SOURCES SOUGHT
R -- Intern Recruitment and Placement
- Notice Date
- 1/16/2018
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541612
— Human Resources Consulting Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of State, Office of Acquisitions, Acquisition Management, 1735 N. Lynn St., Arlington, Virginia, 22209, United States
- ZIP Code
- 22209
- Solicitation Number
- HR-825035
- Archive Date
- 2/7/2018
- Point of Contact
- Gwendolyn Mansfield, Phone: 7038756049, Gwendolyn Mansfield, Phone: 7038756049
- E-Mail Address
-
mansfieldg@state.gov, mansfieldg@state.gov
(mansfieldg@state.gov, mansfieldg@state.gov)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION AND DOES NOT ASSUME THE GOVERNMENT WILL AWARD A CONTRACT IN THE NEAR FUTURE. THIS NOTICE IS ONLY FOR MARKET RESEARCH PURPOSES. This is a Small Business Sources Sought notice to determine the availability of potential small businesses. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding: (1) the availability and capability of qualified small business sources; (2) whether they are small businesses; HUBZone small businesses; service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small businesses; veteran-owned small businesses; woman-owned small businesses; or small disadvantaged businesses; and (3) their size classification relate to the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the proposed acquisition. Responses will NOT be accepted from any other source(s). Your responses to the information requested will assist the Government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. An organization that is not considered a small business under the applicable NAICS code should not submit a response to this notice. The North American Industry Classification System Code (NAICS) is (541612). The submission of this information is for planning purposes only and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to procure any items/services. GENERAL: This notice is a Request for Information (RFI) and is NOT a Request for Proposals (RFP), nor is this a Request for Quotations (RFQ). The purpose of this RFI is to identify potential sources that are interested and capable of providing the services herein. Participation in this effort is strictly voluntary. It is the responsibility of the interested parties to monitor the FedBizOpps site for additional information pertaining to this RFI. Please be advised that all submissions become U.S. Government property. Response to this RFI will not be returned. The RFI does not commit the government to procure or contract for said services. The contracting officer is the only individual who can commit the government to the expenditure of public funds in connection with the proposed procurement. Proprietary/competition sensitive information will be protected from disclosure to the greatest extent practical, however, it is preferred that respondents do not provide proprietary or otherwise restricted responses. Each page considered by a submitting organization to contain proprietary information should be clearly marked. The requested information is for planning and market research purposes only and WILL NOT be publicly released. RESPONSE PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS: Responses must be submitted via email to Gwendolyn Mansfield, Contract Specialist, mansfieldg@state.gov. The deadline for the submission of responses to this RFI is 2:00 p.m. EST, Tuesday, January 23, 2018. All questions concerning this RFI must be submitted by sending an email to Ms. Mansfield no later than 5:00 p.m. EST, Wednesday, January 17, 2018. Questions received after that date will not be answered, unless the Government determines the answer to the question imparts information material to Industry's ability to respond to this RFI. Government response to questions will be posted. All Government responses to questions will be made available on www.fedbizopps.gov. No phone calls will be accepted. Do not submit any pricing information in response to this RFI. There is no commitment by the Government to issue an RFQ, make an award or awards, or to be responsible for any monies expended by industry responses to this RFI. DESCRIPTION OF INFORMATION REQUESTED Responses to this RFI should include the organization's full name, headquarters locations, and location of an office in the Washington, DC area, if any. They should also include the name of a point-of-contact and his/her email and conventional mailing addresses. Firms are invited to indicate their interests and capabilities by providing the follows: • Brief Capability Statement • Other specific and pertinent information as it pertains to this service • Description of capabilities and a general approach for meeting the requirements • Federal Supply Schedule (FSS)/Government Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) • Socioeconomic Classification chart is listed below, please identify which one contain to your company _____ HUBZone _____ SDVO _____ WOSB _____ 8(a) _____ Small Business Draft Statement of Work Intern Recruitment and Placement 1. Background The U.S. Department of State (DOS) is the leading U.S. foreign affairs agency responsible for advancing freedom for the benefit of the American people and the international community. The Department's employees, Foreign Service Officers and Specialists, Civil Service Professionals and Foreign Service Nationals work at more than 270 locations overseas, and throughout the United States. Together, they help to build and sustain a more democratic, secure, and prosperous world composed of well-governed states that respond to the needs of their people, reduce widespread poverty, and act responsibly within the international system. The Bureau of Human Resources (HR), Office of Recruitment, Examination, and Employment (REE) is charged with recruiting a diverse and qualified group of potential candidates and students to secure a high-performing workforce drawn from all segments of the society. HR/REE seeks to issue a Blanket of Purchase Agreement (BPA) with an organization, who partners with a wide range of colleges, universities, trade schools, and apprentice programs from across the country, to place historically underrepresented students from underserved groups into the Summer Internship Program at the DOS. 2. PURPOSE The Summer Internship Program will provide the qualified students with a fixed salary amount to cover for partial cost-of-living expenses during the program, and provide the substantive learning experiences through a course of administrative work in an environment revolving around foreign affairs in DOS bureaus and offices. 