Questions and Answers.pdf

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Q1. Is there a preferred location for the telephone operator services or is this open to remote call center operations?

A1. According to the Performance Work Statement in Section 1, the contractor shall provide remote telephone operator services.

Q2. Is this a brand new contract or is (was) there an incumbent performing these services? If not brand new, could you please provide the current / previous contract number?

A2. This will be our first contract for 24/7 telephone operator services.

Q3. What is the name of the current contractor for this contract?

A3. This will be our first contract for 24/7 telephone operator services.

Q4. Will there be a scheduled site visit for this opportunity?

A4. No. There will not be a scheduled site visit. According to the Performance Work Statement in Section 1, services are to be remotely provided.

Q5. What will be the anticipated award date for this contract?

A5. The Government intends to award this contract in February 2025.

Q6. What will be the anticipated start date for this contract?

A6. The anticipated start date will be March 1, 2025.

Q7. What is the current monthly or total annual awarded amount for this contract?

A7. This will be our first contract for 24/7 telephone operator services.

Q8. Have funds been appropriated for this opportunity?

A8. Funds will be appropriated upon contract award.

Q9. Is this an existing contract?

A9. This will be our first contract for 24/7 telephone operator services.

Q10. Could you please confirm whether the place of performance will be remote or on-site at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid, Spain? If on-site performance is required, please provide additional details regarding logistical requirements for personnel.

A10. According to the Performance Work Statement in Section 1, the contractor shall provide these services remotely.

Q11. Will the Government provide the tools and technology necessary for this contract (e.g., telephony systems, call center software, etc.)? Alternatively, should subcontractors anticipate procuring and deploying their own infrastructure to fulfill the requirements of the project?

A11. According to Section 1, I. Scope of Contract, the prices listed shall include all labor, equipment, materials, insurance, overhead, and profit.

Q12. What is the expected call volume, could you provide estimates on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis?

A12. According to the Performance Work Statement in Section 1, Mission Spain & Andorra currently receives approximately 1,200 calls per month.

Q13. Will appointment scheduling be part of the scope, if so, which platform will be used?

A13. No. The services to be provided are the ones included in the Performance Work Statement in Section 1.

Q14. Who is the current phone service provider?

A14. Our current phone service provider is Telefonica, S.A.

Q15. Will the Embassy business lines be forwarded to a number we provide, or will we use the existing Embassy phone numbers directly?

A15. According to the Performance Work Statement in Section 1, the contractor shall provide an international Spanish-based number for calls forwarding.

Q16. What is the average call length for both English and Spanish calls based on recent data?

A16. According to Section I, III. Pricing, the estimated average call length is 1.14 minutes.

Q17. Will the government test or verify operator language proficiency (ILR Level 4), or is self-certification by the contractor sufficient?

A17. No. The Government will not test language proficiency. According to Section 3, A.2. (7) the offeror shall provide evidence that they can provide the necessary personnel (fluent in English and Spanish), equipment and financial resources needed to perform the work and accommodate any level of call volume.

Q18. Will the government provide pre-approved scripts and decision trees for operators, or is the contractor expected to develop these based on provided guidelines?

A18. According to the Performance Work Statement in Section 1, the Contractor will adhere to a pre-approved script and processes to handle all incoming calls.

The operators will be required to screen each call received by following scripts provided by the Embassy’s Human Resources Office with input from the Mission’s Consular sections, other sections, and agencies within Mission.

Q19. Are there specific citizenship requirements for call center operators (e.g., must operators be Spanish citizens, U.S. citizens, or eligible to work in Spain)?

A19. No. There are no requirements other than the ones included in the Performance Work Schedule in Section 1.

Q20. Does the government require the contractor to use an existing CRM system? If so, what is the name and version of the system, and are there specific integration requirements?

A20. No. There are no requirements other than the ones included in the Performance Work Schedule in Section 1.

Q21. Is the contractor expected to provide a CRM system? If yes, are there specific features or capabilities required?

A21. According to Section 1, the contractor shall provide all labor, equipment and materials required to render the required services.

Q22. What data exchange protocols or APIs are required to integrate with the embassy's systems for real-time updates or reporting?

A22. There will be no integration with the embassy’s systems. The contractor shall submit the reports listed in the Performance Work Statement in Section 1.

Q23. What are the data storage and retention policies for information collected via the CRM, and how should these align with local and international regulations (e.g., GDPR)?

A23. According to the Performance Work Statement in Section 1, the Contractor will not create or maintain any records or information that is not specifically tied to this contract. Upon completion of the contract, all data will be returned to Mission Spain.

Q24. What are the requirements for CRM user roles and access permissions, particularly for embassy staff or contracting officers?

A24. Embassy staff will not access any systems. The contractor shall submit the reports listed in the Performance Work Statement in Section 1.

Q25. Are there specific security certifications (e.g., ISO 27001, FedRAMP) required for the CRM platform used in this project?

A25. No. There are no requirements for any contractor’s system.

Q26. Will the CRM system need to handle caller authentication, such as verifying caller identity or matching records from external databases?

A26. No. There are no requirements other than the ones included in the Performance Work Statement in Section 1.

Q27. Does the government require operators to have dual citizenship, or are individuals with single citizenship in the U.S., Spain, or Andorra acceptable?

A27. No. There are no requirements other than the ones included in the Performance Work Statement in Section 1.

Q28. Are operators required to meet any legal residency or work permit criteria within Spain or Andorra?

A28. No. There are no requirements other than the ones included in the Performance Work Statement in Section 1.

Q29. Will operators handling sensitive information require security clearances?

A29. No. There are no requirements other than the ones included in the Performance Work Statement in Section 1.

Q30. Are there specific background check requirements linked to an operator's citizenship (e.g., checks through U.S. or Spanish authorities)?

A30. No. There are no requirements other than the ones included in the Performance Work Statement in Section 1.

Q31. If operators are offshore, are there additional restrictions or requirements regarding citizenship for compliance with U.S. or Spanish laws?

A31. According to the Performance Work Statement in Section 1, the contractor shall provide these services remotely.

Q32. Are there any restrictions on employing operators from certain countries due to U.S. or Spanish foreign policy or data privacy concerns?

A32. There are no restrictions or requirements solely for this specific contract other than the ones included in the solicitation.

Q33. Do embassy policies require operators to have ties to local communities or specific knowledge of Spanish or Andorran systems, which might favor local citizenship?

A33. No. There are no requirements other than the ones included in the Performance Work Statement in Section 1.

Q34. Will the citizenship of operators influence their ability to access required systems, such as embassy CRMs or sensitive call handling protocols?

A34. No. Citizenship will not influence the access to call handling protocols.

Q35. Are operators required to sign NDA's?

A35. No. Operators will not be required to sign NDA’s.

Q36. Can operators work fully remote?

A36. Yes, according to the Performance Work Statement in Section 1, the contractor shall provide these services remotely.

Q37. Is there any contractor currently performing this service?

o If yes, would you kindly provide us with the Contract number?

o If no, would you kindly provide us with the latest Contract number that has performed this service or similar?

A37. This will be our first contract for 24/7 telephone operator services.