USAC RFI -- National Lifeline Accountability Database Call Center

Base Notice-- USAC Request for Information including for Small Business Consideration: National Lifeline Accountability Database Call Center - USAC-LI-2013-04-012 INTRODUCTION The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) is requesting information from Customer service call centers, NAICS code 561422, capable of providing the services set forth herein inclusive of small businesses; including disadvantaged, woman-owned, HUB-zone, veteran-owned, and service-disabled, veteran-owned small businesses, (collectively, small businesses). The Federal Communications Commission (Commission or FCC) appointed USAC the administrator of the Universal Service Fund (USF) and the universal service support mechanisms- High Cost (HC Program); Lifeline (LI Program); Rural Health Care (RHC Program), including its pilot program; and Schools and Libraries (SL Program), also referred to as E-rate, as set forth in Title 47, Part 54, Section 701 of the Code of Federal Regulations. USAC administers, subject to FCC regulations, directives and oversight, the USF and the Programs. This request for information (RFI) pertains to a future requirement for the procurement of call center services. USAC may be conducting a competitive procurement to provide help desk services for the National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD) application system. NLAD Customer Services (NCS) will provide level one help request support and level two help escalation coordination for both live agent calls and NLAD system submitted help requests. NCS help requests will support NLAD functional and technical inquiries. USAC contemplates awarding a firm-fixed-unit price contract of one base year and four option years. USAC will use also the information received in response to this RFI to plan for small business participation in the competition for this contract. USAC is not a federal agency, a government corporation, a government controlled corporation or other establishment in the Executive Branch of the United States Government. USAC is not a contractor to the Federal Government. The contract that may be awarded as a result of an RFP will not be a subcontract under a Federal prime contract. However, USAC conducts its procurements in accordance with the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding with the FCC, which requires USAC, as a general matter, to apply designated provisions of the Federal Acquisition Regulations ("FAR"), including requirements for full and open competition. SCOPE OF SERVICES The system integration services include, but are not limited to, the following primary functions: - The anticipated term of the Contract is a one-year base period with four one-year options for renewal. The anticipated contract award date is September 30, 2013. - USAC intends to award a fixed-unit price requirements contract for NCS call center services, and a fixed firm price for associated NCS start-up costs, based on a USAC approved deployment plan. - Provide functional and technical call center support for a high volume, web based, and online transaction application system. - Contractor must have the capability to perform live agent call handling operations (in English), provide a high volume capable toll free number, live agent remote monitoring, call recording, and daily statistical reporting functions. - Provide TDD/TTY services for the deaf. - Provide integrated level 1 and level 2 help activities to log and track all live agent calls and online help requests, the associated actions and assignments, including a Contractor customer relationship management (CRM) system and potential USAC website and/or CRM integration. - Provide live agent and NLAD system submitted help request response on a 24x7x365 basis. USAC expects that the majority of help request activity will occur between 12:00 PM and 10 PM eastern standard time. - The contractor must have previous experience with handling personally identifiable information (PII) and have proven capability to safeguard customer information from unauthorized access or loss. - Provide clearly defined quality assurance planning and surveillance. - Contractor must have a tested disaster recovery system in place and have sufficient redundant capability to allow normal business operations within 24 hours for a catastrophic failure. All program data must be safeguarded from loss or corruption by implemented data backup systems and procedures to recover data from up to the last business day's activities. Contractor must test the disaster recovery plan on an annual basis, at minimum. - All work must be conducted and completed in the United States, including data storage. No exceptions will be made. ? Anticipated Volume: NCS Call Center 1 2 3 4 5 Term Year Estimated Help Request Volumes 21,000 24,000 26,000 28,000 30,000 MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS TO BE MET - Firm must demonstrate experience in performing similar call center services. - Firms must be capable of providing resources suitable to the level of effort required to complete all work efficiently, accurately and within the time required. - Firms must have a satisfactory record of past performance in assignments of similar scope and complexity. - Firms must not be barred from receiving federal government contracts. DESCRIPTION OF YOUR FIRM Please briefly describe your firm's ability to meet the needs of this future procurement. Your description should include: - Your overall experience in performing services similar to those identified in this RFI; - Your resources for meeting the staffing requirements for the services described above, including your firm's ability operate 24 hours a day/7 days a week; - Your experience in designing and implementing call center solutions to support Level 1 and Level 2 support; and - List of contracts in previous three years conducting similar services specifying the solution provided, the scope of business processes implemented, the implementation phases, level of effort, duration of the implementation, and the duration of the contract. Provide the total dollar value of the contract. - The identity of your firm as a small business (e.g., small business, small disadvantaged, small woman-owned, small HUB-zone, small veteran-owned, or service-disabled veteran-owned businesses); and - Your average annual revenues for the past three years. General This announcement is for information purposes only. This announcement shall not be construed as a commitment by USAC. This is not a request for proposals and no contract will be awarded from this announcement. No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with the provision of the information requested in response to this announcement. Respondents will not be notified of the results of any evaluation. This is a Request For Information (RFI) only. Responses to the RFI should be emailed to Jim Cosson at rfp@usac.org no later than April 23, 2013, 5:00 PM EDT. Submissions received after this date and time may be reviewed but may not be considered in contract planning or in the creation of a solicitation. Failure to respond to this RFI does not preclude participation in any future competition for this requirement.