SOLICITATION NOTICE
R -- Background Field Investigators
- Notice Date
- 8/2/2005
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- NAICS
- 561611
— Investigation Services
- Contracting Office
- Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF), Acquisition and Property Management Division, 650 Massachusetts Avenue, N.W., Room 3290, Washington, DC, 20226
- ZIP Code
- 20226
- Solicitation Number
- BATF-0510
- Response Due
- 9/30/2010
- Archive Date
- 10/15/2010
- Small Business Set-Aside
- Total Small Business
- Description
- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) has delegated authority to conduct personnel security background investigations on prospective ATF applicants, contractors, and other non-ATF personnel, as well as conducting periodic reinvestigations on all current employees. The purpose of these investigations is to determine suitability for employment and/or eligibility to access National Security Information. Background investigations are conducted in accordance with established Executive Orders 10450 and 12968, the Privacy Act of 1974, Office of Personnel Management regulations, and other relevant regulations, and Department of Justice (DOJ) and ATF policies and procedures that will be made known to the Contractor. ATF has established a program to contract these investigations out to trained and experienced investigators, typically, though not exclusively, retired federal investigators who have at least 3 years of current experience conducting personnel security background investigations. Contractors must undergo, or currently maintain, a favorably adjudicated Single Scope Background Investigation, be compliant with DOJ?s residency requirement, and if applicable, must be registered in the Selective Service. Contractors must be willing to attend periodic conferences at selected locations within the United States. Conferences are usually limited to one per year. Contractors are assigned work that is in reasonable proximity to their residence. Typically Contractors, are assigned the majority of their work within a 200-mile radius of their residence, but may on occasion, be requested to accept work assignments involving travel to other regions in the United States. Work assignments are made on the basis of workload, volume of work determined by location, quality of work, and financial considerations as the needs of ATF dictate. Contractors are expected to be available to accept work as requested. Work assignments are required to be completed by the due date determined by ATF. Internal reviews of Contractors? performance are conducted on a quarterly basis. With each assignment, Contractors shall be tasked to complete one or more of the following investigative requirements: - Personal security interview; - Verify identity and citizenship status; - Verify employment through records and interviews; - Verify claims of residence through records and interviews; - Verify attendance at educational facilities through records and interviews; - Conduct personal interviews with references; - Develop and interview additional sources; - Conduct military record reviews; - Conduct law enforcement checks; - Verify and review public records; - Expand the investigation as necessary. Each assignment will specify the following: - The work to be performed by the Contractor; - The place(s) where the work is to be performed; - An assignment initiation date; - A due date determined by type of investigation and/or priority; and - The number of estimated points. ATF?s contract background investigation program utilizes a point-based payment method. Contractors shall be paid for investigative assignments based on the point system. Each point is valued at $39.50. The point value will be reviewed on an annual basis and may be adjusted as determined by the increase of the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) as determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. With the exception of the personal security interview, Contractors will be paid $12.00 per page for reports prepared by the Report Writer software program. When using their personal automobile in connection with performing assignments, Contractors will be reimbursed for mileage driven at the prevailing rate established by the General Services Administration. When specifically authorized, per diem and expenses will be paid for required travel. Applicable per diem rates shall be in accordance with Federal Travel Regulation, Title 41 CFR, Chapter 301. In compliance with ATF?s invoicing procedures, Contractors must submit an invoice for payment detailing the number of miles driven, as well as any other incidental expenses, in connection with any particular assignment. Such invoice will be subject to audit by ATF. ATF may use the services of a third party contractor to provide administrative records and financial management services. This includes processing invoices and making payments for ATF designated contracts such as those for conducting background investigations. Consequently contractors are advised that the third party, rather than ATF, may provide actual payment for services rendered and accepted by ATF under any resulting contract. Contractors are further advised that the third party is required to make payments in the same timely manner as ATF. Contractors are required to report the results of the investigative assignment utilizing Report Writer software, which will be supplied by ATF. In order to receive assignments and to complete the required Report of Investigation (ROI), Contractors must possess, or have access to, certain equipment, and possess the knowledge to use it. The following equipment and related software programs are