D -- ICE Detainee Telephone System-V

This Draft Statement of Objectives (SOO) is published for review and comment prior to publication of the Request for Proposal (RFP). Please immediately submit questions regarding this Draft SOO via email to [email protected]. The RFP will soon be published along with the Response Due Date. Please refrain from asking questions about the RFP until after publication of that document. Please contact Randolph Sawyer and Willy Quiambao ([email protected]) to obtain Attchments or further information. Statement of Objectives Table of Contents Background?????????????? ????????....................... ................ 3 Detainee Telephone System (DTS) History???????????.??? ????.3 Current Detainee Telephone System contract with PCS??????.?? ????......3 Overview of the Current DTS?????????????.????? ?????...3 DTS Contractor Guidelines?????? ??????????? ????????..4 Statement of Objectives????????????????? ??????????.4 Vision?????????????????????? ???????????..4 Scope??????????????????????? ??????????..4 ICE?s Objectives?????????????????? ??????????...4 Technical and Management Considerations???????? ???????????6 Contractor/Servicing Activities??????????? ????????...6 Other Related Information????????????? ????????..8 Attachment A: National Detention Standards for Telephone Access Attachment B: Primary and Secondary Facilities Attachment C: Detainee Call Volume Statistics Attachment D: ATR Duties (see Section J of the RFP for all the attachments) Background Detainee Telephone System (DTS) History Each year, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), undertakes immigration enforcement actions involving hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals. These actions include the arrest, detention, and removal from the United States of foreign nationals who are in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). These violations include: losing legal status by failing to abide by the terms and conditions of entry, or by engaging in crimes such as terrorist activity? violent crimes, document fraud, and drug smuggling. Responsibility for the enforcement of immigration laws within the interior United States rests with the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Detainees are held at Service Processing Centers (SPCs), Contract Detention Facilities (CDFs), (normally ?Primary Detention Facilities?) and State/local government facilities (Inter-Governmental Service Agreement facilities-IGSA) (normally ?Secondary Detention Facilities?) located throughout the US and US Territories. Current Detainee Telephone System contract with PCS Current detention telephone services are provided by Public Communications Services (PCS) under contract COW-4-C-0122 and is known as Detainee Telephone Services-IV (DTS-IV). DTS-IV is in the last option year and ICE Office of Acquisitions Management is now soliciting new proposals. The current contract does not require any revenue sharing with ICE. PCS currently provides all calling service in either a collect or pre-paid/debit system at Primary sites only. Calls are either local, long-distance, or International. Also, PCS provides a pro-bono system at all sites that allows detainees free calls to specifically authorized numbers. PCS utilizes a series of speed dial numbers associated with the corresponding approved numbers. Currently, there are no calls being recorded or monitored. However, that option is available. Overview of the Current DTS ICE National Detention Standards (NDS) guarantees all detainees free telephone access to ICE identified entities. These ICE identified entities include foreign Embassies, Consulates, Immigration Courts and approved pro bono and community based free immigration legal service providers. PCS provides this free telephone access at all ICE identified ?over 72 hour? Inter-governmental Services Agreement (IGSA) facilities and at ICE Primary locations. PCS accomplishes this contractual requirement by hosting a ?pro-bono network? which allows all ICE detainees access to identified entities. PCS hosts this pro-bono platform at no cost to ICE or to the detainees. In return, PCS receives all debit card and collect calling revenue from ICE primary locations. As this is a $0 cost contract, this is the only revenue PCS receives. Currently, all ICE Primary facilities allow detainees controlled access to the PCS operated telephone system to make both outgoing debit-card, collect and free pro-bono calls. Only free pro-bono calls are accomplished at ICE Secondary facilities. None of these sites allow for incoming calls. The DTS supports all current requirements of the ICE Detention Standards ? Telephone Access (National Detention Standards of September 2000 or as Amended). The DTS offeror will work closely with the Contracting Officer, the Contracting Officer?s Technical Representative (COTR), and ICE/DRO Agency Technical Representatives (ATR) acting as support staff. DTS Contractor Guidelines This contract will provide DTS servicing for approximately 30,000 total detainees housed at 15 Primary Facilities, and 206 Secondary Facilities. The offeror should anticipate continued growth in the number of detainees held and in the total number of Primary and Secondary facilities during the contract period. It will be the offeror?s responsibility to ensure compliance with all Federal, State and local Regulatory requirements (e.g. FCC regulations, State PUC requirements, etc.). If there are no laws, regulations, or guidelines, the offeror will follow generally accepted telecommunication practices in service industry and practices within the inmate calling service industry. For unusual actions that are not covered by any of the above, the