RFI_Sought Sources_RA Advisory Support Services_KJ (240604-1358).docx

Request for Information

Sources Sought Government’s Request for Information (RFI) Reasonable Accommodation Advisory Support Services

Office of Civil Rights

70FA4024RFIOCRRAR240604

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Request for Information May 2023 VERSION 1.0 January x, 2015 Page 22 of 11 Table of Contents

Synopsis This Sources Sought is for market research and planning purposes, in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10. Issuance of this notice does not constitute any obligation on the part of the Government to procure these items or to issue a solicitation. In addition, the Government is under no obligation to pay for information submitted in response to this Sources Sought, and responses to this notice cannot be accepted as offers. The contents herein are subject to change without notice. Any information that the vendor considers proprietary should be clearly marked as such.

This is a market research tool being used to determine the availability of other existing vendors that can provide these capabilities and services.

This Sources Sought is for research purposes.

Introduction The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is conducting market research for a Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Advisory Support Services. The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) is responsible for ensuring that reasonable accommodation requests are processed fairly, promptly, and in accordance Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act. The agency is required to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities. A “reasonable accommodation” is a change in the work environment or in work processes that enables a qualified individual with a disability to enjoy equal employment opportunities. The accommodation must be effective in meeting the needs of the individual by addressing the barrier created by the functional limitations.

The Contractor(s) shall provide RA advisory support services by facilitating virtual meetings between the employee and the employee’s supervisor on record (SOR) to identify the precise limitations and types of accommodations which would be the most effective and efficient for both parties to enable the employee to perform the essential functions of his/her job. Following the review of supporting documentation alongside FEMA’s Reasonable Accommodation Policy, the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the EEOC Enforcement Guidance on Reasonable Accommodation and Undue Hardship under the Americans with Disabilities Act, the contractor shall provide a recommendation to the SOR that determines whether the accommodation is permissible under the aforementioned acts and policy.

Instructions FEMA will only give consideration to submissions in response to this request received no later than 11:00 AM ET on June 14, 2024 addressed to the contract specialist, Ramphal “Andy” Ramnarine, at the following email address: ramphal.ramnarine@fema.dhs.gov. Please include the Sources Sought number in the subject line of the email. Phone calls will not be taken regarding this Sources Sought. All correspondence must be submitted via e-mail in writing.

Please complete the indicated fields in Attachment A: RA Advisory Support Services Form and submit the file as an attachment with your email. Submissions must be two pages or fewer. Other general company information or marketing materials should not be part of Attachment A, but may be sent as separate attached documents to that document.

Any company proprietary information, performance capabilities and/or future modification plans should be clearly identified and MUST be marked accordingly to be protected by the Government. Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary, restricted, or competition sensitive information contained in their response.

Responses should not be above the level of UNCLASSIFIED. Responses to the Sources Sought will not be returned. Responses to the Sources Sought may be used to develop Government documentation. All information marked as proprietary information will be safeguarded to prevent disclosures to non-government personnel and entities. Response to this Sources Sought is voluntary. Responders are free to address any or all of the above items.

THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION: No award will be made as a result of this request. This Sources Sought is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an Invitation for Bid, an RFP, or a RFQ. This Sources Sought is issued as a means of technical discovery and information gathering. No solicitation document exists, and a formal solicitation may or may not be issued by the Government as a result of the responses to this Sources Sought. The Government will not be liable for payment of any response preparation expenses and is in no way obligated by the information received. Any costs incurred by interested companies in response to this announcement will NOT be reimbursed. The information provided may be used by FEMA in developing a future acquisition strategy, Performance Work Statement, Statement of Objectives and/or Performance based specification(s). Interested parties are responsible for adequately marking proprietary or competition sensitive information contained in their response.

1.1 RFI Questions

Vendors should address their business capabilities by answering the following questions:

The attachments listed below are included with this Sources Sought. The critical information needed to respond to this Sources Sought is contained in the references provided. FEMA will not respond to requests for or questions about the documents and analyses referenced by the attachments.

Attcahement A: RA Advisory Support Services Form

1. Does your company have experience providing RA advisory support services for large governmental organizations and/or corporations? If so, please provide details relating to your experience to include contract value, performance of period, and a description of the work performed, etc.

a.) Does your company have experience providing RA advisory support services for large governmental organizations and/or corporation?

b.) Does your company have experience providing RA advisory support services for Large Government Organizations?