3. Requirements The Contractor shall recruit and provide up to10 best suited students to participate in the Summer Internship Program within the performance period issued under this BPA. The internship will begin as soon as a student's background is cleared through the investigation conducted by the Diplomatic Security (DS). The internship will conclude after 10 weeks of supervised administrative work which will provide the student with substantive experiences in a foreign-affair environment. 4. Major Duties and Responsibilities The Contractor must work diligently with REE in selecting and placing qualified students with financial needs to the program as described below. Selected students are employees of Contractor throughout the internship in the program. • The Contractor must allow students, who are interested in the paid internship program with the DOS, to apply through an online application hosted and facilitated by the Contractor. • The Contractor must work with HR/REE to review all applications and select the qualified students for the program. • The Contractor must maintain intern records, process tax forms, deduct all appropriate taxes, and provide emergency/accidental insurance coverage. In supporting the Contractor in recruiting the qualified students, the HR/REE will equip the Contractor with the following: o A liaison who will coordinate the Contractor and DOS stakeholders with dates, deadlines, and activities related to the program. o The internship descriptions. o DOS-specific eligibility requirements for the Summer Internship Program, if these differ from Contractor's eligibility requirements. o Work with the Contractor to match and place interns based on the needs of the Department and the interns' skills and goals. o Hold a one-day orientation session and welcoming ceremony for new students prior to the start of their internship. o Supervise and guide the intern meticulously during the course of their internship. o Manage the security clearance investigation process for students. o An annual pool of students from various backgrounds in addition to the pool of students screened by the Contractor. Student Requirements:  U.S. citizenship  Currently enrolled in an Undergraduate program (juniors and seniors) and a Graduate program at an accredited college or university - An applicant is considered a junior if he/she will have completed all sophomore credits (60 or more semester hours or 90 quarter hours) by the time the internship begins and will be entering at least the junior year immediately following completion of the internship - An individual is still considered a student if he/she has been out of school, between semesters or school years, for not more than five (5) months and have plans to return to school within five (5) months or less - An individual enrolled in school and receiving credit toward their degree for participating in the Student Internship Program is also considered a student - Students must be returning to school immediately following the internship in order to qualify for the program. In addition, students must attach an official or unofficial transcript to their application confirming they are a current student.  Minimum 3.0 GPA  Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance  Financially qualified as an underrepresented student based on screening criteria of the application process. Student Duties: While the duties of U.S. Department of State Student Internship Program participants vary from bureau to bureau, office to office, and embassy to embassy, it is not uncommon for these students to:  Participate in meetings with senior-level U.S. Government or foreign government officials  Draft, edit, or contribute to cables, reports, communications, talking points, or other materials used by policymakers in furthering U.S. foreign policy objectives  Support events, including international and/or multilateral meetings and conferences, or  Engage directly with U.S. audiences in helping to explain the work of the Department of State or foreign audiences in helping to promote U.S. foreign policy and improve understanding of U.S. culture and society 5. Deliverables • Each intern must be paid with a fixed salary amount to cover for the student's choice(s) of cost-of-living expenses, such as roundtrip airfares from his/her home city to Washington, D.C. • The Contractor shall provide metro accessible, safe, and furnished housing facilities for all interns participated in this program. The contractor must provide a free shuttle service from the housing location to the closet metro stop in the area if the metro stop is not in a walking distance of 15 minutes. • If the Contractor does not provide housing to the intern, the Contractor must compensate the intern with a fixed salary amount that is in addition to the salary indicated above. • The Contractor must orient new students with detailed onboarding paperwork process, professionalism expectations, safety in the city, Washington D.C public transportation systems, DOS administrative program requirements and expectations. • The Contractor must maintain clear and frequent communication via telephone and email with interns and their DOS supervisors throughout the program. • The Contractor must submit to HR/REE a midterm evaluation report and a final evaluation report from each intern. The report must include the intern's profile, feedback, and the designated DOS supervisor. 6. Acceptance Criteria Work performed will be evaluated for quality, timeliness, and professionalism each day. If the performance is unacceptable, feedback will be provided in a timely fashion. 7. Place of Performance The work will be performed at the Department of State annex site at SA-01 in Washington, DC, or at any other designated Department of State location within the DC metropolitan area. No work will be performed/teleworked offsite, i.e., away from a DOS-approved facility, without advanced written approval from the GTM/COR. 8. Period Of Performance Base year and four Option years. The Summer Internship Program's period is from May to September yearly and to commence at the time the background investigation for the selected student is cleared by the DS. Each student is expected to work fulltime for 40 hours per week, for 10 weeks, for a total of 400 hours per internship. Normal work hours will be Monday through Friday and will be scheduled as eight-hour days. (Include weekly schedule; i.e., MON -FRI, 8:00 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.). However, an alternative work schedule, mutually agreed upon by the COR, the COR's designee and the resource may be implemented. 