offeror will consult with the Contracting Officer. Teaming arrangements and joint ventures are allowed but must be fully explained. Care should be taken to prevent disqualification as a small business. Subcontractor roles and responsibilities must also be described in sufficient detail so that it is clear who will do what. Statement of Objectives Vision The purpose of this solicitation is to obtain offers which will support DHS/ICE/DRO operations and compliance with Detention Telephone Access Standards. This effort is envisioned to provide DHS/ICE with repeatable, defined, accurate, timely, and well managed detention telephone services and processes that will ensure quality service and products that meet these Standards. This DTS will be implemented and sustained across all DHS/ICE Primary and Secondary Facilities identified as ?over 72-hour facilities?. Scope The scope of this solicitation requires that ICE receives a full range of DTS calling services that will significantly support the Detention Telephone Access Standard and meet DHS/ICE field operational goals. This includes the installation of a ?state of the art? telephone system at all Primary Facilities; the delivery of a complete centralized pro-bono system serving all Primary and Secondary Facilities designated as an ?over 72-hour facility?; rapid and accurate initial transition from the Primary telephone system provider and the set up of a pro-bono network; the ability to rapidly add and delete facilities; accurate reporting and accounting of call volume, debit card sales, collect calling, refunds, complaints; etc.; data collection and trend analysis with action plans for resolution of identified problems; the efficient management of all pro bono activities including accurate tracking of about 2500 speed dial numbers; timely maintenance of the Primary telephone and pro-bono systems; and, an overall robust quality plan that ensures compliance with the offeror?s proposal. ICE?s Objectives ICE, Office of Acquisitions Management, is currently seeking proposals to provide complete detainee telephone services at ?Primary Detention Facilities? and access to a pro bono telephone network for all sites designated as an ?over 72 hour facility?, whether identified as a Primary or Secondary site. These Primary and Secondary sites are located throughout the US and US Territories. Complete telephone services at the Primary Facilities are defined as all normal inmate telephone services including the requirement to provide physical assets and privacy screens. Current ICE Telephone Detention Standards require at least one phone for every twenty-five inmates. Additionally, all detainees held in an ?over 72 hour facility? must have free telephone access to Consulates, ?pro bono? legal advisors, the DHS Office of Inspector General Hotline, Immigration Courts, and other ICE identified Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO). This ?free access? is required at all ?Primary? and about 250 ?Secondary? facilities (those identified as an ?over 72 hours site?). Provisions must be made to ensure this free telephone access is available to detainees during normal operating hours defined as approximately 7AM to 9PM daily or local facility policies may apply. The current National Detention Standards for Telephone Access are provided as ATTACHMENT A (see Section J of the RFP). This contract will be a zero cost ($0) Firm Fixed Price Contract and is a set-aside for small businesses under NAICS 517911 Telecommunications Resellers (1500 employees). Revenue generated from Detainee debit card and collect calling at Primary Facilities will be the sole source of revenue to the Offerors. No revenue sharing with ICE is required. No call volume is guaranteed; however, ATTACHMENT B (see Section J of the RFP) lists the current operating locations, the number of phones required at the Primary facilities, and other statistical information. Recent telephone call volume is detailed below. There are currently 15 Primary Facilities with a total Detainee population of approximately 10,000 while another 20,000 detainees are located at ICE Secondary facilities. There are approximately 1300 total inmate telephones currently installed at these Primary locations. The average length of stay is 37 days; however, some detainees are held much longer. There were approximately twelve million (12,000,000) local debit and collect calling minutes; twenty-four million (24,000,000) long distance debit and collect calling minutes; and two million (2,000,000) international debit and collect calling minutes for the most recent twelve month period from these Primary Facilities. Calls are usually limited to 20 minutes, and the hours of access and time limits are determined by the Primary Facilities but are normally 7am to 9pm local. Primary Facilities will have full detention telephone services as well as access to the pro-bono network described below. There are currently 206 Secondary Facilities (over 72-hour) which allow detainees to make free pro bono calls only. No equipment is required to be provided at these sites. The list of active Secondary Facilities changes monthly by about 5 facilities (both additions and deletions) with the overall trend tracking upwards. Pro bono calls are accomplished by the Detainee dialing an access number to a centralized platform. There are many different inmate telephone service providers currently providing telephone services at Secondary Facilities. The offeror, working with the various ICE Agency Technical Representative?s (ATR?s), the COTR and the Contracting Officer, will assure that all Facilities have adequate and easy to understand written and verbal instructions, in the languages