RFI_Attachment 1_Third Party Media Solution_SOO.pdf

Statement of Objectives (SOO) Third Party Media Research Solution

1.0 Background

The Department of Treasury, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Small Business/Self-Employed (SB/SE) helps small businesses and self-employed taxpayers understand and meet their tax obligations, while applying the tax law with integrity and fairness. SB/SE plays a key role in shaping and executing the IRS’s strategic direction. Part of the strategic direction is to address the underreporting and underpayment tax gaps while focusing on organizational agility, efficiency, and capability to achieve operational improvements. To help accomplish the strategic goal, SB/SE is seeking a research solution that captures information from third party media research data on pertinent information for taxpayer compliance and tax administration.

SB/SE realizes that traditional efforts to locate taxpayers and their assets such as field calls, courthouse searches, paper tracers, 411 searches, and third-party research, are no longer adequate. Enhanced research, which includes access to publicly facing social media research, may assist the IRS by generating better enforcement results, enhanced case issue identification and case triage and may also reduce the need for physical geographic presence for field activities to improve the case work environment. Additionally, being able to identify taxpayer’s data may help to streamline taxpayer interactions, and to combat taxpayer fraud and identification theft. Access to a third-party media research tool would allow IRS employees access to pertinent data from any Post of Duty (POD) or telework location. Being armed with this information, prior to initial contact may enhance case time results, dollars collection, and case closure rates.

The purpose of this SOO is to obtain contractor support for a commercial-off-the-self (COTS) third-party media research solution that would meet SB/SE needs without posing a security and public policy risk.

2.0 Scope

This SOO describes the work needed for the Contractor who will provide a commercially-available Third- Party Media Research solution that can be used to recognize, collect and archive content from public facing media platforms to help expedite IRS case resolution for existing tax compliance cases. The goal is to provide a more efficient way of identifying resources and assisting with the collection of known tax deficiencies, leading to increased collection of revenue involving unfiled tax returns and other tax liabilities. This Third-Party Media Research solution will allow authorized IRS personnel to access pertinent data from any location reducing the need for physical geographic presence for field activities thus improving case work management. Using this Third-Party Media Research solution, the IRS will be able to collect income taxes owed to the federal government that were previously thought to be uncollectable through discovery of possible funds and assets using third-party data. This will be expounded on in the Objectives section below.

3.0 Place and Period of Performance

In consideration of current federal, state, and local COVID-19 restrictions that may remain in place during the period of performance, the IRS understands and agrees the work may be performed remotely, including from employee and subcontractor homes, as required by the public health emergency restrictions.

SMALL BUSINESS/SELF EMPLOYED

Once COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, the vendor will work either at their facilities, locations at IRS in the greater Washington D.C. area, or remotely as approved by SB/SE.

Site visits to IRS locations or other locations may be required to meet with contractors, system developers, operations personnel, or other IRS/Customer staff experts. Site visits will be coordinated with the COR.

The overall planned period of performance (PoP) is for 1 year, August 01, 2021-July 31,2022

4.0 Objectives

Third-Party Media Research Solution requirements:

• Ensure vendors describe their capability to deliver desired user and security management features, how each capability is provided, and any known limitations or weaknesses.

Product:

• Provide a product that is streamlined, professional, and easy to read and interpret for all users, from low level employees to upper management.

• Provide access for at least 25,000 concurrent users.

• Provide a product that is user friendly, has a quick training curve, and is cost-effective.

• Provide updates and patches as published and platform updates as new sites evolve.

• Provide customer service for end users, including vendor supplied training and end user support tools.

• Provide a product that is Section 508 compliant.

• Deliver an availability rate of 99.9% during scheduled working hours (6:00 A.M. to 10 P.M. EST).

• Provide a product that is easily explainable in court.

Search Capability:

• Provide the IRS with comprehensive and unbiased search results, simply formatted and easily translatable.

• Provide information that is easy to search, download, and archive, as well as provide the ability to access historical “data-mined” information.

• Provide the ability to search, download, and archive current information and access historical “data-mined” information from social media sites (e.g., cached, deleted, and archived pages).

• Provide business entity and officer information.

• Provide individual/business income sources.

• Provide public facing data regarding liens, bankruptcies, and employment.

• Provide professional/business licenses and business affiliations.

• Provide publicly available information of taxpayers’ past or present locations.

• Provide reports showing that a taxpayer participated in an online chat room, blog, or forum, and reports showing the chat room or blog conversation threads.

