Surveillance of Contract Guard

The Sources Sought Notice is for information and planning purposes only and shall not be construed as a solicitation or as an obligation on the part of the National Institutes of Health, NIH. The purpose of this Sources Sought is to seek the availability and capability of small business concerns, including 8(a) small business and/or small qualified small business concerns, including Small Disadvantaged Businesses (SDB), Woman-owned Small Businesses (WOSB), Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone) Small Businesses, Veteran-owned Small Businesses (VOSB) and Service-Disabled Veteran-owned Small Businesses (SDVOSB) that are interested in and capable of performing the work described herein: The intent of this Statement of Objectives (SOO) is to secure a vendor that will provide the full range of services needed and original approaches for performing surveillance of the contract security guard services at various locations throughout the National Institutes of Health (NIH), on and off campus in the local area (Washington-Baltimore). This surveillance will determine whether security Guard Force contract performance requirements are in compliance with the contract Performance Requirements Summary/Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan. The intention of this notice is to survey the market for potential offerors. Questions regarding this requirement must be submitted in writing and directed to Doris Vaughn, Contract Specialist, 6011 Executive Blvd. Room 539B, Rockville Md 20852. Questions must be received by May 3rd 2010. Interested Companies responding to the market survey must provide capability statement demonstrating their experience, skills and capability to fulfill the Governments requirements for the above request. A copy of the capability statement must be received at the address, 6011 Executive Blvd., Room 539B, Rockville Md. 20852. I. Purpose: The intent of this Statement of Objectives is to secure a vendor that will provide the full range of services needed and original approaches for performing surveillance of the contract security guard services at various locations throughout the National Institutes of Health (NIH), on and off campus in the local area (Washington-Baltimore). This surveillance will determine whether security Guard Force contract performance requirements are in compliance with the contract Performance Requirements Summary/Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan. Ia. Scope: The NIH seeks a contractor who is knowledgeable in surveillance techniques and has not less than five years experience in the field of Quality Assurance Inspections/Surveillance as related to the security field and performance based contracts. The contractor will be tasked with staffing and conducting around the clock (24/7) inspections/surveillance of the NIH contractor guard force delivery of services. These inspections will consist of random, scheduled and unscheduled inspections, conducted during all hours of the day and night, including holidays, weekends, and periods of inclement weather. Inspections/surveillance will be performed at all NIH facilities in the local area (Washington-Baltimore) that have contract Guard forces assigned. Surveillance findings will be reported by the Division of Amenities and Transportation Services (DATS) to the NIH Contracting Officers Technical Representative (COTR) and to the NIH Division of Police (DP) via telephone, e-mail, written reports, in-person or any combination thereof. Regardless of the type of notification, all events/surveillance activities will be followed up by adding the findings into an electronic data file. There are currently 23 separate posts on campus and 20 off campus sites with contract Guards assigned. Several of these sites are staffed with contract Guards 24 hours a day. For purposes of this solicitation, a staff of three full time inspectors has been sufficient in the past for this assignment. The location and the number of posts are subject to change and the vendor should anticipate traveling to new locations as necessary. Included in the inspection process will be surreptitious attempts to penetrate the various levels of the contractor's security at perimeter vehicle entrances, and building entrances using methods which should be readily detected by alert guards trained by the contractor and NIH. Vehicle inspection processes and procedures will also be monitored as defined in the Guard Force Quality Assurance Performance Requirements (Attachment Number 2) as well as other performance measures. The contractor will also conduct inspections of administrative tasks as required (i.e., reports, schedules, etc.). Contract Guard Force performance monitoring will be conducted at any NIH facility with contract Guard personnel assigned, on- and off-campus in the Washington-Baltimore area. The contractor will document their performance daily of all evaluations and locations by adding their data to one or more electronic databases/datafiles. The contractor will be tasked with completing reports. Report formats will be provided or the contractor may propose a report format of their own with the concurrence of the COTR. The contractor should practice effective resource management as part of their daily work effort. The contractor surveillance personnel may be required to provide additional support of their findings during legal proceedings if required. This may include testimony at court proceedings, affidavits, depositions, administrative type meetings, etc. The Government has the unilateral right to order services in excess of those specified in this solicitation that falls within the scope of performance of the services that are identified as additional security requirements are required. I. Background as defined by the NIH mission statement NIH is the steward of medical and behavioral research for the Nation. Its mission is science in pursuit of fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to extend healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability. The goals of the agency are as follows: - foster fundamental creative discoveries, innovative research strategies, and their applications as a basis to advance significantly the Nation's