RFI - DCSA Investigative Fieldwork Services.pdf

HS0021-25-RFI-Field

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ONLY:

In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) subpart 15.201(e), responses to this notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form a binding contract. This Request for Information (RFI) is issued solely for information and planning purposes; it does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP), Request for Quote (RFQ) or a promise to issue an RFP or RFQ. Furthermore, those who respond to this RFI should not anticipate feedback with regard to its submission—other than acknowledgment of receipt IF a request for an acknowledgment is requested by the submitter. This RFI does not commit the Government to contract for any supply or service. The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) is not at this time seeking proposals. Responders are advised that the Government will not pay any costs incurred by respondents related to this RFI. All costs associated with responding to this RFI will be solely at the respondent’s expense. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP or RFQ. If a solicitation is released, it will be via the Governmentwide Point of Entry at https://sam.gov and/or on General Services Administration (GSA) eBuy at https://www.ebuy.gsa.gov/. It is the responsibility of the potential Offerors to monitor the website for any information that may pertain to this RFI. All submissions become the property of the Federal Government and will not be returned.

PURPOSE OF THIS RFI:

This is an RFI used to identify potential business sources that are interested in, and capable of, providing investigative fieldwork services1 for Federal Background Investigations, as managed by DCSA’s Personnel Vetting organization, within an emerging DCSA environment. In addition, we seek vendor ideas or solutions that may aid in developing a future contract that can support requirements such as continuous evaluation2 and continuous vetting3, as defined by Executive Order 13467. In anticipation of significant changes to the background investigation and personnel vetting mission, DCSA seeks innovative solutions from vendors on how to accomplish this mission with increasing effectiveness through the use of new technologies and business processes that could be supported under a forthcoming procurement.

NOTICE TO RESPONDENTS:

Development of this investigative fieldwork services requirement is evolving due to uncertainty surrounding the future scope and timing of anticipated statutory, policy and technological changes and the impact said changes, known and unknown, will have on current investigative standards and operating procedures.

Additional uncertainty exists given limitations in the Government’s ability to predict future volumes of initial background investigations and continuous vetting alerts that require issue resolution. The Government therefore requires a significant amount of contract flexibility and reserves the right to make changes to this requirement, in part or in whole, and to add or delete products as the need arises.

REQUIREMENT:

DCSA requires nationwide, and potentially worldwide, investigative fieldwork services in order to conduct Personnel Vetting in accordance with the Federal Investigative Standards. This work currently includes

1 “Investigative fieldwork services” refers to investigative work and/or data collection conducted in the field as opposed to that done in a controlled environment.

2 “Continuous evaluation (CE)” means a vetting process to review the background of an individual who has been determined to be eligible for access to classified information or to hold a sensitive position at any time during the period of eligibility. CE leverages a set of automated record checks and business rules to assist in the on-going assessment of an individual's continued eligibility. CE is intended to complement continuous vetting efforts.

E.O. 13764 of Jan 17, 2017.

3 “Continuous vetting” means reviewing the background of a covered individual at any time to determine whether that individual continues to meet applicable requirements. E.O. 13764 of Jan 17, 2017.

completion of initial investigations and investigations of continuous evaluation and/or vetting alerts. Services will also include conducting Enhanced Subject Interviews (ESIs), obtaining personal testimony from a variety of sources, conducting record searches, obtaining records from various repositories and reporting information obtained. Locations where field investigating is required are based on information provided by the individual subjects or developed during the investigation. Approaches for conducting investigation services will include in-person collection of information as well as the use of virtual capabilities. The Contractor will be expected to maintain investigative capacity to address workload demand that includes in-person and virtual execution as provided for in the DCSA investigative policies and procedures. Successful performance of these investigative fieldwork services for the Government is required without fail or risk to National Security or other Agency missions.

QUESTIONS:

Questions regarding this requirement shall be submitted in writing via the question-and-answer (Q&A) Excel template provided. Please send questions by e-mail to Matthew Reed at matthew.w.reed10.civ@mail.mil and Cheryl Hall at cheryl.j.hall6.civ@mail.mil no later than the due date provided with the submission instructions below. Verbal questions will NOT be accepted. DCSA reserves the right to respond, or not respond, to any question at its discretion. Questions should NOT contain proprietary information. Answers to questions may be posted at https://sam.gov with a draft solicitation, which is anticipated in (placeholder). The Government reserves the right to not respond to further questions on the anticipated date of solicitation release. The company name will be removed from the response template prior to the release of answers to questions.

SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS:

Responses to the RFI should be in the form of a .pdf file. The total submission should be no longer than 20 pages with type face no smaller than 10 points. The RFI response e-mail subject line must contain RFI number HS0021-25-RFI-Field. RFI submissions shall be submitted in writing by e-mail to Matthew Reed at matthew.w.reed10.civ@mail.mil and Cheryl Hall at Cheryl.j.hall6.civ@mail.mil no later than 11 a.m. ET on (placeholder). All responses should be unclassified and reviewed to ensure consideration of operational sensitivities. Proprietary information will be accepted and handled appropriately. Respondents should indicate which portions of their responses are proprietary and mark them accordingly.

INFORMATION REQUESTED:

Please demonstrate your company’s ability to provide the services described in the requirement above by addressing the items below.

1. Provide the company name; company address; point-of-contact name, phone and email; CAGE code;

DUNS; and business size (large or small) and socio-economic status for all NAICS codes under which the company operates.