appropriate for each site, which will enable a connection to all authorized pro-bono speed dial numbers as well as debit card and collect calling. The offeror must be aware that Per Call Compensation, or other access charges, imposed by the inmate calling system provider at Secondary Facilities, if any, will be paid by the offeror and will not be charged to ICE or the detainees. After connecting to the centralized pro bono system, detainees are only allowed to dial a speed dial number that correlates to the authorized destination number approved by ICE. There are currently about 2500 approved pro-bono numbers but the trend is to add new numbers to this list. Consulate numbers frequently change. ICE personnel responsible for each Facility will notify the vendor with an approved local pro-bono list. ICE approved speed dial telephone numbers range from 200 to about 1000 at each facility. These pro bono numbers are subject to frequent changes by the authorized agencies and ICE frequently changes the approved list by site. The accurate management of this process while assuring the success of Detainees to connect to any authorized pro bono number is an important part of this Solicitation. ICE has appointed forty-two (42) regionally located ATR?s to support ICE compliance issues, including this requirement. A complete list of ATR Duties is included as ATTACHMENT D (see Section J of the RFP). All pro-bono numbers are domestic within the United States calling area. Recent statistics indicate approximately 30,000 to 35,000 pro-bono calls are completed per month with the trend tracking upwards. Time limit per pro-bono call is normally 20 minutes but may vary by site. There are minimal pro-bono calls after business hours and on weekends but the system must still be available to call the OIG Hotline. ATTACHMENT C (see Section J of the RFP) provides further information of the call volume statistics. Technical and Management Considerations This section outlines information that will help you prepare a response for this proposal. It is intended to help you understand ICE?s objectives when taken in conjunction with the other information you have been provided and/or available to you in various DHS/ICE reports. This section contains information that applies to how ICE can best comply with the guidelines of the National Detention Standards, and deliver a DTS service to best meet the needs of ICE operations. Contracting/Servicing Activities Statement of Work/Performance Plan: The Offeror shall provide a Statement of Work (SOW) to explain in detail how they plan to carry out all required tasks as described throughout this document. This SOW shall include enough details to allow the Government to verify the offeror has a complete understanding of the SOO and will include the proposed performance approach. The SOW should address at a minimum: o Inmate Telephone System, including hardware, and all security features o Debit calling system (with prices described in the pricing volume) o Collect calling system (with prices described in the pricing volume) o Multiple languages; English and Spanish are always required o Call flow process for pro bono centralized system o Training program; Initial and recurring training on software, etc. o Web based reporting and management tools o Processes to add/delete pro bono numbers; accuracy audits o Processes to add/delete Secondary Facilities including transition times o Call Detail reports o Any Biometric or other measures of security calling o Investigative reports/tools and trend analysis tools o Redundancy and emergency back up policy to assure pro bono calls can always connect from all designated sites o Rebate and refund plan including time-line and defaults o Monitoring/Recording including onsite and remote access o Customer Service Plan that includes the following: ?X The assurance of minimal down time and outline the plans for routine and emergency service ?X The assurance that all authorized calls are connected and what plans to follow up complaints from Detainees or staff ?X The accurate financial accounting of debit/pre-paid services, and process for refunds ?X The use of web based reporting and monitoring tools for ICE headquarters and field staff Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan (QASP) ? Offerors will include a QASP in their proposal which will consist of Performance Objectives, SOW reference paragraph, and Performance Threshold. The QASP cannot exceed 20 pages and will not count towards the 40 page technical volume limit. At a minimum, the offerors will provide their internal grading scale of minimal performance levels. A sample of suggested Performance Objectives should include, at a minimum: o Ability to connect to the Pro-bono system o Add/delete Primary and Secondary Facilities o Add/delete pro-bono numbers and related speed dial process o Information and frequency/type of offered training for ATR?s; and, training offered at Primary Facilities covering associated telephone software o Call connection percentages o Telcordia (Bellcore) Standards met and how verified o On time reporting o Refund policy and procedures: Timeliness, accuracy, and audit o Maintenance, scheduled and non-scheduled o Complete and timely Call Detail reports o Trend analysis and corrective action plans Management /Staffing Approach - The Offeror shall provide a description of its management approach sufficient to demonstrate a clear understanding and ability to provide the services required in the SOO. a. Staffing ? The Offeror shall provide a proposed staffing plan. The Offeror shall identify key personnel and provide resumes. For key personnel a resume limited to three (3) pages shall be provided. Resumes