Good Practices to Reduce Child Labor and Forced Labor in Supply Chains

The United States Department of Labor (DOL) is conducting market research for an upcoming procurement requirement. This is NOT a solicitation for proposals, proposal abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this notice is to obtain information regarding the availability and capability of all qualified sources to perform a package of related services including research, analysis of business practices, a publication, and meetings/trainings. Small Businesses are encouraged to respond. Background The Office of Child Labor, Forced Labor, and Human Trafficking (OCFT) of the Department of Labor's Bureau of International Labor Affairs (ILAB) is interested in awarding a contract for a package of related services including developing a framework/set of criteria; conducting background research and producing a bibliography; producing a compendium; carrying out stakeholder consultations/meetings; and providnig training to USDOL staff. These services will assist OCFT in fulfilling an important mandate under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 (TVPRA). The TVPRA directed ILAB to, among other things, - work with persons involved in the production of goods [using forced labor or child labor] to create a standard set of practices that will reduce the likelihood that such persons will produce goods using [such] labor. OCFT was created in 1993 in response to a request from Congress to investigate and report on child labor around the world. As domestic and international concern about child labor grew, OCFT's activities significantly expanded. Today, these activities include research on international child labor, forced labor, and human trafficking; funding and overseeing cooperative agreements and contracts to organizations engaged in efforts to eliminate exploitive child labor around the world; and assisting in the development and implementation of U.S. government policy on international child labor, forced labor, and human trafficking issues. OCFT plays an active role in research and policy initiatives relating to international child labor, forced labor, and human trafficking. Pursuant to Congressional requests, OCFT has published annual international child labor reports since 1994. In 2000, Congress adopted the Trade and Development Act, which requires the Secretary of Labor to issue an annual report on the efforts of approximately 140 U.S. trade beneficiary countries and territories to meet their international commitments to eliminate the worst forms of child labor. Through these research activities as well as technical cooperation programming, ILAB OCFT promotes international labor standards and aims to comply with the U.S. Government commitments under International Labor Organization Convention No. 182 to work with other countries to assist in efforts to combat the worst forms of child labor. Purpose and Objectives The goal of the proposed program is to reduce the likelihood that producers of goods worldwide will use forced labor and child labor in their production. The TVPRA proposed to achieve this goal by working with persons involved in production to explore good practices in this area. To accomplish this goal, USDOL has established several key objectives, including the development of a framework/set of criteria to evaluate good practice; wide dissemination of examples of good practices for replication; stakeholder engagement through meetings and consultations; and increased capacity of USDOL staff to provide technical assistance to companies on these and related issues. Project Requirements Task 1: Framework/Set of Criteria. Develop a framework/set of criteria for analyzing and identifying - good practices that can be used by private sector entities to reduce the likelihood that goods are produced using child labor and forced labor. Development of this framework/set of criteria should include not only the framework itself, but guidelines for its application. These guidelines should clearly describe how the framework is to be used, by whom, for what purpose(s), etc. Task 2: Background Research/Bibliography. Conduct comprehensive background research and produce a bibliography of current practices in use (such as tools, toolkits, systems, activities, programs, relationships, collaborative arrangements, etc.) to reduce child labor and forced labor in the production of goods. Research should include such methods as desk review, attending meetings of knowledgeable groups, interviews with companies, and other methods. Task 3: Compendium. Using the framework/set of criteria developed under Task 1 and the practices collected under Task 2, identify a selection of the best practices currently in use and compile them into a Compendium targeting a business audience. The Compendium should include examples of practices in a wide variety of categories, and could be written as case studies or in other formats. It must be a complete, print-ready publication, in compliance with all relevant laws and regulations, including all relevant content: all text, sidebars/highlight boxes, suggested graphics/photos, etc. The publication will be posted on USDOL's Web site and must be Section 508 compliant. Task 4: Meetings/Consultations. At least two stakeholder meetings/consultations with businesses, employers organizations, NGOs, and trade unions, at a minimum. At