model of Personality. Ability to measure personality using the Five Factor Model of Personality. How they relate to others when they are at their best. Their leadership style and potential for success.

4.2.2 Identification of Derailers and Risks – Leadership development assessment that identifies personality-based risks, evaluation of derailers and risks to performance based on personality-related concerns. The qualities they exhibit in times of stress that can damage their relationships and reputations and derail their chances of success and how these qualities can be mitigated before they become a problem.

System that groups those risks and materials that support the meaning and interrelatedness of those risks.

4.2.3 Leadership and organizational culture survey that evaluates motives, values and preferences, this is a research-based assessment that can be used for individuals or teams. The core goals, values, drivers and interests that determine what they desire and strive to obtain. The type of environment in which they will be most motivated and productive.

4.2.4 360 tool in support of executive and organizational development. The assessment suite must include the option to provide 360-degree assessments, which enable ratings to be collected to provide evaluation of important competencies. How they are perceived by managers, peers, direct reports, and others. Actions they can take to further their development and enhance their leadership effectiveness

4.2.5 Assessment Development Reports: the following reports shall be available based on the specific assessment(s) chosen:

4.2.5.1 Team report that integrates assessment scores of teams

4.2.5.2 Insight report that provides detailed individual feedback on the three types of assessments

4.2.5.3 High Potential Talent Report that provides detailed individual feedback and development and coaching tips on the three types of assessments

4.2.5.4 360 assessment report that provides detailed results of the ratings and development and coaching tips

4.2.5.5 Judgment report that provides feedback on scores on situational judgment tests

4.2.5.6 Ability to create other ad hoc or customized reports as needed

4.2.6 Contractor shall be able to map the assessments to USCIS’ competency catalog in order to better support hiring, selection, and development needs.

4.2.7 Contractor shall provide tools to support hiring and selection.

4.2.8 Validation & legal defensibility:

All assessments must have published and peer reviewed technical reports that provide detailed technical information concerning test development, construct validity, criterion-related validity, reliability, norming, and other established technical documentation for psychometric assessments. Validation efforts must adhere to industry standards and best practices and be in alignment with the Principles for the Validation and Use of Personnel

Selection Procedures, Fourth Edition (2003), Society for Industrial and Organizational

Psychology.

Contractors must provide comprehensive normative data to ensure that the assessments represent the intended populations. Normative data shall be made available for different occupational (e.g. job families and industries), demographic (e.g. age, gender, and ethnic groups), and other (e.g. selection vs. development application) groups.

Adverse impact data must be made available and be within industry norms.

All assessments must have been developed or reviewed by a qualified PhD Industrial-

Organizational Psychologist or equivalent expert in test development who endorses the psychometric properties of the assessment.

5.0 Deliverables:

The Contractor shall provide all submittals specified in the deliverable table for review and acceptance.

Unless otherwise specified, the Government will have ten (10) business days to review and provide comments to the Contractor prior to acceptance of all deliverables. The COR will review the submittal and notify the contractor if it is rejected or accepted.

The Government has the right to reject of require corrections of any deficiencies. In the event of a rejected deliverable, the Contractor will be notified in writing by the COR of the specific reasons for rejection.

The Contractor shall have an opportunity to correct the rejected deliverable. The Contractor must respond with corrections within ten (10) business days after receipt of Government comments.

If the deliverable is acceptable, the COR will send an email to the Contractor notifying that the deliverable has been accepted.

5.1 Deliverable Table:

Item Reference Deliverable Due By Distribution

1 Section X Post Award

Conference/Minutes

5th business day following notification by the COR of impending software release

CO/COR

16 T&C USCIS

Local Clauses

USCIS Freedom of

Information Act

(FOIA)

Within 30 days of Award

CO/COR,

foiaerr.nrc@uscis.dhs.gov

6.0 Contractor qualifications:

Contractor must have at least one PhD Industrial-Organizational Psychologist on staff.

Contractor must have been in the business of employee assessments for a minimum of 10 years.

Contractor must have demonstrated success in providing assessment certification and administration for federal government organizations with over 15,000 employees.

Facilitators/Trainers are required to be a distributor providing local service and support for clients offering full product suites, conduct assessment certification for local clients, and provide a range of services to support assessment products.

Flexibility: Contractor must have the employees, infrastructure, technical savvy, other resources, and other capabilities to enable flexibility in delivery of certification training and to provide assessments in both small and large quantities, with notice of less than five business days.

7.0 Instructor qualifications:

The contractor shall provide specialized facilitators with experience, education & certification that qualify them to instruct and advise program participants.

Instructors who deliver certification training shall have a minimum of five (5) years working delivering assessment certifications and assessment feedback sessions.

11 Accessibility Requirements:

Activities shall be designed to be inclusive and engaging to all participants.

mailto:foiaerr.nrc@uscis.dhs.gov mailto:foiaerr.nrc@uscis.dhs.gov

12 Government-Furnished Resources:

Instructors will not be able to access the internet at USCIS facilities though their own device. Instructors will email any digital material to a pre-appointed point of contact to be presented via agency computer and large screen TV.

The Government will provide the training space, equipment and supplies necessary to perform the on-site portion of Contractor services required for training, unless specifically stated otherwise in this work statement.

The Government will provide all necessary information, data and documents to the

Contractor for work required under this contract, but will remain the property of USCIS

13 Travel:

Instructor’s travel, lodging, meals and incidental expenses costs will be included in the

Other Direct Costs (ODC) CLIN. Travel and per diem paid by the Agency shall not exceed that authorized by government-wide regulations.

14 Security Requirements:

All security shall be in accordance with the security attachment.

15 Employee Identification

Contractor employees visiting Government facilities shall wear an identification badge that, at a minimum, displays the Contractor name, the employee's photo, name, clearance-level and badge expiration date. Visiting Contractor employees shall comply with all

Government escort rules and requirements. All Contractor employees shall identify themselves as Contractors when their status is not readily apparent and display all identification and visitor badges in plain view above the waist at all times.