capacity to protect and improve health - develop, maintain, and renew scientific human and physical resources that will assure the Nation's capability to prevent disease - expand the knowledge base in medical and associated sciences in order to enhance the Nation's economic well-being and ensure a continued high return on the public investment in research - exemplify and promote the highest level of scientific integrity, public accountability, and social responsibility in the conduct of science. In realizing these goals, the NIH provides leadership and direction to programs designed to improve the health of the Nation, and protection of the Nation and its citizens in the area of bio-defense, by conducting and supporting research in: - the causes, diagnosis, prevention, and cure of human diseases - the processes of human growth and development - the biological effects of environmental contaminants - the understanding of mental, addictive and physical disorders - directing programs for the collection, dissemination, and exchange of information in medicine and health, including the development and support of medical libraries and the training of medical librarians and other health information specialists. The Office of Research Services (ORS) provides services to the NIH Community that support its mission of uncovering new knowledge about the prevention, detection, diagnosis, identification and treatment of disease and disability. Those services range from providing animal care and facilities, to library and conference services, to services related to security and safety. ORS supports all 27 Institutes and Centers (ICs) that operate in multiple locations, including the primary location on the Bethesda campus. The Office of Research Services (ORS), which includes the Division of Amenities and Transportation Services (DATS), provides a portfolio of services to the NIH Community that support its mission of uncovering new knowledge about the prevention, detection, diagnosis, identification and treatment of disease and disability. Those services range from providing animal care and facilities, to library and conference services, to services related to security, safety and transportation (shuttle services). The NIH Bethesda Campus consists of approximately 18000 employees, excluding Patients, Patient Visitors, Contractors, Guests and other types of visitors. The DP is responsible for providing and administering contract guard services at specific buildings and entrances both on and off campus to supplement security systems and/or law enforcement personnel. III. Procurement and Objectives Goals: Full range of services needed to provide surveillance of contract security guard services that provide a continuous, efficient and effective evaluation of contractual Performance Requirements Summary (PRS) (See Attachment #2) that include topics in five (5) distinct categories. Those 5 categories are: 1) Section A: Access Control, 2) Section B: Roving Patrols, 3) Section C: Training and Recruitment, 4) Section D: Professional Guard Service and Complaint Monitoring, and 5) Section E: Continuous Improvement/Contract Reporting. These evaluations will include some or all of the following areas and are subject to change and the following may not be all inclusive but provide a working framework for the surveillance operations and requirements of this solicitation: 1. Employee and visitor access control. 2. Employee, visitor and commercial vehicle access control. 3. Shuttle Inspections. 4. Underground Parking Facility Inspection. 5. Loading Dock Control. 6. Roving Patrols. 7. Related Security Services. 8. Electronic Security Monitoring/Closed Circuit TV/Alarms. 9. Proper equipment use related to security processing of personnel. 10. Verifying that reference documents are available 11. Timing of actual inspection processes. 12. Proper post manning as defined in reference documents. 13. Alertness of Guard Force personnel. 14. Demeanor of Guard Force personnel. 15. Courtesy of Guard Force personnel. 16. Professionalism of Guard Force Personnel 17. Administrative functions. 18. Agency owned document control. 19. Agency owned equipment movement and control. 20. Increased surveillance of identified posts (ex. High complaint post) as may be required. 21. Commercial Vehicle Inspection Process. Objectives/Services: - Provide 24/7 surveillance of contract Guard Forces and report real and perceived infractions of established procedures and make immediate notification to designated NIH staff as required. - Written Reports - The contractor will provide summary written reports as required. The current format will be provided, or the contractor may propose a report format for use with concurrence of the COTR. Immediate/or next business day summaries will be required for all reportable incidents and field observations. Examples of specific reports may include such things as Vacant Posts, validated Sleeping on Post infractions, and incidents involving the top five (5) NIH Officials. Weekly summaries will normally be submitted to the NIH Project Officer not later than 08:00 A.M on each Monday (or next business day if the Government is closed). Monthly summary reports will normally be submitted to the NIH Project Officer by the 10th day of each month. The quarterly summary will normally be submitted to the NIH Project Officer by the 21st day of the first month following the end of each quarter. Electronic report format will be used. - Provide timely and concise reporting/data entry of all surveillance and monitoring activities that are conducted for the NIH on a daily basis. Data integrity must be maintained at all times. - Provide schedules of personnel deployment not less than two weeks in advance, with periodic rotation of personnel through the various shifts to reduce the likelihood of facial recognition. - Support monitoring the Contractor's technical progress, including the surveillance and assessment of performance and recommending to the NIH Project Officers needed changes in requirements. - Perform special technical inspections required by this contract and as directed by the COTR. - Assist in the resolution of technical problems encountered during performance activities of the contract and make recommendations for