9. Security Requirement The service interns require a Secret Security Clearance. Security Violations The Contractor shall report any suspected and/or known security violations or unusual occurrences to the Bureau's Information System Security Officer (ISSO). Identification/Building Pass Reference: DOSAR 652.237-71 Identification/Building Pass For cleared Contractor personnel working at DOS domestic facilities, the Contractor shall obtain a Department of State building pass identification card (BPIC) for all employees performing under this task order who require frequent and continuing access to Department of State facilities. They shall be used for the purpose of facility access only for task order performance and shall not be used for any other purpose. It is important to note that all newly-cleared Contractor personnel must attend a mandatory security briefing conducted by the Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS) before a BPIC can be issued. The Contractor shall submit a Visitor Authorization Request/Letter (VAR) on company letterhead to the following U.S. postal service mailing address: U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security, Information Security, Industrial Security Division (DS/IS/IND), 1801 North Lynn Street, SA-20, 13th Floor, Washington, DC 20522-2008. However, faxed copies of VARs to 571-345-3000 are highly encouraged. All visitor requests must include the Letter of Consent (LOC) issued by DSS and must specify the following information: • Applicant's full name, job title, and social security number • Applicant's date and place of birth • Applicant's home address, including street, apartment number, city, state, and zip code • Citizenship • Current security clearance level, date, and Issuing Agency • Contract Number (as indicated on DD Form 254) • Department of State Point of Contact/Telephone Number • Purpose of Visit • Dates of Visit • Access hours (Monday - Friday or 24 hours - 7 days) • Facility Clearance Level, CAGE Code, and DSS Cognizant Security Office Address • Name of company facility security officer, address, and phone number Upon notification of approval of the VAR by DS/IS/IND, the Government Point of Contact shall prepare the Building Pass Request package. The Contractor shall hand carry the complete package, including the COR's approval memorandum, to the Building Pass Office, Department of State, 520 23rd Street (courtyard of Columbia Plaza), Washington, DC. The applicant shall not be allowed to perform on this task order within DOS facilities until DS/IS/IND certifies the individual's security clearance, the Contractor attends the mandatory security briefing, and a building pass is issued. All Contractors shall wear building passes in plain sight at all times while in Department of State buildings. All Contractors shall show their building passes when entering these buildings and upon request. All passes shall be returned to the GTM/COR upon separation of the employee (intern) or expiration or termination of the task order. Final payment under this task order shall not be made until all passes are returned to the COR. 10. Standards The service interns shall ensure all work is completed as supervised and instructed by the REE and in accordance with U.S. Government and DOS standards, policy, procedures and guidelines as provided. All products and services under this BPA are the sole property of the Government. Safeguarding Information The Contractor and its employees shall exercise the utmost discretion in regard to all matters relating to their duties and functions. They shall not communicate to any person any information known to them by reason of their performance of services under this Task Order, which has not been made public, except in the necessary performance of their duties or upon written authorization of the Contracting Officer. All documents and records (including photographs) generated during the performance of work under this Task Order shall be for the sole use of and become the exclusive property of the U.S. Government. Furthermore, no data, database records, article, book, pamphlet, recording, broadcast, speech, television appearance, film or photograph concerning any aspect of work performed under this Task Order shall be published or disseminated through any media without the prior written authorization of the Contracting Officer. These obligations do not cease upon the expiration or termination of this Task Order. The Contractor shall include the substance of this provision in all contracts of employment and in all subcontracts hereunder. 11. Identification of Non-Disclosure Requirements The selected students must execute and sign non-disclosure agreements when they work with sensitive and/or proprietary information. Forms to be executed and maintained by the GTM/COR. 12. Government-Furnished Property The DOS will provide to all onsite staff, as required: a. Appropriate office furnishings, telephones, and computer equipment and software; b. Access to any existing technical and procedural documentation available in either hard copy or electronic format; c. Listing of all applicable applications, Division Points of Contact, and additional Bureaus; d. utilizing applications distributed by the Bureau of Human Resources; e. Access to systems and applications as required; and f. Written plans, policies, and directives as they relate to the position. 13. Travel This requirement does not require travel. 14. Training The Government shall not be charged any costs incurred by the Contractor as a result of providing training to its personnel to meet or maintain the technical qualifications specified in this task order. This includes any training required by the Contractor to meet the technical skills for upgraded/new operating and application environments. This includes, but is not limited to, courses, books, and enrollment fees or staff hours.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/State/A-LM-AQM/A-LM-AQM/HR-825035/listing.html)
- Place of Performance
- Address: To Be Determined, United States
- Record
- SN04790511-W 20180118/180116231243-30eb2d1bd2d12994deb33aa0f6a83c59 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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