• Provide available bio-metric data, such as photos, current address, or changes to marital status.

• Provide a product that tracks, and records searches, retains a records audit trail, and retains all records for a specific retention period like existing locator services tools.

• Collect and organize links to, or summaries of, publicly available media content such as videos and pictures posted by individuals and entities on social media websites and applications.

• Collect and organize publicly posted communications between individuals and entities on social media sites and applications, such as blogs, conversation feeds, and comments.

• Collect and organize links to, or summaries of, all social media and social networking sites used by a specific individual or entity.

• Summarize the social media sites on which a specific individual or entity has discussed or advertised business-related information, such as entity and officer information, domestic and international financial, business, banking, or professional activities, as well as information about professional/business licenses and affiliations.

• Summarize the social media sites on which an individual or entity has created a user profile or “handle.”

• Summarize the social media sites that an individual or entity has used as a business, service, or product marketing tool.

• Summarize the social media sites where a specific individual or entity has posted location and background information.

Report Generation Capability:

• Provide real time, customizable reports of publicly available social media information (provided or advertised by businesses), such as new products, current sales, and new locations.

Security:

• Provide a product that has security measures necessary to protect the confidentiality of taxpayers’ returns and return information, as provided under Internal Revenue Code Section 6103.

• Provide a product that meets current National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)/Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) security requirements.

• Secure access to publicly available information without posing a security and public policy perception risk and give the Service better means to locate additional revenue streams, business relationships, assets, and current address information.

• Secure as much publicly available data as possible to increase case work efficiency and improve closure outcomes.

• Enter non-disclosure agreements for IRS and taxpayer security.

5.0 Constraints

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

5.1 Personnel Security Clearances

Acquired services shall comply with the following regulations and requirements: Homeland Security Presidential Directive-12 requires that all federal entities ensure that all contractors have current and approved security background investigations that are equivalent to investigations performed on federal employees.

The Contractor is expected to:

• Provide personnel security screening standards. The Contractor shall ensure that all its employees and affiliate and contractor personnel who have access to nonpublic information have appropriate personnel security background checks.

• The Contractor shall provide Treasury a listing of all such background investigative requirements (e.g., FBI fingerprint check, police check, credit check, verification of lawful permanent resident status, etc.). Treasury may request additional personnel security checks.

• All Contractor employees and affiliates and contractor personnel who have access to nonpublic information must be United States citizens performing their work in the United States, unless specifically authorized by Treasury in writing.

5.2 Accessibility

Requirements for accessibility based on Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C.

794d) are determined to be relevant. Information about the Section 508 Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) Accessibility Standards may be obtained via the Web at the following URL:

www.Section508.gov. The Contractor shall adhere to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which requires access to the federal government electronic and information technology.

The law applies to all federal agencies when they develop, procure, maintain, or use electronic and information technology. Federal agencies must ensure that this technology is accessible to employees and members of the public with disabilities. www.Section508.gov.

Each electronic and information technology product or service furnished under this contract shall comply with the Electronic and Information Technology (EIT) Accessibility Standards (29 U.S.C. *&794(d)) this includes all task/delivery orders and product support services furnished in the performance of this contract.

For every EIT product or service accepted under this contract by the federal government that does not comply with (29 U.S.C. *&794(d)), the contractor shall at the discretion of the federal government, make every effort to replace or upgrade it with a compliant equivalent product or service, if commercially available and cost neutral, on either the planned refresh cycle of the product or service, or on the order renewal date, whichever shall occur first.

5.3 Data

Records and data shall be documented in deliverable reports (electronically). Any databases/code shall be delivered electronically and become the sole property of the United States Government. All deliverables become the sole property of the United States Government. The federal government, for itself and such others as it deems appropriate, will have unlimited rights under this contract to all information and materials developed under this contract and furnished to the Government and documentation thereof, reports and listings, and all other items pertaining to the work and services pursuant to this agreement including any copyright.

Unlimited rights under this contract are rights to use, duplicate, or disclose data, and information, in whole or in part in any manner and for any purpose whatsoever without compensation to or approval from the provider. The Government will at all reasonable times have the right to inspect the work and will have access to and the right to make copies of the above-mentioned items. All digital files and data, and other products generated under this contract, shall become the property of the federal government.

All Contract participants shall sign a non-disclosure and non-compete agreement to restrict use and protect confidential and proprietary information.

http://www.section508.gov/ http://www.section508.gov/