Judicial Temperament Training

This is a combined synopsis/solicitation for commercial service prepared in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. The Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), Falls Church VA, intends to award a firm fixed price (FFP) contract for acquiring the services described below.  This solicitation will be competed as Full and Open. This announcement constitutes the only solicitation. Proposals are being requested under Request for Quote (RFQ) No. 15JE1R24Q00000005.  The NAICS code is 611430.  The provisions and clauses included and/or incorporated in this solicitation document are those in effect through the Federal Acquisition Circular (FAC) 2023-01. It is the responsibility of the contractor to be familiar with the applicable clauses and provisions.  The clauses may be accessed in full text at https://www.acquisition.gov.  

Description:

The purpose is to provide expert-taught and expert-informed training to EOIR judges and other EOIR staff on the topic of judicial tone, temperament, and demeanor. 

Ensuring proper judicial temperament, tone, and demeanor is essential to conducting immigration proceedings that are fundamentally fair. EOIR seeks to ensure that its judges and adjudication support personnel are trained on: the relationship between judicial temperament, tone, demeanor, and procedural fairness; how issues of implicit bias and cross-cultural communication can affect courtroom communications; soft skills that judges can employ to navigate heated emotions and similar situations that could jeopardize decorum in immigration proceedings; and how compassion fatigue and burnout can negatively affect an immigration judge’s temperament, tone, and demeanor.

EOIR’s objectives are for its judges, once trained, to be able to:

• explain the concept of judicial civility;
• explain how proper judicial temperament, tone, and demeanor contribute to hearings that are fundamentally and procedurally fair;
• employ best practices for conducting hearings with noncitizens who have experienced trauma;
• identify cultural issues that may arise during proceedings that could lead to misunderstandings in the courtroom;
• recognize how to identify implicit biases that may affect direct and indirect interactions that occur in the adjudicatory context;
• employ best practices to ensure appropriate tone in oral and written decisions;
• identify soft skills that can help EOIR judges navigate heated emotions and similar situations in immigration proceedings; and
• explain how compassion fatigue and burnout relate to judicial temperament, tone, and demeanor; and employ strategies to mitigate compassion fatigue and burnout.

See the attached Statement of Work.

The Government will award a contract resulting from this solicitation to the lowest price technically acceptable offeror. The Government intends to evaluate quotations and award a contract without discussions.

Evaluation Factors:

1. Technical – Quotes must demonstrate the vendor meets all the requirements stated in the RFQ and Statement of Work (SOW). Qualifications of Offeror: The presenter-expert(s) shall possess a J.D. from an ABA-approved law school; at least 10 years of experience as an attorney, judge, and/or professor of law; and have at least 5 years of experience teaching adjudicators on topics directly related to judicial tone, temperament, or demeanor.  The vendor shall be available on the dates specified in the SOW.
2. Past Performance – Clearly demonstrate work experience on similar projects.
3. Must be registered in SAM.gov prior to solicitation end date.
4. Price - Quotes must include all applicable prices and provided on the attached SF-1449.

Page Limitations:

1. Technical – Five pages, single spaced, 12-point font.
2. Past performance – Three pages, single spaced, 12-point font.
3. Price – must be documented and provided on the SF-1449.  Note: Price is required for all three Parts of the requirement.  However, Parts 2 and 3 are considered optional for the agency.

Quotes are due by July 24, 2024 at 01:00 PM EST. Late quotes will not be considered. Quotes shall be sent to james.driscoll@usdoj.gov and michael.galbraith.jr@usdoj.gov.