least one consultation should occur within the United States. Each meeting/consultation should be followed by a summary of meeting proceedings that can be published and disseminated to keep all stakeholders informed. Task 5: Training for USDOL Staff. A training or series of trainings to build the capacity of USDOL/OCFT staff. Staff should be trained in the content of research conducted, in the analysis of good business practices, and in skills to provide technical assistance to businesses seeking guidance from USDOL in the area of forced labor and child labor eradication. Capability Statement OCFT is interested in soliciting capability statements from all qualified Offerors demonstrating their ability to perform this research effort. At a minimum prospective Offerors must document capabilities in the following areas. - Familiarity with current business practices in the area of child and forced labor in global supply chains, in a variety of industries. Familiarity may be demonstrated through a discussion of how the organization used it in prior work, or through convincing discussion of the work of others. - Capacity to innovate systematic analytical tools (i.e., Task 1, the framework/set of criteria). - Capacity to research and analyze - good practices for businesses/private sector in combating forced labor and child labor in a comprehensive manner. - Familiarity with other current efforts to formulate, compile, analyze, and disseminate guidance and good practice in this area (in order to avoid duplication). - Experience producing publication-quality written materials. - Track record of working with business/private sector entities to formulate policies and guide implementation of practices in this area. - Track record of successful multi-stakeholder engagement on related topics. - Capacity and skills to guide high-profile meetings and consultations with various stakeholders, including business. - Capacity and skills to conduct training. - Personnel possess knowledge of current business practices in the area of child and forced labor in global supply chains, in a variety of industries. - Personnel possess experience in creating analytical tools. - Personnel possess experience working on publications in related fields. - Personnel possess experience working with a broad spectrum of stakeholders in the field of corporate social responsibility. - Personnel possess experience in guiding high-profile meetings and consultations with various stakeholders, including business. RESPONSES: All interested parties who believe they meet the above mentioned criteria are invited to respond to this RFI, with an indication if their ability to fulfill the above requirements. A Statement of Qualifications/Capabilities Statement package must be transmitted under a cover letter. The cover letter must cite the following information at a minimum: 1. Response to RFI Number DOL099RI20735; 2. Vendor's Company Name, Address, Contact Person Information; 3. Vendor's DUNS Number; 4. Business Size and Size Standard / Classification We ask that the capability statement not exceed 20 single sided pages in length. Please identify your size classification relative to North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code of 541620 for this requirement. Include whether or not you are a small business; HUBZone small business; service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses; 8(a) small business; women-owned small business; or small disadvantaged business in order to assist the government in determining the appropriate acquisition method, including whether a set-aside is possible. This Sources Sought is for information and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the Government to issue a Request for Proposal or award a contract. The Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of responses nor otherwise pay for the preparation of any information submitted, for the vendor-sponsored demonstration or the Government's use of such information. Sources responding to this Sources Sought should submit the minimum information necessary for the government to make a determination that the source is capable of satisfying the requirements Acknowledgment of receipt of responses will not be made, nor will respondents be notified of the Government's evaluation of the information received. However, should such a requirement materialize, no basis for claims against the Government shall arise as a result of a response to this Request For Information or the Government's use of such information as either part of our evaluation process or in developing specifications for any subsequent requirement. Responses should be identified with DOL099RI20735, and are due no later than 4:00 P.M. (EST) on July 9, 2009. Responses must be submitted via email stevens.william@dol.gov and brown.devone@dol.gov. Questions regarding this RFI may be submitted via email to Mr. William Stevens or Mr. Devone Brown. Telephone calls regarding this RFI will not be accepted. The government reserves the right to compete any acquisition resulting from this survey among small businesses or to make an award to an 8(a) firm, based on the responses received. This sources sought notice is for planning purposes only and does not commit the government to pay for the information requested, issue a solicitation, or award a contract. No solicitation document exists at this time.