required: - A personal computer with a minimum operating system of Windows 2000? or newer. - An Inkjet or LaserJet printer. Dot-matrix printers are not acceptable equipment. - A full version of Microsoft Word?. (Microsoft Works? will not suffice as an acceptable software program.) - Each personal computer must have Microsoft Excel? loaded thereon. - Each personal computer must have Microsoft Access? loaded thereon, or Contractors must be able to download from the World Wide Web a ?reader? that will permit the Contractor to read Microsoft Access? documents. - Each personal computer must have loaded thereon Microsoft Outlook?. (Microsoft Outlook Express?, standing alone, will not be sufficient.) - Each personal computer must have loaded thereon Adobe Acrobat Reader?, version 5.0 or higher. - An Internet provider that allows for the transmission and receipt of email and attachments (preferably high speed broadband, DSL, or similar service). - The personal computer will have Norton anti-virus or equivalent installed, operational, and running current virus definitions at all times. - A hardware or software firewall will be used to protect the personal computer. - Facsimile machine or the ability to send and receive faxes from home or home-office. - Paper shredder to destroy documents, notes, and other case related material after 120 days. Contractors will be required to sign a Memorandum of Understanding regarding protection of ATF data associated with ATF background investigations agreeing to the following terms and provisions: - The personal computer will have Norton anti-virus or equivalent installed, operational, and with current virus definitions at all times. - ATF data will be password protected using a strong 8-character password. The password will be changed every 60 days. - A hardware or software firewall will be used to protect the home computer. Shields Up, grc.com, will be run at least every 6 months to assure the computer is sufficiently secure. Zone Alarm or equivalent firewall software will be installed at the high protect level to assure the Contractor is aware of all program connections to the Internet. - Any persistent penetration attempts will be reported to the ATF Personnel Security Branch and the Information Systems Security Officer. - Any ATF information transmitted electronically to ATF will be encrypted through software provided by ATF or through other secure transmission methods as ATF shall implement. - Any configuration to be connected to ATF will be tested to assure there are no adverse affects on the LAN. - Access to the personal computer housing ATF data will be controlled. - All Contractors will sign ATF P 7500.1, ATF Rules of Behavior and Customer Agreement for ATF Workstation Users. - ATF data should be removed from the personal computer as soon as possible. To assure the data cannot be recovered, ATF data must be purged (overwritten in accordance with ATF security requirements) after use. - Dial-in to the ATF LAN is prohibited for this equipment. - Blackberry equipment, or other hand-held PDA wireless equipment may not be used to access the ATF LAN. Contractors will retain all notes and other investigative materials for 120 days after the report is submitted. Contractors shall submit to the performance of a Single Scope Background Investigation (SSBI). Favorable adjudication of the SSBI must be determined by ATF prior to access to ATF facilities and information. ATF will conduct an SSBI-Periodic Reinvestigation on contract investigators every five years. Contractors must execute, and abide by the terms of a Non-Disclosure Agreement. Contractors must also execute a Contractor Certification which declares that any submission of a Contractor?s invoice and any supplemental material, whether submitted in hard copy or electronic format, represent actual reported investigative work that was performed and conducted in compliance with requirements of the Statement of Work. Contractors must be a certified contractor in the Central Contractor Register (CCR), for payment via electronic funds transfer. ATF intends to issue to multiple vendors Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPA) that will be available for placing calls/orders through September 30, 2010. There is an initial solicitation with a closing date of September 30, 2005. All responses will be evaluated and a sufficient number of awards will be made to the most advantageous (most highly rated) companies. ATF?s objective is to provide a sufficient number of sources, geographically distributed, to ensure prompt and efficient performance of background investigations. Because ATF?s needs are dynamic, ATF anticipates a requirement to periodically add new contractors to the pool. Therefore, ATF will retain offers received after the initial closing date and continually accept new responses for future consideration. ATF will acknowledge receipt of offers and evaluate them for award when the need arises. Vendors selected from their responses to this solicitation will be offered a BPA. A BPA is not a contract. A BPA is a simplified method of procuring quantities of supplies or services that selected vendors are in a position to furnish and eliminates the need for more complex acquisition methods. There will be no minimum or maximum guaranteed quantity. All calls/orders must be acknowledged and accepted by the selected vendor, or the call will be transferred to another vendor. Calls/orders may be competed among all vendors at the same time, upon the discretion of the ATF representative. The North American Industry Classification System Code (NAICS) is 561611 Investigation Services, and is the appropriate designation required by the CCR. The