Ocular Methods in Credibility Assessment

THIS IS A SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE ONLY. This request is for planning purposes only, it is not a request for offers, quotes, or proposals. This notice does not represent a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or award a contract. The Government will not be responsible for any cost incurred by interested parties responding to this notice. This notice is for market research only in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10 to determine the capability of potential sources Virginia Contracting Activity (VACA} anticipates establishing a contract under North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS} Code 541720, Research and Development in Social Sciences. VACA is issuing this notice in order to solicit capability statements from qualified sources to ensure sufficient competition exists to meet the government's requirements. The anticipated length of performance is a base period and four one-year options. RESPONSE REQUESTED This notice is a market research tool being used to determine the availability and capability of potential sources prior to determining a procurement strategy. No basis for a claim against the Government shall result from a response to this notice. If a solicitation is issued as a result of this Sources Sought, information submitted in response to this notice may be used determine the appropriate procurement strategy. All qualified firms are encouraged to respond. SUBJECT: Request for information (RFI) for non-personnel services supporting ocular methods in credibility assessment (CA) / detection of deception. 1. INTRODUCTION (U) It is the Virginia Contracting Activity's (VACA) intent to obtain information pertaining to the state of the industry for providing: Ocular methods in CA / detection of deception. 2. PURPOSE (U) This document serves as the RFI of the VACA contractor community pursuant to FAR 15.201 (e) "Exchange with industry before receipt of proposals". Responses to this RFI will be assessed to determine the state of the art of the technology and explore features of the technology currently available. Best qualified sources arc those sources which demonstrate the greatest depth and breadth of technologies, experience and knowledge relevant to the mission, goals, and objectives of the VACA. 3. BACKGROUND (U) To date, the U.S. Government has not conducted studies evaluating results associated with ocular-related technology as an addition to or in place of conventional Psychophysiological Detection of Deception (PDD) sensors but interest is strong in the CA / polygraph community regarding all aspects of ocular-related technology and how it can be used to enhance existing CA I detection of deception methods as applied in the areas of counterintelligence and expanded scope screening, as well as detection and mitigation of insider threats, and application in criminal and CI issue investigations. 4. ANTICIPATED SCOPE OF WORK N/A at this time. 5. DESIRED CAPABILITY: (U) a. Visibility of algorithms used for building decision trees for transparency purposes, i.e. the government must know how this technology works. b. Data and signals contained in a closed stand-alone, i.e., turnkey, system or one easily integrated with other physiological channels. c. Ability to define a cycle time for product development and approvals such as FDA, if required. d. Industry study or other scientific evidence validating proposed ocular-related technology in specific issue / screening environments. 6. INFORMATION DESIRED FROM INDUSTRY: (U) a. Does vender have validated data supporting the proposed technology? b. How long does each test session take? c. How long does it take to get results? (lag time) d. What are the performance limitations of the system? e. Literacy Requirements. In other words, is there a requirement for the examinee to be able to read? f. Is the technology a separate system or can it be incorporated into other CA technologies (e.g. additional channel in polygraph)? g. Does the technology employ non-contact sensors? h. Does vender have a security clearance? i. Does the vender have an affiliation with an Institutional Review Board (IRB) for research involving human subjects? j. How does the vender envision their pricing relationship with the government when using this technology (licensing, pay-per-test, etc.) Note: Any other specific and relevant information about this particular area of interest that would improve the consideration and evaluation of the information presented is desirable. Interested organizations must demonstrate and document, in any capability statements submitted, extensive experience with and the ability to perform the above tasks. Submission Instructions: Specifically answer the items in sections 5 & 6. Interested firms responding to this sources sought must provide a capability statement demonstrating their experience, skills and capability to fulfill the Governments requirements for the above. The capability statement shall be in sufficient enough detail, but not exceed 5 pages, so that the Government can determine the experience and capability of your firm to perform the requirements specified in the Sources Sought Information Document. Please specify one primary and one alternate Point of Contact (POC) within your firm, including telephone numbers and email addresses in case clarifications of your submission are needed. DO NOT SUBMIT RESUMES. Respondents shall submit their response via email to the Point of Contacts provided below. *The page size is to print to a Standard 8.5 x 11-inch paper using Times New Roman, 11-point font, with one inch margins using Microsoft Word. *The file shall be only one, in PDF or Word, and shall be no more than five pages in its entirety. Do not send a separate cover letter or any other document, submit only one file. The response must be received no later than 20 Feb 2018 12:00 p.m. EST. Only electronic copies of capability statements will be accepted and should be emailed to: contact@example.gov. The e-mail shall contain the following subject line: "Response to Sources Sought Notice-Ocular Methods in CA". Questions or answers will not be considered. NO PHONE CALLS WILL BE ACCEPTED or RETURNED. The decision to proceed with the acquisition is at the sole discretion of the Government