Computer Programming Services

REQUEST FOR INFORMATION Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS)-Survey Software This exchange is being issued in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Subpart 15.201(e) as a Request for Information (RFI). The purpose of this RFI is for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to gain knowledge of all qualified and interested small and other than small business concerns with experience within the referenced requirement and is being issued solely for DHS' informational and planning purposes as it may relate to acquisition strategy, planning schedules, feasibility of the requirement, development of the requirement, etc. This exchange in no way represents a formal solicitation for proposals, quotations, or bids with the intent to form binding agreements based upon results. DHS may (or may not), at the agency's sole discretion, issue a formal solicitation for this requirement at a later time. Within that vein, any descriptive/requirements information provided by DHS in this exchange is subject to change and shall in no way be treated as final or binding. 1. Background: Within the DHS Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO), Human Capital Policy and Programs (HCPP) develops, implements, and evaluates Department-wide policies and standards supporting the Secretary's strategy to ensure the continued growth of DHS employees and advance the Department's capabilities in the areas of recruitment, retention and employee development. One important way to assess the effectiveness of programs and policies is through the development, administration and analysis of employee surveys. Currently, there is a need to gather general data regarding employees' perceptions of the DHS work environment. This data will be used to make workplace improvements. Data gathering will be used to (inclusive but not limited to): (1) Identify reasons why employees are exiting DHS, (2) Identify potential barriers to equal employment opportunity within the Department, & (3) Identify other employee perceptions of the DHS environment. 2. Requirements: DHS/OCHCO is seeking information regarding the capabilities of qualified vendors to develop an agency-wide approach to data analysis that includes conducting in-house Web-based surveys. Historically DHS Components have developed, conducted, and analyzed their own surveys. Moving forward, some of these efforts will be combined to gain efficiencies, ensure standardization, and create the ability to consolidate and analyze data at the Department level. DHS/OCHCO requires the use of a Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) survey software tool (along w/operations support, maintenance, and training). The tool will be used to develop and administer in-house web-based Enterprise agency surveys. Data provided by these surveys will help DHS evaluate its performance by forecasting organizational trends and assessing current strengths and deficiencies. The Department will also use the results to direct organizational interventions to the areas where improvement is most needed. The required tool shall include, but not be limited to the following: 2.1 Functional Requirements - A survey tool that can quickly and easily create survey questions and question branching through the tool itself without the need for any programming on the survey creator's part (e.g., Java, SQL, C+, etc.) - A survey tool that maintains a "dynamic persistency" between branched questions when question numbering or question order change after branching is created - A survey tool that has an integrated email campaign manager which can deploy password protected, limited population, and open access surveys o The survey tool must be able to track the progress of each survey based on information from the email campaign and responses to the survey - A survey tool that is fully functional behind the DHS firewall - to included email , data exchange, and reporting functions - A survey tool that is fully functional with DHS operating systems, internet browsers, and Microsoft Office applications - A survey tool that can operate with (exchange information between) other DHS HR and IT systems (e.g., API) for the purposes of preparing HR data for surveys (e.g., email campaigns and subsequent analysis and reporting) - The survey tool must be able to handle large-scale simultaneous responses to multiple surveys - A survey tool that has the ability to export data in various formats (*.CSV, *.TXT, *XLS and *XLSX, and SPSS) with labels for variables (i.e., questions) and responses - A survey tool that is 508 compliant. 3. Questions In addition to demonstrating the necessary qualifications to perform the above identified requirements all prospective vendors shall respond to the following questions: 1. Is every aspect of the COTS tool 508 compliant? This includes the authoring tool used to create surveys, the end product (the survey being administered to DHS employees), and the reports generated from survey analysis? Provide specific examples. 2. Can the survey tool be hosted behind the DHS firewall? Please provide specific examples. 3. What is the contractor's experience providing a history of excellent technical and customer support? Please provide specific examples. 4. What is the contractor's experience in survey work/research? Provide specific examples. 4. Description of Information Requested: DHS is requesting all interested firms respond to this RFI with the following information: 1. Name and Address 2. Phone and Fax No. 3. Website Address 4. Business Size and Type of Ownership (i.e., Other than Small, Small, Small Disadvantaged, Woman-owned, Hub-zone, Service Disabled Veteran, etc.) 5. Years in business 6. Description of the client base, include all Federal Customers 7. Capability Statement to include how the firm's solution meets DHS' requirements. The capability statement must include: a. A description of the contractor's qualifications and capabilities which address each of the areas identified in Section 2. b. Documented knowledge and experience with performing these requirements with Federal Agencies/Departments similar in size and scope to DHS. c. Answers to the questions in Section 3. 5. Response Instructions: Capability Statements shall not exceed five (5) to ten (10) pages which include the responses to the questions identified in Section 3. Please submit all responses to this notice, via e-mail, to Mr. Michael Jones at michael.e. jones@dhs.gov 3:00 PM, Eastern Standard Time, November 19, 2010. All e-mail responses MUST include the subject header of "DHS/OCHCO COTS Survey Software" in responding to this RFI. As stated prior, this RFI is being issued solely for DHS' informational and planning purposes. Respondents will not be notified of any results derived from a review of the information provided. Responses to this RFI will not be returned. Respondents are solely responsible for all expenses associated with the responding to this RFI. Respondents needing confidential treatment for any proprietary information furnished in response to this RFI must mark the documentation accordingly.