continuous improvement and assist with implementation of changes that will increase the operational efficiency and effectiveness of the NIH Security Guard Services Contract to ensure that acceptable performance levels are maintained. - Provide recommendations that identify areas of potential concern or that could reduce the possibility of unauthorized entry or other breach in security. - Provide efficient and effective customer service, and where possible, reduce costs while maintaining acceptable performance levels. - Provide corrective actions where requested by the NIH Project Officer, COTR, or Contracting Officer. - Perform technical evaluations, as required and document that surveillance daily. - Monitor Guard Performance and ID Post Orders for the specific location. - Reason and understand guard post orders where those post orders do not conform to the Interagency Security Committee Guidelines for a Level IV and make recommendations for changes to the NIH Project Officer. - Maintain continuous as needed contact with the NIH Project Officer. - Be accessible to the NIH Project Officer at all times should there be an incident, emergency, inquiry, needing an immediate response. - The contractor shall notify the Project Officer immediately (or no later than the next business day) both in writing and via telephone that a Guard Post is vacant when it should be covered. - The contractor shall notify the Project Officer immediately (or no later than the next business day) both in writing and via telephone when there is a validated Sleeping on Post infraction. - The contractor shall notify the Project Officer immediately (or no later than the next business day) of any incident, regardless of nature, when/if one of the NIH Top Five (5) Personnel are involved. The NIH Project Officer will provide the contractor with the names of the these NIH Top Five Personnel on a regular basis. IV. Key Definitions and Acronyms CO - Contracting Officer The Contracting Officer is a person with the authority to enter into, administer, and/or terminate contracts and make related determinations and findings. The term includes certain authorized representatives of the Contracting Officer (i.e., Contracting Specialists) acting within the limits of their authority, as delegated by the Contracting Officer. The Contracting Officer is the only person with the authority to act as an agent of the Government under this contract. Only the Contracting Officer has authority to: - direct or negotiate any changes in the Solicitation or specifications - modify or extend the period of performance - change the delivery schedule - change any terms and conditions of the contract. NIH Project Officer In addition to the NIH Contracting Officer (CO), NIH will designate an individual to be the NIH Project Officer (NIHPO). The NIHPO is the individual responsible for overall oversight and technical direction of the work under this delivery order. (See the Technical Direction clause in the Provisions section in this delivery order.) Performance Requirements Summary (PRS) A matrix with: - A column for each of the following four critical elements: required services, performance standards, acceptable quality levels and NIH monitoring method. - A final row listing the strategic contract incentives (positive or negative) that are linked to achieving the proposed performance standards. The PRS serves as the basis for the performance work statement. Performance standards Performance standards establish the performance level required by the Government to meet the contract requirements. The standards shall be measurable and structured to permit an assessment of the contractor's performance. Performance Work Statement (PWS) A statement of work for performance-based acquisitions describes the required results in clear, specific and objective terms with measurable outcomes. The PWS, to the maximum extent practicable, describes the work in terms of "what" is to be the required output rather than either "how" the work is to be accomplished or the number of hours to be provided. A PWS may be prepared by the Government or result from a Statement of Objectives (SOO) prepared by the Government where the Contractor proposes the PWS. Statement of Objectives (SOO) - a Government-prepared document incorporated into the solicitation that states the overall performance objectives. It is used in solicitations when the Government intends to provide the maximum flexibility to each contractor to propose an innovative approach. The purpose of a SOO is to provide contractors with maximum flexibility to conceive and propose innovative approaches and solutions. It is provided in the solicitation in lieu of a Government-written work statement. In this approach, the contractors' quotes contain work statements and performance metrics and measures (which are based on their proposed solutions and existing commercial practices). V. Work Locations: The contractor shall provide the full range of services needed to perform surveillance services at the NIH work sites described in the most recent Guard post staffing plan, which is subject to change. An updated staffing plan is normally provided to vendor every six months if not more frequently. (Staffing Plan) (Atth#3) VI. Period of Performance The contract will provide for a base period plus four one-year options. The contractor shall be notified of award of the order not less 30 days in advance of that date to allow for implementation of transition activities where possible. VII. Constraints - Contractor personnel must be intensely familiar with the Interagency Security Committee Guidelines for Access Control, Visitor and Vehicle Screening requirements for a Level IV Facility; - Potential contractor personnel must maintain a Secret Clearance to perform services under this award; - Potential evaluators must undergo a background check and be eligible for issuance of any necessary security clearances that will enable them to access any required NIH secure areas. FAR 52.204-2; - Must meet new HSPD-12 requirements; - Potential evaluators will be required to test the vehicle entry points at any location on the NIH campus and off site facilities from a vehicle operator's position. Ownership, maintenance and operational expenses