OIG Hotline Services-Answers to Vendor Questions 4.19.24.pdf

Document Section Page Question/Comment Answers

PWS 4.0 Requirements 2

Will the Government provide information on the system and methods currently in place in order to determine how best an Offeror can effect a continuity of service plan during a transition? Will the Contractor be required to maintain "legacy" Hotline contacts?

The Government does not own or operate the existing system in place so will not provide this information.

Legacy contacts are moved and stored to the Government case management system (CMS) and not stored by the contractor.

PWS 4.0 Requirements 2 Do you have a breakdown of Hotline contacts by channel (call, voicemail, email, web submission)?

2023 Contacts: Telephone: 569; Email:

103; Webform: 6,637; Fax/Voicemail:

33; [Spam: 8,067]

PWS 4.0 Requirements 5 Does the Government have specific training requirements for operators?

No, we don't dictate specific training operators should have or take per se but some of the key interview skills should include active listening and communication (both oral and written).

PWS 4.0 Requirements 3

Does the Government have expectations for minimum staffing levels by role (operators, supervisors, support staff)? Does the DOC OIG require dedicated resources for its hotline?

See PWS section on Staffing, including Key Personnel

OIG Hotline Services Sources Sought‐Answers to Vendor Questions

PWS 7.0 Period of Performance 9

What are the Contractor's requirements with respect to transitioning the public website (Section 4.0.3 Online Form Submissions) for fed.gov requirements? Would the Offeror need to assume the existing public website or establish a new one in the interim?

Contractors shall identify their own transition plan to ensure continuity of service is met. Federal website requirements are easily available to the public and clearly documented.

The contractor is required to provide thier transition plan to provide the services as outlined in the PWS without interuption in service, the specifics are left up to the contractor to provide.

The Government does not own or operate the existing webform so can not approve any actions related to its continued use.

PWS 4.0 Requirements 3 Does the Contractor have additional "processing" responsibilities after information has been submitted to the OIG?

No. Once the complaint/inquiry matter has been submitted to OIG, there isn't any additional processing that needs to be done for the specific complaint/inquiry.

PWS 4.0 Requirements 3 Does the Government have written procedures for this hotline? Will those remain in place in the event of a Contractor change?

Yes, the OIG Hotline has internal procedures which will remain in place.

The current vendor developed, and OIG reviewed/approved, a Standard Operating Procedure that is currently being used. Per the PWS, the Contractor, in coordination with OIG, shall develop customized protocols and procedures for OIG Hotline complaints.

Once established, the contractor shall be required to always follow the protocols and procedures and update annually.

PWS 4.0 Requirements 2

What level of knowledge is required to refer and forward non‐DOC related complainants to the appropriate federal entity? Will the Government provide information necessary to make these determinations?

Basic knowledge of other U.S. federal agencies (e.g., USPS, DOD, VA, SSA).

The DOC OIG will also provide information necessary to make these determinations.

PWS 9.0 Staffing 10 Will the OIG support sponsoring new operators receiving necessary clearances?

The OIG will support sponsoring key personnel staffing turn over.

Substituting key personnel requires approval from OIG.

N/A N/A N/A

Can the government detail the current Level of Effort (LoE) performing these tasks? Secondly, is there any anticipated increases, or decreases in LoE;

comparative to the current contract?

The contractor is required to estimate their own level of effort required to meet the PWS requirements.

No increase or decrease in current level of effort comparative to current contract. The current contract has two active and two backups.

Draft PWS #3 (Online Form Submission) 2

This section states "The web‐based complaint form must be customized and/or tailored to meet the specific needs of the OIG." Will the government collaborate with the Contractor to create this form? How long will the Contractor have to create this form? Is the government acceptable to continuing to use the current Contractors form, if it's satisfactory to the government?

The government can collaborate with the contractor on form creation but many public hotline websites already exisit as examples of what is required, including our own at https://www.govcomhotline.com/DOC

1. The contractor must indicate in their proposal how they shall ensure continuity of services without interruption, including how long they need to create the form.

The government does not own or operate the exsiting form so can not provide any information regarding its continued use or operation after the current contract period ends.

N/A N/A N/A What is the specific Labor Category (LCAT) and experience level required for these positions (if not SCA positions)? None required by the OIG.

Draft PWS

9.0 Staffing, Section a., bullet point iii

According to the PWS, the key personnel is required to possess a current background clearance from a federal government agency with reciprocity capabilities or a current federal government issued Personal Identity Verification card. I would like to inquire about the process for verifying and providing documentation of federal clearance and if clearance can be obtained prior to the contractor's start date.

PIV details can be found publicly https://www.idmanagement.gov/unive rsity/piv/ OIG shall contact the current PIV issuing agency for recipocity and confirmation of clearance level. OIG shall not provide clearance before contract start date, current clearances must already exist for designated personnel.

Draft PWS

9.0 Staffing, Section a., bullet point iii Could you please provide guidance on the process for obtaining documentation or verification of federal clearance?

Documentation can be obtained from the issuing agency security office or HR office.

Hotline PWS_Draft 4.0 Requirements 2 Can the contractor record the call for the purpose of training only?

No, the contractor is not authorized to record or track any DOC OIG hotline calls for any purpose, including training.

PWS 3.0 Objective 1 Can you provide the existing contract number, contract value, contract type (including base and option periods), and expiration date? This is a new requirement

N/A N/A N/A

When does the current Period of Performance (PoP) end? Is the current contract covered under the Service Contract Act? If so, can the government provide the specific Wage Determination version used, and the specific Labor Category associated? This is a new requirement

N/A N/A N/A What will be the contract value for this opportunity We do not have an estimated value at this time.

N/A N/A Would you please provide an approximate timeline for the RFP release We anticipate the RFP will be released in the 3rd quarter of FY24.

Hotline PWS_Draft 1.0 Purpose 1 Will the Government be changing the Solicitation Number upon RFP release?

Yes, the solicitation number will change upon release of the solicitation

Hotline PWS_Draft 1.0 Purpose 1 Will the Government consider a set‐aside for (8a, HUBZone, EDWOSB, sdvosb, small business set aside on GSA, etc.)

Yes, the Government will consider a set‐ aside for small businesses

Yes, 1.0 Purpose 1 Will the Government be making the award for this requirement in FY24?

Yes, the Government anticipates an award will be made in FY24.

Sources Sought Instructions for Responses 2

For the purposes of the Sources Sought Notice, how will OIG be utilizing contact information for past performance examples? It is our practice to only provide contact information in association with RFP situations and we want to understand if these references will be contacted at this time. If not, will the OIG permit respondents to submit contact information at a later time in association with an actual RFP response?

The information gather during the Market Research is for informational purposes only. The Government may require Past Performance contact information to be furnished durng the RFP period.