Attachment 3 - Operational and Technical Training

Draft RFP HSTS05-08-R-OSO900

Attachment 3

OPERATIONAL AND TECHNICAL TRAINING

STATEMENT OF OBJECTIVES

SPECIALIZED SECURITY TRAINING (SST)

1. REQUIRING ORGANIZATION

Department of Homeland Security

Transportation Security Administration

Operational and Technical Training Division, TSA-29 601 South 12th Street

Arlington, VA 22202-4220

2. OBJECTIVE

To provide Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Specialized Security Training (SST) and Operational and Technical Training efforts support using a performance based task order to analyze, design, develop, implement, evaluation, and maintain training requirements and provide program management and program and system integration across all requirements. Given the rapid pace of change with new learning concepts, demographic challenges, and enabling technologies, TSA will constantly seek to improve the ways we can help the Transportation Security Officer (TSO) workforce and others be successful on the job with the right knowledge and skills delivered at the point of need. TSA’s intent is to fully engage the workforce both in the classroom and on the job bolstered by an interactive learning environment, using simulations and action learning techniques embedded within all learning products in resident courses, distance learning, or other training delivery methods. With the right learning architecture and infrastructure, TSA’s workforce will be able to know and/or access everything about their jobs, on the job—all learning assets at our trainee’s fingertips. TSA seeks to realize economies; efficiencies; reduced acquisition cycle time; and maximize the potential training impact on TSA’s workforce. Hence, secondary objectives are to standardize processes and products to streamline program review and approval, afford an activity based management approach to mature, and ensure flexible design, development, and implementation opportunities are maintained as best or better practices present themselves.

3. BACKGROUND

In response to the terrorist attacks on 9/11, Congress and the president enacted the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA, Public Law 107-71); in addition to creating the new Transportation Security Administration (unprecedented since WWII), the Act mandates that this new agency federalizes 429 airports in the United States. This included many specific requirements related to air travel and airport security, including specific skill requirements for a new workforce of screeners. The Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA, Public Law 107-71) assigns TSA the responsibility to conduct day-to-day federal security screening operations for passenger and intrastate air transportation. Section 111 of ATSA, entitled “Training and Employment of Security Screening Personnel” establishes the initial baseline training requirements. This was the beginning of a history-making selection effort unlike any this country has ever seen—one that required personal dedication, sacrifice, persistence, assistance, creativity, and teamwork. Not only was this a new job with new standards, but a brand new federal agency had to recruit, hire, and train an entire workforce in mere months. In January 2002, the TSA had fewer than 50 employees total; in April 2002, the TSA had about 300 employees at headquarters and 1,500 screeners; and in November 2002, the TSA had approximately 1,000 employees at headquarters and 50,000 screeners across the country. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) currently employs more than 45,000 Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) and other security screening workforce members at more than 450 airports to protect our nation’s aviation transportation network.

The TSA total workforce population exceeds 55,000 employees and is mostly composed of part-time and full-time Transportation Security Officers (TSO) employees located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories and possessions. The TSO part-time and full-time mix supports the Congressionally-established full-time equivalent ceiling for the TSO workforce. In a fiscal year, TSA typically brings between 9,000 and 12,000 new employees (TSO) on-board (during certain pay periods (two week increments), volume spikes considerably high to meet or adjust to human capital needs).

The mission of TSA is to protect the nation’s transportation systems to ensure freedom of movement for people and commerce. The vision of TSA and its employees is to continuously set the standard for excellence in transportation security through its people, processes, and technologies. No small task for a brand-new agency born from the occurrences of unthinkable acts of terrorism against the United States on September 11, 2001. With ATSA as its statutory foundation, TSA has worked to take aviation security orders of magnitude beyond where it stood on 9/11. Today, TSA’s challenge is to keep it fresh, to make our security regime as flexible, dynamic, adaptable, and unpredictable as the enemy we face. Additionally, today TSA’s screening workforce has added upward mobility opportunities within the profession, and TSA initiated performance incentives. Because of this, TSA reclassified the agency’s screeners as Transportation Security Officers (TSOs). This new classification acknowledged the judgment and skills required and the standards to which we hold our workforce. It also gave TSOs an opportunity to step onto a career ladder and apply for DHS law enforcement positions and bolster other layers of specialized security for TSA and DHS. Further, since conception, TSA has deployed an array of sophisticated and effective technology in all phases of our security process. TSA continues to invest in new technology that holds the promise for better security, more efficiently delivered. To accomplish TSA’s mission to protect the nation’s transportation systems, while facilitating the movement of people and commerce; TSA recognizes the importance of balancing screening and its risk-based strategy, by leveraging innovations and investments in training, workforce deployment, and technology.