associated with any vehicles used as part of this contract are considered contractor provided equipment and are the responsibility of the contractor; - Assigned contractor staff must be capable of maintaining telephone communication with the NIH while performing their assigned duties; - Evaluators will encounter the usual seasonal changes and weather extremes associated with performing duties while outside and must be capable of performing their assigned duties during periods of inclement weather; - All data collected, observed or shared among NIH groups is considered sensitive and/or law enforcement sensitive and releasable only to the NIH Contracting Officer, NIH Project Officer and the NIH Division of Police; - All data collected, observed or shared, written reports, notes of field observations, e-mails, video tapes, pictures, voice recordings, etc. to the NIH Contracting Officer, NIH Project Officer and/or the NIH Division of Police is the sole property of the U.S. Government; - All Government Furnished Resources, including those that may not be specifically listed in Section VIII, are the sole property of the U.S. Government and must be returned at the end of this contract; - Contractor will not be able to compete for future security guard contracts at NIH while this contract is in force; - Limited resources; - Personnel should possess adequate computer skills that will enable the accurate collection and storage of data as well as to ensure that data is entered into the appropriate systems and format correctly; - Personnel selected for this contract will be required to submit to an initial drug screening, typically accomplished through urinalysis, and will be subject to random drug screening during the duration of the award. - Contractor personnel assigned to this contract should be aware that there are various types of laboratory animals in various NIH buildings; - SUBCONTRACT: The U.S Government anticipates that the resulting contract will be to a prime contractor only; - ROTATION of PERSONNEL: Contractor may be required to provide rotation of personnel on a two year basis or provide rationale for other rotation schedule to reduce the incidence of the Guard Force readily recognizing the surveillance personnel; and - LOGISTICAL CONSIDERATION: To the extent possible, the contractor should have an administrative office within (100) miles of the NIH campus. This ensures that the Project Officer and the Contractor are located in close proximity of one another in order to meet regularly and conduct business associated with this services to be provided under this solicitation. VIII. Government-Furnished Resources Government furnished property and resources are as follows: - One desk top computer with LAN and internet access and standard applications that will be a shared resource amongst individuals assigned to this contract (NOTE - All employees are required to adhere to all NIH policies currently in place and as may be modified, and maintain applicable training requirements for computer/e-mail/internet access. Failure to do so will result in computer access being rescinded at which time the contractor will be required to provide their own computer, LAN, internet and e-mail applications). - Work space with desks, filing space and one fixed telephone line. - As provided, NIH owned/controlled illegal weapons, inert bombs or other explosives, similar devices or their comparable dummy items. (NOTE - These items are the sole property of the U.S. Government and NIH and must be accounted for as requested by the Contracting Officer and/or Project Officer at all times). - Same training provided to contract security officers as a baseline for evaluations. - Access to NIH Division of Police and contract security guard procedures, guides and examples. - Video surveillance tapes, where required to substantiate a guard infraction. IX. Contract Type Firm fixed price. X. Preparation of a Performance Work Statement (PWS) Technical quotes submitted in response to this solicitation should include a proposed PWS which addresses the objectives, services and constraints identified in this SOO. The PWS shall identify the work requirements and deliverables. The PWS shall also contain a Performance Requirements Summary with the components defined in Section III above. Contractors are encouraged to use innovative approaches in addressing the requirements contained in this SOO and solicitation. That creativity should be reflected in the proposed PWS which will be evaluated in terms of the extent to which it successfully addresses the requirements and constraints of the SOO and the likely effectiveness of the proposed performance standards, monitoring approaches, and incentives in producing optimal contract results while lessening the Government's oversight burden. The PWS is subject to negotiation and the final version will be incorporated in the final contract/order awarded to the successful Contractor. XI. Commitment to Protect Non Public Departmental Information Systems and Data 1. Contractor Agreement The Contractor and its subcontractors performing under this solicitation shall not release, publish, or disclose non public Departmental information to unauthorized personnel, and shall protect such information in accordance with provisions of the following laws and any other pertinent laws and regulations governing the confidentiality of such information: - 18 U.S.C. 641 (Criminal Code: Public Money, Property or Records) - 18 U.S.C. 1905 (Criminal Code: Disclosure of Confidential Information) - Public Law 96 511 (Paperwork Reduction Act) 2. Contractor Employee Non Disclosure Agreements Each Contractor/subcontractor employee who may have access to non public Department information under this contract shall complete the Commitment to Protect Non Public Information Contractor Agreement (Attachment 1) to meet NIH standards for protecting confidentiality of information and conflict of interest. A copy of each signed and witnessed agreement shall be submitted to the Task Order Project Officer prior to performing any work under the contract. Contractor staff shall be required to handle proprietary information in the strictest confidence and shall be bound by the same terms as the Government in this respect.