Technical Security Countermeasures Specialist

1.0 Purpose This is a Request for Information (RFI) as outlined in FAR 15.201(c) (7). The purpose of this RFI is to accomplish market research pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 10, and to identify businesses capable of performing the functions described herein. The government is requesting information regarding the availability and feasibility of attracting new service providers to support the requirements of the Department of State (DOS), Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DS), Office of Security Technology (ST), as described in this RFI. This notice is issued solely for information and planning purposes and does not constitute a Request for Proposal (RFP) or a commitment on the part of the government to conduct a solicitation for the below-listed services in the future. Responders are advised that the government will not pay for information submitted in response to this RFI, nor will it compensate responders for any costs incurred in the development/furnishing of a response Please note that a decision not to submit a response to this RFI will not preclude a vendor from participating in any future solicitation. 2.0 Background The Bureau of Diplomatic Security has the responsibility for ensuring that the office facilities occupied by the Department of State at overseas locations are secure from technical and physical security threats posed by hostile parties. One of the programs designed to carry out our mandate is the Security Accreditation Inspection Program. This program validates the security measures incorporated into new construction or major renovation projects at overseas diplomatic facilities. A critical component of this program is the conduct of a Technical Security Countermeasures (TSCM) inspection. Personnel certified by the Interagency Training Center as TSCM specialists can only accomplish this element of the Accreditation inspection. At present, the TSCM testing program is conducted by a limited number of personnel stationed in Washington. The current and future projections for inspection support, while extensive, do not warrant full time employment by additional personnel. It is more efficient and cost effective to employ trained inspectors on an as needed basis. 3.0 Requirements The Technical Security Countermeasures (TSCM) Specialist shall provide Technical Security Countermeasures services to the Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security, Physical Security Division. Equipment necessary to conduct these inspections will be provided by the Department of State. The inspections will be conducted at diplomatic facilities overseas as directed by the Department. As a member of the Accreditation Inspection Team, the duties of the contractor will be to conduct multi-phased inspections of sensitive areas within a diplomatic facility where national security-related activities and discussions may take place. Upon completion of the inspection, the contractor will be required to provide relevant input for the inspection report. For each inspection the contractor will be required to inspect specified areas within a diplomatic facilities to ensure that the areas have not been compromised, that the areas are adequate for the protection of classified information and national security-related activities, and the that the diplomatic facility provides adequate physical protection for the personnel working therein. General inspection requirements will be furnished to the contractor at the time each task order is issued. Detailed, classified instructions will be provided to the contractor upon arrival at the designated inspection site. 3.1 General Requirements The Department of State faces a number of challenges as the overseas threat environment continues to evolve. The technical and physical security is imperative at overseas locations. A Technical Security Countermeasures (TSCM) Specialist is needed by DS to perform as needed inspections of diplomatic facilities overseas as directed by the Branch Chief, DS/PSD/CAT. This requirement for TSCM Specialist is best fulfilled by as needed personnel with the following specific qualifications: - Experience servicing DS and other Federal agencies; - Active Top Secret security clearance and SCI Clearance - 25 or more years experience in the TSCM field with 5 or more years Overseas Experience - Successful completion of TSCM training from the Interagency Training Center (ITC). 4. Instructions 4.1 Responses Responses must be limited to 25 pages or less, utilizing Microsoft Word or a PDF document, in Times New Roman 12-point font. Include your company DUNS number, CAGE code (if applicable), company POC and socioeconomic status under NAICS Code 541690, Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services. All interested companies must have an active registration in the System for Award Management (SAM) and not be on the Excluded Party List. Include statement describing its financial capability to handle this contract; especially with the advance cash outlay required for funding overseas travel and accommodations prior to invoicing. We are seeking Companies in the following Socio-Economic Categories: Women Owned Small Business (WOSB), HubZone (HUBZ), and Small Disadvantage Veteran Owned Small Businesses under NAICS code 541690. 4.2 Formatting Relevant Experience The responses should be in the following format/order: - General Business Information: Provide general information about your business, to include the information contained in section 4.1, as well as any National Industrial Security Program clearance information. - Requirements: Address the requirements contained in the aforementioned 3.0 and 3.1 Requirements; weight and detail paragraphs and bullets, as you deem appropriate. - Experience: Provide experience, capabilities, contracts, and customer information as you deem appropriate. - Points of Contact: List one or more points of contact for your company. - Summary: Provide brief concluding remarks, as you deem appropriate. 4.3 The government will not entertain telephone calls or questions for this RFI. 5 How to Respond Please submit your response no later than Wednesday, August 14, 2013 at 2:00 PM Eastern Time, with electronic copies sent to the following points of contact: - Maxine R. Hooker: Contract Specialist - Hookermr@state.gov - Cora L. Greene: Contract Specialist - GreeneCL@state.gov