In support of these requirements and goals, the Specialized Security Training (SST) program was initially established to provide training that enables those personnel to effectively conduct passenger and baggage screening operations, as prescribed by ATSA. Today, TSA and SST intend to fully engage our trainees both in the classroom and on the job. Specifically, the SST program develops curricula; develops training tools and materials; plans and schedules training courses; provides logistics and other operational support for training initiatives and workshops; delivers training through classroom and on-line channels; tests trainees for learning and proficiency; and evaluates the training provided.

While TSA remains attuned to the changing world, SST seeks to attain and continually update a critical mass of technology, content, and various training deployment models, whether for the current or next generation of users and their equipment, whether the subject matter expertise is delivered via classroom, blended, or broadband to training desktop computer, laptop, personal digital assistant (PDA), or via wireless means to create the phenomenon of seamless mobility. SST also seeks to foster an adaptive, at-the-point-of-need learning culture, and learning must enable productivity gains in a rapidly changing business environment. The TSO workforce must respond quickly to satisfy the shorter cycle times demanded in the post-9/11 acquisition environment. In support of this, SST must be positioned to provide attractive learning alternatives that deliver on the promise of proximity and relevancy; independently and along with other DHS organizational components. The SST learning environment considers relevancy, context, and proximity as necessary learning factors that empower the TSO learner to be more effective on the job. In the future, the TSO workforce will have the ability to choose when, where, what, and how to learn using non-traditional or informal learning tools.

Since its inception, TSA has relied on service contractors, TSA Field Personnel, and TSA Headquarters staff to provide specialized security training capability. The TSA intends to maintain a mixture of government provided and a commercial sourcing for training and training support services under this SST Program.

In response to the accelerated rate of change to security policies, procedures, and best practices, SST has established and must maintain a rapid training development capability. By quickly focusing attention on high-value initiatives, SST is able to develop and deliver targeted training to large numbers of the TSO workforce soon after an initiative is implemented and in parallel with changes to core curricula courses.

To ensure compliance with ATSA, Public Law 107-71, Operational and Technical Training (OTT) Division will primarily be responsible for coordination, development, implementation, and maintenance of TSA’s specialized security training requirements.

4. Scope

The Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA), Public Law 107-71 requires the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to develop, implement, and manage training programs for the transportation security screening workforce. TSA continues to make great strides in developing new training and responding to the needs of the diverse TSA field operations; and heavily relies on contractor support to accomplish its mission. The dynamic nature of the TSA Specialized Security Training (SST) demands focused, capable support services to ensure the successful operation, management, and control of the SST program. This document highlights the baseline efforts necessary to ensure system integration and program management, curriculum development, curriculum delivery/instruction/training, contract support to curriculum development and delivery, image development, and on-line learning and repository function. Although not required for each training efforts or products, the following delivery of training may be provided to support specific training strategies: Instructor-led, Web Based Training (WBT), Computer Based Training (CBT), Video/DVD, Broadcast Announcements, Blended Approach, Facilitation/Coaching, Practical Skills Demonstrations, On-the-Job Training (OJT), Computer Off-the-Shelf (COTS), Shadow/Co-Teach, Job Aids/Kits, or Simulation via online learning center, temporary facilities, semi-permanent facilities, satellite communication or schoolhouse based training support.

5. APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

Attachment 4: OTT Historical Requirements provides description of requirements for the current training program.

Attachment 5: SST Baseline Program Course Data provides a snapshot of FY06 and FY07 baseline “TSO only” training and training support requirements.

Attachment 6: Inventory of TSA Training Equipment and Materials provides insight into the logistical requirement to support this training requirement nationwide.

Attachment 7: New Hiring Detail Statistical Report provides statistical data on hiring quantities and locations for the period of 03/18/2006 through 1/14/2008.

Attachment 8: Compilation of Training Statistics provides statistical data on student attendance for Basic Screener Training and On Screen Alarm Resolution Protocol (OSARP).

6. TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS/TASKS

A. General

In order to enable the TSA mission, the TSA SST Program requires training and training support with the ability to ensure system integration and program management, program management support for activity based management (costing, coordination, and performance), curriculum development, curriculum delivery/instruction/training, contract support for curriculum development and delivery, image development, on-line learning and repository function, nationwide process support and operations with expert program and systems integration skills, demonstrated experience necessary to perform the full range of training and training logistics operations seamlessly with integrated processes that provide the training and training support service needs of the TSA employee in a dynamic and evolving environment, and a viable transition plan. Highlights of key requirements related to FY08 training operations are illustrated in Attachment 4.

B. Program Management and Integration Support

The general range of training and training support services required by the TSA includes the following:

· General Program Management and Training Program Integration Support (includes the following examples :)

· Program Planning and Control;

· Oversight and Integration;

· Activity Based Management;

· Quality Assurance;

· Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan

· Configuration Management;

· Risk Management;

· Security;

· Contract and Subcontract Management;

· Proposal Support Services;

· Supplier Control;

· Financial Management;

· Program Management Support

· Training Improvement and Solutions

· Metrics & Analysis

· Training and Training Support Management Consulting

· IT and Data Management;

· Facility and GFE Management; and

· Transition Support.

· Training Analysis Support

· Training Evaluation Support

1. Training Program Integration Support

The required training and training support services are crucial to the overall mission of the TSA and must continue at full operating capability without interruption. The TSA requires expert program management, business process management and change management knowledge, skills, and abilities to seamlessly deliver the full range of training and training support operations with integrated processes that provide the training and training support service needs of the TSA employee in a dynamic and evolving environment. The program management expertise must leverage end-to-end cross functional training and training support dependencies; support technical compliance and timely service in all functional areas; develop and implement quality control measures for all areas of program performance; provide business intelligence and analytics; provide quantitative and qualitative program evaluation and analysis; deliver continuous process improvement; develop and deliver business continuity of operations; respond promptly to technical questions; provide evolutionary consulting expertise; verify personnel actions; report status and trending information; maintain effective internal and external communication processes and systems; rapidly respond to changing and emerging requirements and mandates; and provide the capability to temporarily shift the focus of resources and workload balance to support periodic spikes in personnel action volume.

2. Business/Financial/Contract Management Sound business and financial management are critical to the TSA’s ability to deliver cost-effective services and accomplish its mission within allocated budgets. The TSA requires business and financial management expertise managing complex contracts and integrated performance management. The service provider shall utilize a detailed Work Breakdown Structure to propose solutions at the work package level, identify costs associated with discrete training and training support processes, and apply activity based management methodology to ensure effectiveness. The service provider must develop quality price estimates for each period of performance; monitor and track incurred and invoiced costs; report timely financial status; and provide prompt, thorough, response to, and resolution of financial inquiries and issues, while including flexibility to support DHS’s agile environment.

3. Systems Integration The TSA operates in an integrated environment of complex processes and information technology. The operation of effective training and training support services requires proven expertise in implementing, managing, maintaining, integrating and evolving automated systems, complex training, training support, and logistics-oriented processes, and development of business rules across a number of TSA offices, DHS Organizational Elements, or other service providers. The service provider must interface and integrate with Federal automated systems (e.g., TSA Learning Management System; DHS Learning Management System; etc.); Commercial-Off-the-Shelf (COTS) products (e.g., Plateau On-Line Learning Center); and other service providers and entities in the training and training support service process. The service provider shall have knowledge, skills, and abilities regarding complex processes and information technology integration; data management (validation, verification, and warehousing); system conversion and data integration; information system security and certification & accreditation; maintenance of business continuity of operations; and integrated communication systems. The TSA requires the integration of both internal and external operations, which may include integration between the TSA and the successful contractor, between the TSA and other Federal agencies, between the successful contractor for the SST Program and other contractors performing services for the TSA, or between the successful contractor and any subcontractors or teaming partners.

