DESCRIPTION: This is a sources sought notice to determine the availability of potential small businesses (e.g., 8(a), veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran owned small business, HUBZone small business, small disadvantaged business, and women-owned small business) that can develop and maintain a national field coordination program that provides specialized staff support and child welfare expertise in designated locations nationwide to the Division of Unaccompanied Children's Services (DUCS) Federal Field and Central Office staff. BACKGROUND: One of DUCS' main functions is to provide temporary shelter care and other related services to unaccompanied alien children (UAC) in the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) custody. DUCS is also responsible for the safe and timely reunification of UAC with appropriate family sponsors. In addition, ORR is responsible for identifying, funding, overseeing, and monitoring state-licensed facilities that serve UAC; maintaining statistical information and data on each child; and compiling and updating an annual list of professionals or entities qualified to provide legal services. In addition to the DUCS contracted shelter care provider staff, ORR employs Central Office and Field staff who develop and implement policies and procedures; provide technical assistance, monitoring and oversight to grantees; identify and develop specialized capacity; and coordinate and oversee the family reunification of UAC. ORR intends to acquire the services of bilingual Field Coordinators as third-party child welfare professionals to enhance, support and facilitate the work of DUCS Central Office and Field staff, particularly in the areas of family reunification, identification and analysis of trends and special needs, and placement recommendations. This will be achieved by assigning DUCS Field Coordinators nationally to target locations. In most cases, Field Coordinators will be deployed in or around areas where a Federal Field Specialist has been designated. Field coordinators will work closely with Federal Field Specialists, who serve as the Federal field representative of the DUCS program and are responsible for implementing Central Office policies and procedures; liaising with local immigration officials, non-profit agencies and legal service providers; providing guidance and direction to local care providers; and making transfer and release decisions for UAC in their designated regions. The purpose of this requirement is to acquire necessary personnel and related human resource support, such as travel, training and services to support the Office of Refugee Resettlement's Division of Unaccompanied Children's Services. Although work will be further defined as the program progresses, the contractor's responsibilities will include, but not be limited to: (1) Program Management; (2) Family Reunification; (3) Tracking and Management of Special Needs Cases; (4) Site Visits; (5) Collaboration and Communication with Other Entities; (6) Data Collection, Tracking and Reporting; (7) Technical Assistance; and (8) Compliance with DUCS Regulations and Policies. REQUIREMENTS: To be considered capable of satisfying this requirement, firms must have: (1) Previous experience providing specialized staff support to the federal government, including hiring, training and supervising staff; (2) Experience in successful implementation of Federal government contracts and/or grants; (3) Proven experience with human services and/or child welfare programs; (4) Demonstrated experience with cultural diversity and cultural competency; (5) Experience with refugee and/or immigrant populations; (6) Customer-focused and client-responsive and proven experience working collaboratively with the federal government; (7) Existing capacity and capability to hire, train and supervise a national network of child welfare professionals within 30 days of the effective date of contract; (8) A history of performance-based, results-oriented work products. SUBMISSION INFORMATION: Interested parties having the capabilities necessary to perform the stated requirements may submit a capability statement via e-mail to
[email protected] no later than 3:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, on Tuesday, May 16, 2006. You must reference Requirement Number DUCS-2006 in the subject line of your e-mail. CAPABILITY STATEMENTS MUST ADDRESS THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS OUTLINED ABOVE, ESPECIALLY IN THE SECTION TITLED REQUIREMENTS. Interested parties are strongly encouraged to include RELEVANT EXAMPLES of its capabilities to perform the stated requirements. Capability statements must also include the following information: Company name, address, and business size and status (e.g., 8(a), veteran-owned small business, service-disabled veteran owned small business, HUBZone small business, small disadvantaged business, and women-owned small business). THIS IS NOT AN INVITATION FOR BID (IFB), REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) OR REQUEST FOR APPLICATION (RFA) AND IN NO WAY OBLIGATES THE GOVERNMENT TO AWARD A CONTRACT. The North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS) is 624110 with a size standard of $6.5 million.