will not count against the 40-page technical proposal page limit. b. The Offeror?s management plan shall include a description of how the offeror plans to manage the coordination of all the SOO requirements including deliverables. Schedule Plan - The Offeror shall provide a detailed schedule outlining the transition plan for all Primary and Secondary Facilities listed in ATTACHMENT B (see Section J of the RFP). Include information to show that the offeror understands the requirement completely. This schedule will be in accordance with the successful and orderly transition of the Secondary Facilities. As ICE cannot allow for any period without telephone connectivity, offerors should detail how Primary facilities will transfer over as additional Secondary facilities are brought online. Corporate Experience/Past Performance - The Offeror shall provide information sufficient to demonstrate its experience in projects of similar size, scope, complexity and results, particularly as they relate to providing detention telephone services required in this SOO. The Offeror shall provide a contract summary and Past Performance Questionnaire (see Section L of RFP) of two (2) contracts of similar size, scope, and complexity to the requirements in the SOO. Contract summaries should not exceed two (2) pages each and will not count against the 40-page technical proposal limit. Offerors should provide the following information in the contract summaries submitted: a. Contract Name/Number b. Project Description c. Period of Performance d. Value e. Points of Contact to include the Contracting Officer and COTR Two (2) past performance questionnaire responses are requested. In order to facilitate efficiency in receipt of Past Performance Questionnaires, offerors are requested to ensure the following guidance is conveyed to their clients when submitting questionnaires. Offerors are requested to include the offeror's company name and request tracking number HSCETE-0-R-0001 in the header of the questionnaire prior to delivery of the document to its clients. Clients are to be instructed to return the Past Performance Questionnaire electronically via email to the Contracting Officer at [email protected]. Furthermore, the subject line of the email shall read as follows: ?Request Tracking Number HSCETE-08-R-00001 and offeror?s name?. Past Performance Questionnaires must be received no later than proposal due date. For more information on this factor, see Sections L-Proposal Requirements/Instructions to offerors of the RFQ. Other Related Information I. Contractor should submit a proposed implementation plan on how Contractor proposes to complete the initial installation of the Facilities. Please include your proposed time-line for completing the Primary Locations physical installation, as well as the Primary and Secondary Facilities pro-bono speed dial system. For each installation, the Contractor shall submit an implementation plan which shall include an installation schedule. This implementation plan will become a part of the Agreement and must be followed. II. Contractor agrees to obtain DHS/ICE written permission before proceeding with any work that requires cutting into or through girders, beams, concrete or tile floors, partitions or ceilings, or any work that may impair fireproofing or moisture proofing, or potentially cause any structural damage. DHS/ICE does not anticipate that such work will be required for the initial installation or maintenance of the system. A. Contractor agrees to assume responsibility for all installation of equipment in accordance with the specifications contained in the manufacturer's installation instructions. B. Use of existing or in-place conduit, raceways, cable ways, cable, inside wiring, telephone set mountings, switches, terminal boxes, enclosures, and terminals within the Facilities are at the risk of the Contractor. No exposed wiring will be permitted. Ownership of any wiring or conduit placed under this Agreement by the successful Contractor becomes DHS/ICE property upon termination and/or expiration of the Agreement. C. Contractor agrees that if any cabling work is required as part of any installation, all new cables shall be used and marked clearly and legibly at both ends, and must meet all applicable EIA/TIA wiring standards for commercial buildings. D. Contractor shall install additional telephones and monitoring and recording equipment as needed at no cost to DHS/ICE. This includes expansion to the existing Facilities and any newly constructed Facilities. This shall be done throughout the Agreement period and all subsequent renewal terms. E. Contractor shall provide and install adequate surge and lightning protection equipment on all lines used for the system. F. Installation of all telephones and related equipment shall be accomplished during normal business hours at each Facility or as directed by the Facility's Warden. G. Contractor shall clean up and remove all debris and packaging material resulting from work performed. H. Contractor shall restore to original condition any damage to DHS/ICE property caused by maintenance or installation by personnel associated with the Contractor, including repairs to walls, ceilings, etc. I. Contractor agrees to install, repair and maintain all Contractor provided equipment and lines at no cost to DHS/ICE. All Contractor provided equipment, installation, maintenance and repair costs as well as all costs or losses due to vandalism shall be the total responsibility of the Contractor. J. Upon completion of initial installation and ongoing installations, Contractor must provide DHS/ICE with a list of telephone numbers, serial numbers, and the location of each unit.