C. Training Design and Development/ Maintenance

· Curriculum Development (curriculum development effort includes the following training strategies :)

· Instructor-led

· Web Based Training (WBT)

· Computer Based Training (CBT)

· Video/DVD

· Blended Approach

· Facilitation/Coaching

· Practical Skills Demonstrations

· On-the-Job Training (OJT)

· Computer Off-the-Shelf (COTS)

· Shadow/Co-Teach

· Job Aids/Kits

· Simulation

· Pilots and/or Operational Tryouts

· Training Aids and Materials

· Image Development and Security Training Aids (Kits and Boards)

· Training and Testing Image Development

· Security Training Aids (Kits and Boards)

· IED Baseline Training Kits A and B

· Weapons Training Kit

· Modular Bomb Set (MBS) II Training Kit

· Modular Bomb Set (MBS) IIA Training Kit

· TSWG Explosives Simulant Training Kit

· Liquid Explosives Training Kit

· On-Line Learning Center Repository Function/Support D. Training Implementation

· Curriculum Delivery/Instruction/Training (training delivery requires subject matter expertise (SME) support to specialized security training programs. Although there are a number of commercially provided courses and services, the baseline programs that TSA currently require commercial SME support and delivery for are as follows:)

· Basic Screener Training (BST) - The Aviation Transportation and Security Act (ATSA Public Law 107-71) currently requires the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) ensure all new hire screeners complete a minimum of 40-hours of classroom training (or equivalent), 60 hours of OJT, and successfully complete On-the-Job (OJT) training. In addition, ATSA requires that an individual who is employed as a Transportation Security Officer complete equipment specific training or successfully complete a test on the use of the device or equipment, prior to use. The TSA has developed training curriculum, which meets all ATSA requirements.

· On Screen Alarm Resolution Protocol (OSARP) - Separate OSARP procedures and training has been developed for each Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Explosive Detection System (EDS) model to make optimal use of each device’s particular capabilities and available functions. Resolving EDS alarms utilizing each machine’s inherent tools, and a comprehensive OSARP has proven to be an effective, sound and safe process. A well-trained operator can quickly determine if the object or objects that caused a machine alarm are threatening or non-threatening, often without performing invasive and time-consuming Explosive Trace detection (ETD) sampling or physical searches. Because of this, baggage can be processed through the baggage handling system much quicker. Realizing the benefits of OSARP, the TSA has determined that all airports with EDS machines will have their screeners trained to use the alarm resolution protocol tools.

· Train-the-Trainer (T3) - Recognizing the critical role an instructor plays in the delivery of training and the need to provide flexibility to local airports for government instructors.

· Quality Assurance on-site audits on approximately 20% of all scheduled classes.

· Training Aids and Materials

· Support to Curriculum Development and Delivery (integrated approach for a global Customer Service Support Center (CSSC) to effectively support the TSA’s Training Programs in the areas of Planning Scheduling, Deployment, Logistics and Data Management, as applicable, historical process and/or coordination information for CSSC operations)

· Customer Service Support Center (CSSC) provides training support with regard to scheduling course instances; planning and securing training locations; deploying students and/or instructors; providing travel call center support; direct on-site support to the TSA Training Resource Center (TRC); data management and reporting; web-form maintenance and operation, and various levels of logistics support as required by these training programs. The baseline level of effort defined as the Global Customer Service Support Center is designed to provide management coordination and flexibility within these functional areas while maximizing program support options, ensuring ensures baseline functionality for maintaining and updating the capabilities, tools, and processes in these functional areas while allowing resource flexibility across supported TSA training programs.

· Program Management

· CSSC Planning/Scheduling

· Travel Coordination

· CSSC Call Center

· Web Based Training Request Form

· Data Management

· Logistics

· Lifecycle management of Government Furnished Equipment

· TRC Support

· Training Aids and Materials

· Image Development and Security Training Aids (Kits and Boards)

· Training and Testing Image Development

· Security Training Aids (Kits and Boards)

· IED Baseline Training Kits A and B

· Weapons Training Kit

· Modular Bomb Set (MBS) II Training Kit

· Modular Bomb Set (MBS) IIA Training Kit

· TSWG Explosives Simulant Training Kit

· Liquid Explosives Training Kit

· On-Line Learning Center Repository Function/Support

· Transition Service

7. GOVERNMENT FURNISHED RESOURCES AND INFORMATION

· Key resources on the supplies and services that will be provided by the government to the contractor to accomplish the work specified in this SOO are provided as follows: supplies (Attachment 6) and services (Attachment 4).

· Key resources on the facilities will be based on contractor solution and approach to accomplish the work specified in this SOO and will become (Attachment 10).

8. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

All terms and conditions of the base Indefinite-Delivery, Indefinite Quantity contract will be incorporated and applicable to the resultant task order.

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