2. Provide responses to the following constraints and/or questions that demonstrate your company’s ability to deliver the services described in the requirement, to include creative ideas for carrying out investigations that span geographic areas:

a. Fieldwork is needed nationwide (and potentially worldwide). Indicate your company’s current geographic presence, as well as its desire and ability to enter into new geographic locations.

b. DCSA does not have control over the demand for Federal Investigations (i.e., volume, case type, timing, location and/or complexity). Historically, this program has been responsible for approximately 500,000 investigations per year that require fieldwork. DCSA anticipates changes to statutory and policy requirements, such as investigative standards, which may require rapid or expedited implementation. Please describe your company’s experience with, and best practices for, dealing with unpredictable changes.

c. DCSA will have changing and emerging investigation requirements, such as a growing population covered by continuous vetting, which may require on-demand targeted investigations and interviews. How would you innovate or implement Trusted Workforce 2.0?

Are there areas of innovation you feel like DCSA is impeding?

d. A new IT system may be rolled out during the contract period of performance. At this time, it is anticipated that all new cases will be scheduled and completed in this new IT system, and any legacy cases will be completed in the existing IT system. As DCSA is developing its own IT system on an iterative basis, describe how DCSA could manage and process both new and legacy cases until the new IT system becomes fully operational.

e. Case management4 is a core tenet of effective investigative fieldwork services, and when rolled out, the new IT system may become the primary case-management system. Discuss how operating only within the new IT system may impact your business operations and describe the system attributes that would be necessary for successfully facilitating case management within a singular IT system.

f. Describe any technology or innovations of which you are aware, or of which your company would be willing to develop, that could further support the personnel vetting or background investigation requirements referenced in this RFI.

g. Describe any technology or innovations of which you are aware, or of which your company would be willing to develop, that could further support virtualizing fieldwork services? What would your company need from the Government to be fully successful with virtualizing fieldwork?

h. What investments would your company be willing to make in your technology? What would be needed from the Government to optimize that technology?

i. Beyond the current uses, what are your recommendations on improving the virtual services o beyond the current approaches?

j. In what areas of note taking/standardization and Report of Investigation standardization do you see efficiency/improvement opportunities?

k. What is your technological vision for the Personnel Vetting mission?

l. How would you approach item level billing?

m. What are your recommended approaches to financing options that are typical in the commercial marketplace or other contract financing options that should be included in this requirement?

n. How would you implement a virtual workforce?

o. How would you implement significantly compressed timeliness requirements?

p. How would you complete the fieldwork required for a Tier 5 investigation in 5 to 10 days?

q. Are there any Artificial Intelligence opportunities that DCSA is missing? Is there a better way of assigning fieldwork?

r. IT Security is critical to the DCSA mission. Discuss how you comply with NIST SP 800-171. In the future, DCSA may implement the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC). CMMC

4 “Case management” refers to DCSA’s facilitation of a background investigation from the time it’s ordered through its completion.

is a newer framework building upon NIST 800-171 and introducing third-party certification requirements for certain Department of Defense (DoD) contracts. Discuss your awareness of

CMMC.

3. What type of incentive program, considering both rewards and potential consequences, would best align company performance with DCSA goals of speed and quality in background investigation completions?

4. For informational purposes only, please provide a detailed description of up to two relevant projects (completed or ongoing) in the past three years in which your company provided services similar to those required. Describe your company’s ability and experience with adjusting to customer changes in policy and technology. Relevant projects should be similar in size and scope.

a. Provide the name of the commercial entity or Government agency where the work was performed.

b. Provide the project’s contract number if applicable, total dollar value, and the start and end dates.

c. Indicate whether your company performed the work as the prime contractor or subcontractor.

5. Propose your company’s preferred approach to Government and/or contractor provided investigator training to meet the scope of the project and ensure quality, as the contract adjusts to policy, technology and statutory changes.

6. Please describe your expected teaming approach for this requirement.

7. If you are interested in making your company information available to other companies for teaming opportunities, please provide the appropriate contact information and a written statement approving DCSA to post this information at https://sam.gov for this purpose.

8. Describe how the Government could decrease barriers for other companies to enter the personnel vetting market.

9. Please provide your ramp-up and turnaround times for operation (i.e., how quickly you can provide anticipated volumes of trained, suitable staff on location).

10. The Government is contemplating utilizing NAICS Code 561611 – Investigation Services. Please list the code(s) your company believes is most applicable for this requirement and explain the suitability of each in relation to this requirement.

11. Please provide and explain your suggested contract type and commerciality for this requirement.

12. Please suggest potential commercial solutions or contracts available in the commercial marketplace (e.g., GSA Schedule 738X SIN 595 27).

13. Contractors are encouraged to submit proposed innovative solutions that do not necessarily adhere to any of the constraints listed herein. Proposed innovations may encompass areas such as information and other technologies, training, quality control, investigative processes and workload distribution.

14. Contractors are encouraged to outline any information they expect from DCSA necessary to create mutually beneficial business plans.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Contracting Office Address: Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, Office of Acquisitions, 27130 Telegraph Road, Quantico, VA 22134. The point of contact for this RFI is Matthew Reed, who may be reached at matthew.w.reed10.civ@mail.mil.

PLACE OF PERFORMANCE:

The place of performance may occur nationwide and/or worldwide.

ANTICIPATED PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE:

Five-year ordering period with five 1-year option periods.

PROJECTED AWARD DATE:

The projected award date is no later than December 2027.

INDUSTRY DAY:

The Government intends to hold a virtual industry day in the fall of 2025. Information will be posted at https://sam.gov. The Government will not respond to questions regarding the time or date of the industry day; however, the Government may use the industry day to solicit additional industry feedback.

NOTE:

Those who respond to this RFI should not anticipate feedback with regard to their submission other than acknowledgment of receipt if such an acknowledgment is requested. DCSA reserves the right to review late submissions but makes no guarantee that they will be reviewed.