2. Is your company capable of acquiring and completing hundreds of RA case assignments within one year? If so, please describe your capabilities.

a.) Provide a response as it relates to general RA advisory support services.

3. If applicable, please provide any the contracting vehicle name and number for any existing DHS strategic sourcing contract vehicle(s), Government-wide contract vehicle(s), or GSA schedule that you currently hold to include your capabilities. Also include other pertinent information such as business size, North Atlantic Industry Classification Codes (NAICSCs), etc.

4. Does your company provide RA advisory support services within the fifty (50) United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Marianas? Do you provide RA advisory support services for other OCONUS geographical areas? If so, state the geographical area(s).

Requested Information

1.2 Company Information

Vendor response(s) should include the following information:

a. A brief description of your company.

b. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).

c. Contact information (address, telephone, e-mail, website address).

d. Commercial, U.S government, and international government insurance markets for which your company provides services similar to what OCR is seeking.

e. If designated as a small business, please provide more information below:

The anticipated North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code (or GSA Special Item Number) for this requirement is 541612ER – Employee Relations. However, the Government is open to other NAICS suggestions that might be more appropriate. A justification explaining why another NAICS would be more appropriate must be included in your statement. The Government will make the final determination as to what NAICS is more appropriate.

1.3 General Information

Interested parties are being asked to provide the following information:

a. Answers to questions set forth in Section 3 (no more than 10 pages).

b. Company information (Section 4.1) (no more than two pages and does not count against the 10-page limitation).

c. Examples of their commercial pricing for Government customers for market research purposes only. Responders will not be held to this amount if a solicitation arises out of this market research effort.

RFI Response Instructions

1.4 Response Format Requested

Reponses in Microsoft Word for Office 2013 compatible format or PDF are due no later than 11:00 AM ET on June 14, 2024. Page size shall be no greater than 8 1/2" x 11”. The top, bottom, left and right margins shall be a minimum of one inch each. Reponses shall be in 12-point, Times New Roman font. Line spacing shall be set at 1.0 or 1.5. As stated above, statements shall be no more than 22 pages, including a two-page limit for company information. Hyperlinks are prohibited.

Proprietary information, if any, should be minimized and MUST BE CLEARLY MARKED. To aid the Government, please segregate proprietary information. Please be advised that all submissions become Government property and will not be returned.

The responses to this RFI will be reviewed by staff from the FEMA OCR and may be used to develop requirements for potential future acquisitions.

1.5 How to Deliver the Response

Questions and requests for clarifications must be sent to Ramphal “Andy” Ramnarine, contract specialist, at ramphal.ramnarine@fema.dhs.gov 11:00 AM ET on June 11, 2024. No telephonic questions will be accepted. Questions received after the deadline will not be answered.

Responses to RFI questions shall be sent via email to Ramphal “Andy” Ramnarine, contract specialist, at ramphal.ramnarine@fema.dhs.gov. The subject line of all submittals shall include “Reasonable Accommodation Advisory Support Services”.

Responses are due no later than 11:00 AM ET on June 14, 2024.

1.6 Information for the Response

In accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 10.002(b)(2)(i), this notice is issued for the purpose of gauging the interest in this opportunity as well as determing market capabilities to meet requirements. This request is for planning purposes only, and does not constitute a solicitation or an indication the government will contract for the items contained in this notice. This notice is not to be construed as a Request for Proposal (RFP), nor is there any commitment on the part of the government to award a contract implied, nor does the government intend to pay for any information submitted as a result of this request. The government does not reimburse respondents for any cost associated with submission of the information being requested or reimburse expenses incurred to interested parties for responses to this notice. Any response received will not be used as a proposal. FEMA is not seeking proposals at this time and will not accept or evaluate any unsolicited proposals. Not responding to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future RFP, if any is issued. If a solicitation is released, it will be synopsized on SAM.gov, competed using a Governmentwide Acquisition Contract (GWAC), or a Government Federal Supply Schedule (FSS). It is the responsibility of potential Offerors to monitor SAM.gov, GWACs, and FSS for additional information pertaining to this requirement.

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