following clauses and provisions are incorporated and are to remain in full force: FAR Part 52.212.1 Instructions to Offeror ? Commercial Items (Oct. 00) is incorporated by reference, applies to this acquisition. Clause 52.212-2 Evaluation-Commercial Items (Jan 99) Evaluation. Each Offeror shall include a completed copy of the provisions at FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representation and Certifications-Commercial Items; FAR 52.212-4, Contract Terms and Conditions-Commercial Items Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial. A copy of the Offeror Representations and Certifications-Commercial Items; FAR 52.212-4 can be found on the web at http://www.publicdebt.treas.gov/oa/oa52-212-3.doc or you may submit a request to siadministration@atf.gov. EVALUATION AND SELECTION CRITERIA. Capability of the Vendor. ATF will consider BPAs to vendors, as needed, on a pass/fail basis, based on past performance and experience, and the vendor?s acceptability (the acceptance of ATF terms and conditions including the point payment rate). All vendors must submit complete responses, must be able to obtain a favorably adjudicated Single Scope Background Investigation and must be willing and able to obtain a Dun and Bradstreet number and register with the Central Contractor Registration. These are mandatory requirements and any firm will be eliminated that fails to comply. Vendors will be initially screened on a pass/fail basis for acceptability. Vendors rated as ?passed? will be awarded points for past performance and experience. Vendors with an overall score of at least 54 points and that meet the mandatory requirements will be considered for issuance of a BPA and award will be made to those companies receiving the highest scores. At least 30 points must come from Offeror Demonstrated Experience/Capabilities and 24 points must come from Vendor Qualifications. a. Experience/Capabilities (45 Points): Experience is the opportunity to learn by doing. A minimum of three years combined experience as either a personnel security specialist or an investigator conducting personnel security background investigations is recommended. ATF will evaluate each vendor?s experience on the basis of its breath, depth, and relevance to the work that will be required under the prospective BPA. Evaluators will consider the years of experience conducting investigations in the federal environment, experience conducting personnel security investigations (including overseas experience), and computer proficiency. ATF may assess the vendor?s communication and written skills, and familiarity with directives governing the conduct of background investigations through an interview. (30 points minimum). b. Qualifications/Past Performance (40 Points): Past performance is a measure of the degree to which a vendor satisfied its customers in the past and complied with laws and regulations. ATF may contact some of the vendor?s customers to ask whether or not they believe (1) that the vendor was capable, efficient, and effective; (2) that the vendor?s performance conformed to the terms and conditions of its contract; (3) that the vendor was reasonable and cooperative during the performance; and (4) that the vendor was committed to customer satisfaction. In evaluating past performance, ATF may contact some of the references provided by the vendor and other sources of information, including, but not limited to: other government agencies, better business bureaus, published media, and electronic databases. (24 points minimum). Contractors with recent ATF experience will be evaluated on the performance they provided to ATF. ATF will consider performance that contractors have previously rendered to ATF to be more influential than past performance rendered to another source. c. Acceptability. ATF will determine the acceptability of each vendor offer on a ?pass? or ?fail? basis. A vendor?s offer is acceptable when it manifests the vendor?s assent, without exception, to the terms and conditions of the solicitation, including attachments and amendments (if any). If a vendor takes exception to any of the terms and conditions of the scope of work, ATF will consider its offer to be unacceptable. Vendors wishing to take exception to the terms and conditions stated are strongly encouraged to contact the Contracting Officer before doing so. If a copy of the Statement of Work is required in order to respond to this solicitation, please submit a written request via email to siadministration@atf.gov. Anyone wishing to respond to this solicitation should submit a current resume with his/her social security number, as well as all the requested information within the content of this solicitation. This solicitation will be open throughout the period of this BPA. All proposals received after September 30, 2005 will be evaluated on a continual basis as needs dictate. All responsible sources may submit an offer of interest throughout this time period. Only written requests received directly from the requestor are acceptable. (No phone calls will be accepted). Proposals are to be submitted via mail to the Personnel Security Branch 650 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Room 2474, Washington, DC 20226, or via email to siadministration@atf.gov and must contain all of the required information. Point of Contact: Chief, Personnel Security Branch.
- Place of Performance
- Address: 650 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Room 2474, Washington, DC
- Zip Code: 20226
- Country: US
- Zip Code: 20226
- Record
- SN00860100-W 20050804/050802211838 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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